Brian Allen wrote:
I took a look at some photos showing cicadia damage, and I think that is
what I have. I wasn't here to see the hatch, but my neighbors said they
were everywhere, so it makes sense that I would have some damage. Most of
my trees are quite small 3 years, but don't think it will kill anything.
At least it is nothing I have to worry about, not for another decade or so
anyway.

Thanks again to all who took the time to help.

Brian


Hi Brian -
I was just 'passing through' here so to speak and noticed your posted
question concerning your mysterious multi-varietal tree 'damage.'
Here's my thought on this:
I too have noticed similar signs of such damage over the years here on
my 'farmscape' (SW Missouri.) After wondering and worrying about this
for some time like you have - there came a day when I noticed a small
'sap-sucker' style woodpecker (a smallish bird, w/black & white feathers
and if male, a red dot on back of head?) hanging beneath one of these
small branches and pecking hard at the underside of the branch as it
regularly advanced along the branch - and on inspection I noticed that
it was apparently creating a trail of 'v-shaped' cuts through the bark -
as your pix also seems to show. Have you perhaps noticed any such
sapsuckers and/or wood peckers flying about in your orchard? I noticed
howeever, that these trees (primarily in my case, suqar maple, some
apples and 'lime' trees - tilias) - although affected like this,
remained healthy, despite this 'damage.'
Since observing this bird doing this and later seeing it revisit and
apparently 'inspect' these same areas for tidbits of food - I tend to
think that perhaps the sapsucker is creating an inviting place of false
security for insects. Whose eggs, larva or bodies it might later come
upon and perhaps 'harvest' as food.
So perhaps the damage they apparently cause may be balanced somehow by
them eating potentially even more 'damaging' parasitic insects? Do keep
in mind however that I'm not an expert on this and this is just a rather
'lay' opinion.
Perhaps now someone else will comment about their experiences? Good luck!
- Wes/MO