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Sapsuckers - (Sphyrapicus varius)  Helen Atthowe - Missoula County Extension  HOSTS: Trees with thin bark, such as Mountain Ash and Aspen. Also houses and buildings with wood exteriors near wooded areas/rural settings. DESCRIPTION: Sapsuckers are woodpeckers 7” to 15” in length. They bore a series of parallel rows of ¼” to ⅜” closely-spaced holes in the bark of limbs or trunks of healthy trees, and use their tongues to remove insects trapped in the sap. These birds usually feed on a few favorite ornamental or fruit trees. Holes may be enlarged through continued pecking or limb growth, and large patches of bark may be removed or sloughed off. At times, limb and trunk girdling may kill the tree. Wounds of attacked trees may attract insects, porcupines, tree squirrels and leave entrances for diseases and wood-decaying organisms. LIFE
CYCLE: CONTROLS:Cultural: Sapsuckers are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act! Exclusion - Place ¾” plastic mesh netting over the area attacked. Be sure to secure the netting so that the birds have no way to get behind it. Visual Frightening Devices - Use stationary model hawks or owls, fake or simulated snakes, owl or cat silhouettes, plastic twirlers, wind chimes, aluminum pans, foil, or scare tapes. Sound - Make loud noises using a cap pistol, banging garbage can lid, or commercial noise-producing frightening devices. Repellants - Coat trunk of attacked trees with materials that have an objectionable taste such as hot pepper wax or garlic oil. The objectionable odor of mothballs may be used. Also, try sticky or tacky bird repellants.
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