Saturday, March 27, 2010

Holes

Today comes something I very rarely do. I'm going to take a look at some nature of the smaller variety. There is a tree I walk past very often on my hikes. I'm usually looking for animals or large scenery while I go by, so I don't usually pay much attention to this tree. But today I decided to experiment with my camera's macro setting.

I decided to focus my attention on an area of the tree where the bark had been stripped away quite some time ago. When I looked up close I found something a beginner to the small parts of nature would find very odd. What I found were these almost perfectly round holes in the side of the tree. These holes would be the target of my study.

I can't say I have much of a conclusion to this study, only an interesting look at a natural mystery for anyone who sees it for the first time. What made these holes? Is it the holes that caused the bark to come off this section of the tree? Maybe one of you know the answers. Even if you don't, it's still fun to wonder.

If you look closely at the picture above, you can see that these holes are very small. They're about the size a small nail might make in the wood. They seem to be placed at random, so there is obviously no human intelligence involved here. I still wonder what made these holes.

Woodpeckers make holes, but I think their holes are much bigger than these. But why do they make holes? There are three reasons. They're digging for food. They're making noise to attract mates. They're digging a hole to live in as a nest. These little holes don't really seem to match what a woodpecker would do, but I had to start somewhere.

The only other thing I can think of that might make these holes are parasitic insects. Some of them are certainly small enough to do this. And there are plenty of insects that bore holes through wood, and for many different reasons. After this information though, I really don't know much more. Like I said above, I'm new to studying nature this small. I guess I have some further studying to do.

This is what I see every day as I walk past. The tree is right at the side of this trail. I see that spot on the tree every time, and I mildly think about it every time, but then quickly forget it when I hear a squirrel or something chirping at me. This time I stopped and took a closer look.

Even though I didn't learn the cause of the spot on the tree, or the holes in the spot, I feel like this little bit gave me much more knowledge than I had before, and a very good start on even more. All it takes is the idea to stop and look at a thing to begin to learn about it. This is also a small step to learning to be an expert on nature as a whole.

Maybe I'll never achieve expert status, but I'm just a little bit further today than I was yesterday. I'm glad I stopped to look at this tree and its holes. If you know the secret of the holes, tell me about it. Then I can take another step, and so will the rest of you who really want to learn.

16 comments:

  1. I think it maybe holes made by some kind of insects such as beetle. I don't know either but that is what i see make holes on trees like that here...

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  2. I do believe they are made by woodpeckers. They do not need big holes to pull worms out from these holes.

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  3. This is very interesting, Ratty. I hope you figure it out since I haven't any idea and I would certainly like to know what causes these tiny perfect holes!

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  4. I have no idea, I know that using the macro setting on your camera though can give you some great detail that you would not otherwise notice. Whatever made those holes, I find it amazing that they are so perfectly round.

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  5. The damage to the tree looks to be one of the many borer beetles. There are many native to the US, and some non-native ones like the emerald ash beetle that can devastate a group of trees.

    In many cases the beetle starts at a wound when the bark has been removed, but quite a few beetles bore right through the bark.

    Bill

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  6. I agree with Bill. Looks like a borer beetle of some kind. I've lost a number of ash trees to the emerald ash borer. I noticed the hole early this past winter. A few later, I went out on a sunny day to capture images of the holes. The small, perfectly round, holes were gone. They had been replaced by larger holes. Evidently the work of a woodpecker.

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  7. I would definitely go with beetles...maybe if you keep snapping photos of the tree you will see the nature at work one day Ratty!!

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  8. Yup... looks like the bark of a maple- maybe Silver Maple. That scrape probably damaged the tree and that invited insects. A few make distinctive shaped holes, but most... just round.

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  9. i also have the same questions, am glad to learn more from this post and the comments :)

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  10. You are a great observer! Many might have just passed by without notice!

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  11. Thank you all for your comments, and for your answers about the makers of these holes. I'll definitely go with beetles. I actually read some things about them, but I knew I wasn't ready to say for sure yet myself. And I'm also glad to see that so many of you are reading the comments for the answer to this problem. Comments are such a valuable addition to any blog post or article.

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  12. I wonder if someone "tapped" the tree for maple syrup? I can't tell if it is a maple tree or not.

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  13. Woodpeckers make a lot of sense. We have several around my backyard and I know I have seen some perfectly crafted holes about.

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  14. I guess I'm the one commenter here who really doesn't care about the holes. I just look at a tree like that and think to myself, "Ah! That would be the most perfect tree to stretch and scratch my claws on!" And since the holes don't affect its scratchability, I don't think twice about them.

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  15. We had an apple tree with those holes--it is beetle damage. You will see the woodpecker come along and grab some of them out of the tree--that is how I knew we needed to spray the trees for bugs.

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  16. Ratty, it could be some type of insect though the holes are so perfectly round and that is what is so strange to me. I agree with Sparkle though, that is one glorious tree.

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