John L. Russell John Toth shows a portion of a maple tree that was infested with carpenter ants and then devoured by pileated woodpeckers. Several large sugar maple trees infested by black carpenter ants and drilled by pileated woodpeckers had become so riddled they posed a danger to homeowners and had to be taken down, city officials said.
More trees are likely to be removed.
The diseased trees provided a virtual buffet for the woodpeckers, suburban newcomers usually found in extensive, deep forests. The species is currently on the list of federally protected animals. Pileated woodpeckers are the largest members of the woodpecker family and are known for carving out nests and feeding holes of up to 14 inches in diameter. The birds are elusive but not difficult to identify. They grow as large as a crow with wing spans up to 30 inches.