Dying Tree and woodpeckers

[Nora123]

We have an old maple on our property. It is definitely dying ... An arborist visited a year ago and said it was, but that we could leave it up if we wanted. He said it was a tough call.
Now the branches are falling off in large pieces. They could hurt someone.
But it has a nest of woodpeckers in it.
What should we do? Can we leave the trunk up for the woodpeckers and trim back the branches?
Thanks for any advice.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Can you post a picture?

 

[Nora123]

I don't have a digital camera, sorry about that!
I know it's hard to give advice without seeing the tree ... I guess I'm concerned about the safety of leaving a free-standing truck in the middle of the yard.

I feel pretty good about the aborist who looked at it last year. He came with reputable references and affiliations. He said the tree was clearly at the end of its life cycle, the question was whether to take it down now or later.

We opted for later ... But now major limbs are falling off on their own and we don't want them to fall on a person.

I just love those woodpeckers though.

 

[moss]

Bring an arborist back again and tell them what you want. Unless the main trunk is severely compromised an arborist should be able to trim off the major limbs and leave a vertical trunk standing with enough for woodpeckers to feed and nest on. The arborist would just be speeding up the process that happens in the woods anyway. A tree reaches maturity and dies, over a few years the crown collapses and major limbs drop. The main trunk and some well attached dead limbs can remain standing for many years beyond this. Clearly if you did this you'd want to have the tree assessed probably annually to make sure what's there is still stable.

Congratulations for thinking this way, a dead standing tree in the right location and monitored properly is important wildlife habitat.
-moss

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Keep in mind that when a tree is dead to the point the bark is loose, it could very well be getting weak at the point it meets the ground.
I do a lot of dead tree removals. Typically I set a rope up high in the tree and pull it in the direction I want it to fall with a come along. Once I have pressure on the line, I make my cuts to fell the tree.
Long ago, I learned to use extreme caution when putting pressure on trees that have been dead long enough to have loose bark, because it takes very little line tension to break them off at the ground.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

But now major limbs are falling off on their own and we don't want them to fall on a person.

I just love those woodpeckers though.

Hmmmm, that's a tough call!

Woodpeckers nesting vs. a person getting killed.

Perhaps even a child?

 

[moss]

Hmmmm, that's a tough call!

Woodpeckers nesting vs. a person getting killed.

Perhaps even a child?

A little inflammatory there Mark, I don't think that's what Nora 123 is saying. It's quite reasonable to have a dead tree stand safely for wildlife habitat, with the guidance of an arborist or forestor assessing, trimming and monitoring it for that use. Everything has to be considered: proximity to structures and powerlines, amount of human traffic in the vicinity of the tree, tree species (ailanthus would not be good) and soundness of the trunk. This assumes the tree is delimbed to stubs and the upper section of the trunk is reduced in height.
-moss

 

[Adkpk]

If the woodpeckers feel safe to live in it then I would say it is safe. When they leave then you'll know it's going to come down. W.W.

 

[treeseer]

If the woodpeckers feel safe to live in it then I would say it is safe. When they leave then you'll know it's going to come down. W.W.

You must have some pretty smart birds in your area.:taped:

"He said the tree was clearly at the end of its life cycle, the question was whether to take it down now or later.

We opted for later ... But now major limbs are falling off on their own and we don't want them to fall on a person. "

Uh, your arborist should maybe have been a little more proactive.

 

[046]

how about a picture? that'll settle it in a hurry..

I've got several woodpeckers in my large oak trees.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I don't have a digital camera, sorry about that!

You can take film pictures and then go to Walgreens and have them developed. Ask them to put the pictures on CD. Plug the CD into your computer and you can attach them here. You can even use a disposable camera. Camera, developing, and CD should cost less than $10. Not bad for some good advice.
Or...ask somebody with a digital camera to take a picture of it for you and email it to you.

 

[moss]

If the woodpeckers feel safe to live in it then I would say it is safe. When they leave then you'll know it's going to come down. W.W.

Good one Adrpk I've actually seen this happen. A pair of pileated woodpeckers was using a completely debarked tall red oak as a nesting tree. Looked like giant deer antlers standing in the woods, total tree skeleton. One year they stopped nesting there, a year later the tree was on the ground.

 

[kapow2826]

woodpeckers feed on rree boreing insects

Your problem may be carpenter worm . See kapow2826 posts at views104 and 780.

 

[cord arrow]

woodpeckers, eh?
22 caliber, 9X scope.

use this approach, and you won't be calling the arborist to TAKE DOWN YOUR HOUSE.

 

[cord arrow]

I just love those woodpeckers though.

Perhaps even a child?

well,there ya go............

priorities.

 

[Adkpk]

Good one Adrpk I've actually seen this happen. A pair of pileated woodpeckers was using a completely debarked tall red oak as a nesting tree. Looked like giant deer antlers standing in the woods, total tree skeleton. One year they stopped nesting there, a year later the tree was on the ground.

That's nothing. I have a pileated woodpeaker on my woodlot. He decided to nest right up the hill form my camp. It was a real treat. I got some great shots of him. (Sorry, it was with my video camera and I haven't figured out how to upload video yet but when I do you'll see this bird chipping away at this maple). Anyway he would work on this dead maple right above me, like 100' from where I would be cutting all day. Chips flying. So one day I notice the tree has fallen over. I go up to look at the fallen trunk and what do ya know it's totally pecked all around the trunk like 12' up. 30' of the tree laid on the ground. Soooo, I don't know whether they just do that or that woodpecker was trying to show me who was boss. Or maybe he was being a buddy and just showing me what he could do. Who know's?

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

A little inflammatory there Mark,

Not meant to be inflammatory. Just pointing out the obvious. A tree is dead and dropping big branches. It's called a "known hazard".


It's one thing if it's in a place where nobody has access. Otherwise, I don't know how you weigh a possible human death against a woodpecker nest.

 

[moss]

No hard feelings there Mark, I think I was clear in my post that with good assessment and consideration of all aspects it can be done. I would never suggest putting a woodpecker's right to nest over human life, I can't imagine anyone would.

 

[moss]

That's nothing. I have a pileated woodpeaker on my woodlot...

That cuts down trees? Very impressive!

A pileated can tap on a trunk and know a lot about the tree by the sound it hears, their livelihood depends on it. If a pileated starts digging in a trunk there's sure to be rot inside with pleny of ants to chow on. Might be a good tool in the woodmans tree assessment kit.

 

[kapow2826]

Woodpeckers and borers

woodpeckers feed on carpenter worm larvae. Their presence may be an indicator of borer activity. This borer tunnels into tbe centor of the tree trunk or a large limb. This is the escape tunnel. The feeding tunnel is in the heartwood close to the bark or cambian layer. Woodpeckers trying to catch a borer larva some times make a line of several holes in the bark over the feeding tunnel.

Carpenter worm infestations are often over looked. They can be identified by falling major limbs with dark tunnels visable at the break, saw dust at the base of the tree,and an opening plugged with wet saw dust Fungus feeding fruit flys and dried fruit beetles were seen feeding in large numbers on carpenter worm openings in almond trees. These insects carry plant pathogenic fungi. Borer infestations could be identified by dead major limbs. Each dead limb had only one active borer gallery. My guess is that almond sap is sweet enough to support yeast growth. Which makes me wonder about so many dying maple trees reported in this forum.