Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> Plant Species >> Trees

Bradford Pear Trunk Holes: Sapsuckers, Not Borers

Neat rows of ⅛-inch holes on 11 Bradford pears = yellow-bellied sapsucker (woodpecker) feeding. Birds drill sap wells, eat attracted insects. Thin-barked pears show damage more.

Management

Spray holes with malathion, Sevin, or even Raid to kill insects.
No bugs = birds leave.
Holes heal naturally—don't fill.

Rarely kills trees. Cosmetic unless severe. Doing nothing is fine.

Trees: Bradford Pear Decline: Slime Flux or Borers?; Sudden Heavy Fruiting on Bradford Pears: Genetics and Storm Risk; Fire Blight vs. Mechanical Damage in Cleveland Bradford Pear; Saving Bradford Pear Trees from Decline: Fungus, Bacteria, and Systemic Solutions; Bradford Pear Fire Blight: Identification and Management; Bradford Pear Tree Near House: Root Risk and Lifespan; Stopping Bradford Pear Fruit with Hormone Sprays; Bradford Pear Fruit: Inedible, Not a Wildlife Magnet; Bradford Pear Near Septic Systems: Better Alternatives; Bradford Pear Girdling String: Wait-and-See Approach for Bark Damage

Garden Articles

Bradford Pear Red Leaves Falling: Fire Blight or Genetic Decline?

Bradford Pear Fire Blight: Multi-Year Battle Plan

Cleveland Pear Street Trees: Regional Decline vs. Fire Blight

Sudden Death in Cleveland Pear: Vascular Blockage and Systemic Rescue

Bradford Pear Trunk Fungus After Heavy Rain: Likely Saprophytic

Bradford Pear Borers: Sawdust, Dying Leaves, and How to Save the Tree

How to Prune Bradford Pear Trees for Strength and Safety

Plants

Bradford Pear Trees: Root Damage and the Case for Removal

Diagnosing Decline in a Mature Bradford Pear: Boron Sensitivity and Short Lifespan

Bradford Pear Root Depth and Spread Explained

Thinning Bradford Pear: Fertilize for Vigor

Concentric Rings of Holes in Bradford Pear: Classic Sapsucker Work

Cut Root on Bradford Pear: One Nick Won’t Kill the Tree

Can a Girdled Bradford Pear Survive?