Perfectly Round Holes in Pine Trees: Sapsucker Damage, Not Carpenter Bees

Identifying the Culprit Behind Neat Rows of Holes

A homeowner sees half-inch, perfectly round holes in 30-foot pines and suspects carpenter bees. The expert identifies the pattern as the work of a yellow-bellied sapsucker, a woodpecker that drills orderly horizontal or vertical rows to feed on sap and the insects attracted to it.

Sapsucker Behavior

• Prefers thin-barked trees (maple, pine) over thick-barked oaks.
• Rarely kills trees but can weaken them, inviting secondary pests.
• Holes heal naturally; no need to fill them.

Management Options

• Spray the area with an insecticide (malathion, sevin) to reduce insect attraction.
• Wrap trunk with burlap or hardware cloth during peak activity.
• Do nothing—trees often tolerate the damage.

Carpenter bee holes are usually larger, solitary, and in dry, unpainted wood, not in neat lines on live pines.