Woodpeckers

[NickfromWI]

How about woodpeckers? Do they actually damage trees? We got a bar-bet going on here.

love
nick

[Mr. Sir]

The short answer is... no.

The long answer is... it depends. :D

[NickfromWI]

My thinking is

-woodpeckers that make big holes (to live in) are pecking into decayed stuff anyways...so no worries about the woodpeckers there. Just check out the decay.
-If they are making little holes in an organized grid up and down the trunk or branches are sapsuckers and the damage is superficial.
-There are birds around here that peck quarter sized holes than put acorns in the holes (to save them for later) I'm not worried about that either.

My guess is that they don't damage the tree to a point where we should be concerned about it from a safety standpoint.

love
nick

[Banned by Squirrels]

If the woodpeckers are after it then there is a problem already.

[MasterBlaster]

I don't believe the woodpeckers are after "it." They peck holes, bugs feed on the sap, and they eat the bugs.

[Mr. Sir]

My thinking is

-woodpeckers that make big holes (to live in) are pecking into decayed stuff anyways...so no worries about the woodpeckers there. Just check out the decay.
-If they are making little holes in an organized grid up and down the trunk or branches are sapsuckers and the damage is superficial.
-There are birds around here that peck quarter sized holes than put acorns in the holes (to save them for later) I'm not worried about that either.

My guess is that they don't damage the tree to a point where we should be concerned about it from a safety standpoint.

love
nick

:thumbup:

[gf beranek]

What's the bet?

[NickfromWI]

Simply a gentlemen's bet. I think woodpecker doesn't cause damage, though they could be a sign of damage. He thinks woodpeckers cause damage and should be killed.

love
nick

[No_Bivy]

sap sucker drought....i've seen it here. I would say damage in extreme cases:D

[squisher]

Frig woodpeckers.

[Burnham]

Just to play devil's advocate here, Nick...you say a woodpecker that digs out a quarter sized hole deep enough to hold an acorn doesn't worry you, that it is doing no harm. Yet you would certainly say that a climbing gaff wound, likely smaller and no deeper, is something that can be unacceptably damaging to a tree.

What do you think about that juxtaposition?

Not that I'm advocating either killing woodpeckers or spurring all trees we climb.

[squisher]

Sounds like you are.:P

I'm keeping a sharp eye out for those bastards return to my yard this year. My air rifle is on standby.:/:

[Burnham]

Now Justin, don't you go impuning my well established voice of balance and reason around here :lol:.

[NickfromWI]

Just to play devil's advocate here, Nick...you say a woodpecker that digs out a quarter sized hole deep enough to hold an acorn doesn't worry you, that it is doing no harm. Yet you would certainly say that a climbing gaff wound, likely smaller and no deeper, is something that can be unacceptably damaging to a tree.

Hmmm- you raise a good point! I guess the only adequate response to this is.....

:P

[NickfromWI]

Okay- seriously this time-

There is something to be said about the woodpecker being part of "nature" and all that hippy stuff. From what I've seen in southern ca, I've only seen a few trees that have damage from that type of woodpecker. There just aren't a large number of them to cause a biggggg problem.

There are literally hundreds of people spiking live trees every day in los angeles alone. Just the quantity alone should be considered.

Oh- and add to it that the woodpecker makes the hole and then fills it back up, giving a tiny bit of protection to the tree!

love
nick

[Burnham]

Okaaaaaay...:P
;)

[squisher]

Bahhh depends on the tree I suppose but most of the trees I've spiked in the bush I guarantee they're no worse for the wear(except the ones that were cut down afterwards). I'm not saying to go ahead and spike trims or nothing but I question the damage a spike does on say a big ole doug fir.

[fallguy]

Nick I don't know what kind of little peckers you have in California but we have Pileated woodpeckers here in Minnesota and they carve out a hole that 6-10" tall and once inside the tree they well tear a hole 3' deep and 12" across. We also have trouble with them working on electric poles. We have crews go out every summer and foam fill the pecker holes.

[MasterBlaster]

Wow, I don't think we have those around here, lordy!

[Burnham]

Yep, that is a big azz woodpecker. I think they do live in Louisiana...they are pretty common around where I live in Oregon.

[Burnham]

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Pileated_Woodpecker_dtl.html

[squisher]

Yah frig those birds! They're not finishing my birches off.

[stehansen]

That's a pretty cool looking bird.

[squisher]

Want me to send you one?:D

[MasterBlaster]

Hahahahaha!

[stehansen]

Want me to send you one?:D

Some of the scenes with the gopher in the movie Caddyshack are coming to mind Squisher.:)

[squisher]

I'd whack that bastard too.:D

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[squisher]

:/:

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[treelooker]

sapsuckers are a major problem here; they have caused bark death which has led to branch and stem death.

Pileateds are awesome; i see one visit the oaks in front of my window from time to time.