Gardening for Old Folks (Adaptative)

[CapricornFarm]

Oh yes, hubby dug up the ground enough around the mail box to put up the trellis. The ground is very rocky there.

The plant at the base of the trellis is a clematis. Can you see the goat on my mail box?

 

[N F C]

Oh yes, hubby dug up the ground enough around the mail box to put up the trellis. The ground is very rocky there. View attachment 1211000
The plant at the base of the trellis is a clematis. Can you see the goat on my mail box?

The clematis will look pretty on the trellis Cap. Yep, I see a goat!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I can't believe the woodpeckers around here have not figured out what the suet feeder is for. They were breeding in a nearby tree this summer. There are many different species locally. I may try cleaning the bird feeder again. None of them seemed interested this summer in it either but they may get hungry.

My woodpeckers are picky, they don't like the cheap suet. They have a preference for Nutty Butty suet, a brand I buy. It could be they just haven't discovered it yet, or there's still bugs alive where you are at. We get lots of woodpeckers.

 

[Pensmaster]

My woodpeckers are picky, they don't like the cheap suet. They have a preference for Nutty Butty suet, a brand I buy. It could be they just haven't discovered it yet, or there's still bugs alive where you are at. We get lots of woodpeckers.

What does the damage to the trees look like? I’ve got a pair of them in the Liquid Amber and there’s many holes in lines on the tree just under branches it’s either them or I have a really bad bug eating the tree.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

What does the damage to the trees look like? I’ve got a pair of them in the Liquid Amber and there’s many holes in lines on the tree just under branches it’s either them or I have a really bad bug eating the tree.

I find if they are working a tree, than that tree or that branch is already dead or infested with something. They don't do anything to a healthy tree. They do peck on my parents house that has wood siding, so they have stopped feeding birds because of it.

 

[Pensmaster]

I find if they are working a tree, than that tree or that branch is already dead or infested with something. They don't do anything to a healthy tree. They do peck on my parents house that has wood siding, so they have stopped feeding birds because of it.

Here’s a picture of one row of damage.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Here’s a picture of one row of damage.

View attachment 1211020

I have seen that before. Must be some sort of insects. We had a lot of similar damage to our apple tree in TN.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Oh! I just looked it up. It said trees under stress are prone to damage by sapsuckers that drill holes to get at sap in the trees.

 

[GardenTillers44]

I’ve got a pair of them in the Liquid Amber and there’s many holes in lines on the tree just under branches it’s either them or I have a really bad bug eating the tree.

The photo is a classic sapsucker pattern. There are several sapsucker species in CA. We have the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker here. Oh, I see Cap just answered your question...

Anyway, funny this has come up on this thread as I was fielding a lot of woodpecker questions at our store today. Typically when woodpeckers are working on a tree, they will peck holes vertically following a seam or carpenter ant tunnel through the heartwood. If they are feeding on borer larvae, the holes will be more randomly distributed. A nest cavity will be excavated 2-4" diameter and deep into the heartwood.

Things are slow at bird feeders in many areas in the midwest. There was a very good mast and wildflower crop this year, and the warm winter last year meant a lot of carryover of insects that survived the winter. Bottom line is that there is plenty of natural food out there for the peckers and other wild birds. A little further into winter and some more snow and they should hit the feeders regularly once they discover them. Out west, especially in fire ravaged areas, there is a real need for bird feeding right now as the natural food reserves are very low. Many birds have migrated out of those areas.

Nutty Butter suet (@Oldhenlikesdogs) or any good quality suet with peanuts is good. The colder it gets, the more they will crave and need digestible fats and high calories like you get in suet, nut meats and oil seeds (sunflower, safflower). Stay away from the milo, wheat and red millet found in high percentages in many seed blends-good price but too low a nutritional value for winter subsistance. Same with bread and most table scraps as they will eat this at the expense of more nutrient rich natural foods. The birds are better off with oil sunflower rich blends or oilers alone.

 

[Pensmaster]

Oh! I just looked it up. It said trees under stress are prone to damage by sapsuckers that drill holes to get at sap in the trees.

Yellow bellied sapsucker looks just like them.