Perhaps you’re mowing your lawn or relaxing on your porch when you notice them: holes in your trees. Besides being unsightly, they often indicate damage or infection that can endanger your tree’s health. But what causes them in the first place?
In this post, a trusted tree service in St. Charles, MO, discusses what causes holes in trees and what you can do about it.
How Can You Identify the Cause of Holes in Trees?
The truth is, mysterious holes in trees are not all that mysterious to the experienced eye. Arborists and other plant healthcare specialists will look at the size and shape of the holes, their location in the tree, and other evidence to determine the cause.
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- Shape: Are the entry and exit holes round, oval, or D-shaped? Is the border smooth or irregular?
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- Pattern: Are the holes sporadic or do they occur in neat rows?
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- Location: Are they mostly on the surface or deeper in the wood?
- Size: Are they the size of a dime (18 millimeters), a pencil eraser (5 millimeters), or somewhere in between?
What Are Common Causes of Holes in Trees?
Two common causes of holes in trees are insects and birds.
Insects
Borers are a group of insects that tunnel through bark and feed inside roots and branches. While adult wood borers can cause tree injury, much of the damage is caused by the young. Borers lay their eggs in the tree, and newly hatched insect larvae dig tunnels as they feed on the wood.
These insects often damage important tissues the tree needs for water and nutrient transport. In some cases, the insects carry fungal spores that infect the host and can cause tree decay.
Examples of insects that cause trees in holes include the following:
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- Moths
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- Emerald ash borers
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- Bark beetles
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- Longhorned beetles
Birds
Two types of birds that commonly cause holes in trees are woodpeckers and sapsuckers. Woodpeckers drill holes in the bark trying to reach the insects below. Sapsuckers peck smaller holes in the bark to reach the living tissue layer below. This causes sap to flow, which sapsuckers feed on.
What Can I Do About Holes in My Trees?
An effective solution depends on accurately diagnosing the cause of the holes in your trees. Once you have identified the culprit, you may do one of the following:
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- Wrap the tree trunk in heavy cloth during bird migration periods.
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- Hang owl or hawk decoys to scare off sapsuckers and woodpeckers.
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- Treat trees to address beetle or borer infestations.
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- Remove trees that have sustained too much damage.
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- Keep your other trees healthy to reduce their appeal to insects.
Contact Us Today for Professional Help With Holes in Trees
Need help identifying the causes of the holes in your trees? Want to determine if a tree is sick? Need to remove a dead tree? Contact Liscombe Tree Service to schedule service today! Our team of licensed arborists has the solutions to all your tree problems in St. Charles County.