Sphyrapicus varius

Piciformes: Picidae

Identification
• This woodpecker is 7 ³/₄" long with ladder-like black and white bands down the back and a broad white stripe on each wing. The breast usually appears whitish but is light yellow in some conditions.
• Males have a red throat and top of the head. Females and immatures have no red coloration.

Damage
• Drills ¹/₄" holes in horizontal or vertical rows in the trunk while feeding on tree sap.
• In the lower midwest, damage is unlikely to harm the tree because it only occurs as the birds are migrating north in the spring and south in the fall.
• In northern states and Canada in summer and in  southern states in winter, the damage can be severe enough to seriously harm or kill trees.
• Scotch pine, Austrian pine, birch, crabapple, maple, and many other trees are attacked.

Management
• Tolerate the damage; it’s usually not harming the tree.
• Wrap damaged areas of trees in the spring and fall. Remove the wrapping when the migration has ended.