Bugs?

[Turtlecreek]

I was just up in the woods to check a tree I spotted a problem with last year to see if it was ok. This tree has a series of 1/8 inch holes, maybe 8-10, in a straight line running horiziontaly across the tree about 10-15 feet up the tree. The sap is running out of theses holes, I don't tap this tree because of this. What could it be should I be concerned?

[walkerpa]

yellow belly sap sucker. its like a wood pecker that likes sap.

[Turtlecreek]

What did you just call me? I wasn't sure if it was a insect or a bird, if I had a photobucket account I would post some pics. Walkerpa where are you located in Pa?

[mountainvan]

yellow bellied sapsuckers{birds} peck holes in the tree to make the sap come out, to attract insects, and then to eat the insects. They also peck hemlocks in my woods. you should not be too concerned, it's a natural act.

[KenWP]

And if you have sapsuckers you have hummingbirds also as they live on the sap from the holes untill the flowers start to bloom. I have apple trees with the whole trunk full of the holes and many hummingbirds also.

[Turtlecreek]

I was concerned it was the emerald ash borer or some other invasive bug. I have not seen and eab here, but you never know.

[cncaboose]

I've noticed that they often make their holes immediately adjacent to recently pulled tapholes. It's like they think I started something and they have to finish it.

[red maples]

sap suckers!!! I got them too. I have a few of them. don't kill em. they are federally protected!!! I have a nest in a dead branch of a maple along side the road. I saw some way up high and I tried to yell at them they just kept on pecking!!!

[walkerpa]

Im in gettysburg

[farmall h]

If it looks like a large woodpecker than it is the same bird found here in VT. I have heard it called a "pilated woodpecker". I have one tree that has been favored by these birds for many years. The tree maybe has one more good year.

[BryanEx]

Pilated woodpeckers are very large and normally make squared very deep holes. These are the guys you can hear pecking at a tree from "way off". Sap suckers are much smaller and really don't damage the trees with their tiny peck holes. For that matter, the wood peckers don't damage healthy trees either. They go after the dead and/or dying limbs that already have bugs of some type in them.

[red maples]

pilated wood peckers are twice the size of the sap suckers

and sap suckers go for the healthy trees because of the sap!!! they can sometimes be seen eating at hummingbird feeders or at least trying to. and they drink the sap and also eat the bugs that gather around the sap holes.

[mapleack]

Yes its a sap sucker. I had one a couple years ago going around pecking holes right down the side of spiles during the season! I think there were even one or two 5/16 spouts with holes pecked through where they met the tree. If I'd found him, protected or not the cats would've gotten a treat.