If sapsuckers occupy a nesting territory in this region, they will readily start new wounds on undamaged healthy trees. However, old sapsucker wounds on trees are highly attractive to sapsuckers. These wounds provide the basis for much future intensive sapsucker feeding in this region, and I believe the same should apply in any region. It is common, in stands where there are many trees to choose from, for sapsuckers to begin feeding on undamaged trees, even though old feeding wounds occur on other trees nearby. There were 116 conifers and 441 hardwoods.
Sapsuckers kill trees .
That question has been asked often. Occasionally it has been hinted that some other virulent organism also may be involved, but evidence has not been presented to support it. The same birds and trees were observed repeatedly from the time damage began until the trees died. No other kind of animal damage appeared on these trees. When the band of holes became large enough, and occurred below all branches, the entire tree died.