Experts needed. I noticed these holes in the trunk of my maple tree. There are a dozen or more of them. A little less than a quarter inch in diameter. What are they and what do I need to do about them? Thanks experts!!

Sadly ... cut it down .

Are you positive that they aren't woodpecker holes?

Those may be bore holes from Carpenter Bees.

I have had them here in dead / dying trees and non-treated lumber.

Looks like our local problem, these things have just wiped out trees around here .. not that we have enough to spare !




https://nfs.unl.edu/eab-faq

No those aren't from a woodpecker , at least non that live in the northeast. I have woodpeckers going crazy in my neighborhood for the last month or so , it's easy to find the trees they are in by looking at the ground around the tree ... there will be chunks of tree strewn about , those things make big holes to get to the bugs inside ... and if there are bugs in a tree 30 ft off the ground it's the same outcome ... cut it down before it falls down.

Peel the bark off the tree and take a pic

Look like carpenter bee holes to me too. The larva are in the holes, and around here the woodpeckers go after them and do a ton more damage. Keep watch on a warm day and you’ll probably see them hovering around that tree. They are pretty docile and do not attack/sting.

Maple petiole borer or Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

Looks like some kind of borer to me. We lost ash trees in Ohio with holes just like that.

What's the deal with the grey scale on those trees? I have that on some trees here in Tennessee. Same trees are loosing limbs.

I didn't know there was really a bird called a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. But, today I actually saw one at my bird feeder. Mystery solved.

Did I win the prize?

...unless you accidentally interrupt a territory dispute, then be careful. Also, they have the irritating habit of pulling up right in front of your face just to scare the ever-lovin' right out of you when you least expect it.

Around here they talk about Bore Bees. I had never heard that before so I just now googled it and they are also called carpenter bees which I had heard of. Must depend on where you live. lol

How about "Thanks"!

Yeah, I have carpenter bees around here. They bore much bigger holes.

A tennis racquet makes short work of them. Treated wood isn't safe from them, they'll bore in it too.

Tennis racket also works great if you happen to get a bat flying around inside your house. Picture me running around in the house trying to catch a bat with three females running around screaming "kill it" a salivating cat following it around determined to catch that flying mouse and a dog barking just because. I swear I could hear Benny Hill music in the background. Lol some of you are not old enough to get that.

🤣😂😂😂😂😂😂