My husband is worried about woodpeckers in the area. Do they damage trees?

Kenn and Kimberly: It’s completely understandable to be concerned about these industrious birds hacking away but, in reality, woodpeckers almost never damage healthy trees. In fact, they usually protect them by eating insects that would otherwise attack the tree. Woodpeckers typically excavate their nest holes in trees or limbs that already are dead or that have internal issues like heartwood rot. When a woodpecker digs out a big section of living trunk or branch, it’s going after insects, such as beetle grubs or carpenter ants that already are damaging the tree. So attracting woodpeckers won’t put your treescape at risk.

Downies have smaller bills than other woodpeckers, but they are still useful tools for plucking bugs out from under tree bark. EXPERT FORAGERS