birch woodpecker sap sucker damage mgmt

[southsoundtree]

I put a thread under Bugs and Crud seeking info about birches. It also is looking for info about woodpecker/ sap sucker damage management. Any info would help.

I've dome some research about this seeing some things about colored tape and colored beachballs as deterrents. Looking for any other ideas.

Also, the customer, who I will visit for the first time tomorrow, has some ant issue. I don't know if they are carpenter ants of some other type of ant. I'm awaiting pictures.

 

[treedimensional]

Sap suckers are habitual, you can almost set your watch by them. The reason they pick on certain trees for various reasons. Here they will peck holes into conifers and pick stuck bugs off the pitch.

Physical deterrents can work, so will feeding them off feeders will assist you in saving the trees.

Sap Suckers will bore in rows and columns! Sorry we seldom see woodpeckers here in the Prairies.

 

[altissimus]

.....to save the poor Birch a Daisy BB gun works well ....

 

[rfwoodvt]

I'd agree with altissimus. My daughter's favorite tree is also a favorite of some downy woodpeckers. You don't have to actaally shoot them for it to be effective, just shoot at them and they'll eventually leave.

Only problem with doing that for a customer is that you need to be there all the time until the critters quit.

 

[cuttenwolf]

A customer of mine has problems with this issue. I read somewhere that these birds are protected federally, something with the migratory issue. They apparently feed close to thier nests and will revisit the same tree over and over. Metallic strips and burlap wrapped over the holes seemed to be the only deterent solutions offered.

 

[altissimus]

...oddly enough we finished a mid size Birch removal today ... chock full of Sap Sucker wells .... yesterday afternoon the male bird kept harassing me as I moved through the removal ... when we got there this morning not only the Sap Suckers but a group of Bees , Large Black flies , and Hummingbirds were all at the worst area ... seems yesterdays partial removal must have increased sap flow ....

 

[farmergardiner]

Don't know much about sapsuckers, but I do know that woodpeckers are looking for food when pecking trees. We have large pileated that are atracted to the ants in large white pines. My understanding is that they make round holes for nests, and oval holes looking for food.

I had a customer with a wp attacking his wood facing on his cottage. He attached a large coloured flag on the peak and this discouraged the wps and he was able to repair his cottage.

Generally speaking the wps only attack once there is already an issue with the health of a tree. They don't attack healthy trees

 

[lumberjackson]

[ QUOTE ]
...oddly enough we finished a mid size Birch removal today ... chock full of Sap Sucker wells .... yesterday afternoon the male bird kept harassing me as I moved through the removal ... when we got there this morning not only the Sap Suckers but a group of Bees , Large Black flies , and Hummingbirds were all at the worst area ... seems yesterdays partial removal must have increased sap flow ....

[/ QUOTE ]

or maybe they were trying to save their tree like in all those movies with talking animals!