Did a Sapsucker do this?

[bitternut]

I have seen the work of sapsuckers on some of my pine trees and other trees but never saw this kind of damage to a tree trunk. The holes I have seen a sapsucker put in trees are in a row or pattern and usually smaller than what these are. These holes seem to be hap-hazardly arranged and some are quite large. They were all the way around the trunk and there was quite a number of bees and flies covering the trunk. This tree is a clump white birch but most of the damage was to only one of the trunks.

[Tom]

What caught my eye was that some of the holes are square and shallow.   Jeff and I found this ash that was having its bark harvested by hornets when I was at his cabin in the UP.

Perhaps you might consider this.

[Mike_Barcaskey]

that does not look like typical sapsucker hole patterns

[bitternut]

Tom..........are those bald face hornets? I did not see any of those on my tree but I did see a couple of yellow jackets in the holes. There was sap and I assumed they were after that but maybe they were chewing the holes. Lots of flies I assume because of the sap being sweet. I have never seen any sapsuckers around those particular trees.

[Tom]

Yes, Bald Faced  Hornets. 
Here is the link to the Thread.

Link to Hornet Thread

Anytime there is a wound, insects will be attracted, honey bees, hornets, flies, butterflies, all manner of insects looking for food.

The Hornets were making paper.

[rebocardo]

Those holes look like a shotgun pattern to me.

[bitternut]

Those holes look like a shotgun pattern to me.

Nope Rebocardo the holes were not made by a gun. They only go as deep as the thickness of the bark and stop at the sapwood. The diameter of the holes also varies quite a bit. Maybe a sapsucker started the holes and the bees enlarged them to build their paper.