6-17-2026:

So, you can see in the picture from today above, the tree did not die. 😎

I do believe it didn't perform as much as it would've without the damage.

It grew about the same as the red pines, or a little less. It generally out grows the red pines by another 50%.

I left all the tubes on to date because the information I researched about sapsuckers is, it's a seasonal thing the runs during the nesting season and should end in the Fall.

So, i didn't want to take any chances bc it was so close to getting girdled around the entire trunk and further damage was, well, unacceptable.

Next season, if I want the tree, most likely I'll have to wrap the trunk early with burlap or bird netting. My Sugar maple has quite a wrap of bird netting on the trunk as a preventative measure now.

The other possibility is that this sapsucker will meet his demise and never be seen again.

We'll see how well it has healed by Fall.

Sapsuckers went after Pinus parviflora a couple of years ago, and enclosed with chicken wire (less noticeable).

Last year after Pinus koraiensis was attacked, went with Tangle-Trap Sticky Coating smeared over wounds. No further damage, and not seen any this year.

Thanks!, Larry,

Chicken wire is great and I use it quite a bit for things around here.

Trouble is, I end up looking like I just tried to give a cat a bath, by hand! Edit: I'm all scratched up!

If you have a peice that fits just right, it's fine.

For compllicated issues like mine, plastic bird netting is easy to cut and fit and can be stretched and shaped so it closes up the openings between/around the branches.

I ran out today but had enough here for a couple of sections for an example.

They just plain don't like this stuff, I suppose they could get a foot tangled up.

I can leave this on for a couple of seasons (it should'nt grow into the tree),

until the tree has a chance to recover. I might reset it as a preventative after that.

8-12-2026:

The P. ponderosa finished out okay for the season.

Only grew about half of its normal seasonal growth of ~2ft. but is alive and growing and not a loss. I replaced all the tubing with some finer plastic bird netting, and it seems to have worked just as good as the coarse netting did and has kept the SS from further damage. 😏 So somewhat a setback but not a total catastrophe.