Question
In reading your answers to other "holes in trees",I think my tree is being besieged by woodpeckers,however I'm worried about permanent damage. Are woodpeckers different than sapsuckers? When do they normally work on trees? I have found 4-5 lines with 10-15 holes and have never heard or seen any birds. Thank you from N.W.Indiana

Answer
Sapsuckers are a type of woodpecker. They make the small holes in rows around the tree trunk. Some woodpeckers make large hole when they construct their nests.

Most woodpeckers rely on insects and tree sap as their primary sources of food. Many woodpeckers feed almost entirely on insects, finding a majority of them beneath the bark on dead tree limbs and in other situations where their feeding is considered beneficial. However, the yellow-bellied sapsucker relies on the sap of trees for over half of its food, with the balance of its diet consisting of insects, berries, and fruits.
The damage consists of rows of neatly spaced horizontal or vertical holes in tree trunks and branches. Rarely does the woodpecker kill a tree  but its feeding may weaken the tree, making it more susceptible to secondary disease and insect problems.
Trees with thick bark (oak) are damaged little. Where as trees with thin bark (maple) can be damaged a great deal by the holes.
The sapsucker makes the holes and the tree produces a drop of sap in the hole--insects come to feed on the sap and the woodpecker returns to feed on the insects. There is not need to fill the holes-the tree will heal over these by themselves. To stop insects from coming and thus discourage the woodpecker from feeding I would spray the area with a insecticide. Something like malathion or sevin will kill the insects and the woodpeckers will leave.
Doing nothing is ok too since the trees health is not going to be damage.