Knowledgebase

What causes these holes #750866

Asked May 19, 2021, 1:06 PM EDT

We’ve noticed these holes on 2 of our evergreen trees. Should we be worried about the tree dying?

Harford County Maryland

Expert Response

If the tree's canopy/foliage appears to be in good condition, then probably not, but we cannot quite discern what caused the holes. Multiple, fairly tidy rows of holes are often due to Yellow-bellied Sapsucker woodpeckers, and their damage rarely affects the trees, even when it is extensive. The holes on your tree look a bit more random in placement for that animal, though perhaps it was a less-experienced individual bird. Instead, they could be wood-borer emergence holes, though to determine what particular insect that may be, we'd have to know what kind of evergreen this is. Closer photos of the holes would also help us to narrow-down the possibilities.

https://extension.umd.edu/resource/woodpecker-and-sapsucker-damage-trees

For comparison to sapsucker holes, some examples of wood-borer exit holes in trunks are pictured on this page, though this is not to suggest any of these insects are necessarily the culprit here (especially since yours is not an Ash tree).
https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/deciduous/ash/trunkholes.html

Miri

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