Hole in tree

Question: What could have made this hole in the tree?

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied May 03, 2023, 12:32 PM EDT
response: Hi,  It looks like it is from a pileated woodpecker, searching for insects in the wood. They are beautiful birds and if you listen for their typical 'rat-tat-tat' hunting on the tree, you may be able to catch a glimpse from your window, or slowly sneak up on it in the yard.  Unfortunately that usually means that the tree is nearing its end stage of life since there are insects inhabiting it. When the beetles and borers move into a tree it is typically a secondary response, either old trees, or another stressor causing decline and decaying wood. You can look up into the canopy and see if you notice any dead or dying sections as well. Is this a white pine? (it looks like the bark) if so, it would show a large sections of orange needles - beyond the typical spring needle drop.  If the canopy still looks to be in good shape, it could be that the wood pecker is just doing something territorial. You could try wrapping a little hardware cloth around the trunk to discourage it, although if there are insects in there and the woodpecker has found a viable food source, it will just find another area on the trunk to poke at.  Feel free to send us more photos of the canopy or if you notice other exit holes from wood boring insects. There isn't much you can do for the insects at this point, but if you have concern of the tree falling and damaging structures, you may want to consult with a certified arborist for removal. The link provided will help you find one for your area.  Emily

responder: The Question Asker Replied May 15, 2023, 11:14 AM EDT
response: Thank you for the helpful information. It's not a pine tree.  Attached is a picture of the canopy.  Thanks again.Tori CrichlowOn Wed, May 3, 2023 at 12:32 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied May 16, 2023, 12:06 PM EDT
response: Hi Tori,  We are having a difficult time trying to ID your tree form the photos, if you were wondering what species it is. Yes, definitely not a White Pine now that we can see the canopy. At first we thought maybe an older River Birch but it doesn't appear to be on the upper branches. Sometimes older Cherry trees like the native Black Cherry will get bark like that as they age, however the leaves don't appear to be that either. If you have any leaves that have fallen and would like to send in a close up on those, we can attempt to ID further, however if you are having an arborist asses the tree for fall damage, they should be able to ID the tree for you as well.  The canopy looks healthy from these photos though, so maybe the wood pecker found a nest of carpenter ants it was going after and now it has moved on. It looks a little hollow in the hole that it made. Possibly carpenter ants or another insect hollowed out a bit in the center. Wood peckers are great at finding these food sources. Many trees can live for a while longer even after wood peckers or other wildlife inhabit or utilize the tree, so depending on what an arborist thinks, it may be fine for sometime from now. Again if there isn't a risk of it falling and damaging your home or other structures, or if you aren't concerned about the surrounding trees being damaged if it falls, then it would be fine to leave as a food source for whatever wildlife may make use of it next! Emily

responder: The Question Asker Replied May 16, 2023, 12:23 PM EDT
response: Thank you for your help!  On Tue, May 16, 2023 at 12:06 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied May 16, 2023, 3:07 PM EDT
response: you're welcome!