Woodpecker damage on mature 'Nellie R. Stevens' hollies is causing tree health problems including dieback and creating wounds for disease. We see this damage on nearly every holly we visit around Henderson County. Repeated annual pecking by the woodpecker eventually leads to stems being girdled and limbs dying. The wounds can lead to diseases such as the new 'Pink Disease' damaging the tree. Sometimes whole trunks or even whole trees die.

Controlling woodpecker damage is not easy.  A few of the things we could do is use a physical barrier such as burlap to cover the trunk. Providing suet bird food may draw the attention of the birds away from hollies. Using scare tactics such as owl decoys could help. Finally, fertilize holly trees to encourage growth so that trees can recover from the physical wounds.