Sapsucker Bird Damage on Curly Willow: Not an Insect Problem

Diagnosis

Rows of pencil-sized holes in the trunk, darkening bark, and peeling bark on a 5-year-old curly willow are classic sapsucker (woodpecker) feeding damage, not insects. The birds drill sap wells in horizontal lines.

Management

Little can deter persistent sapsuckers. Wrap trunk with burlap or apply sticky repellent (Tanglefoot) temporarily. Monitor for decay or insect colonization in wounds. Inspect twice yearly.