poplar trees - Ask Extension
I live in West Salem and have a few really tall (what I think are) white poplar trees. The other day I noticed several clusters of small holes in the ...
Knowledgebase
poplar trees #471272
Asked July 17, 2018, 8:18 PM EDT
I live in West Salem and have a few really tall (what I think are) white poplar trees. The other day I noticed several clusters of small holes in the bark. I don't know if they are diseased or if they pose a danger to my home. I was also wondering if it could be from woodpeckers. I'm hoping they won't have to be removed. Do you have someone who can take a look and help me figure out what to do?
Polk County Oregon
Expert Response
Your tree appears to be a birch tree and the damage is caused by sapsuckers. Sapsuckers commonly work on birch trees. They are going after the sap and they make these characteristic rows of holes, which they revisit to feed on the sap that comes out. Your damage is relatively minor so far and not a major threat to tree health.
For more on sapsuckers on trees, see the article at
https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/pathogen-articles/nonpathogenic-phenomena/recognizing-sapsucke...