Bill Woods wrote -

<snip>
> Now the birches are about 3 inches
> in diameter and 15 to 20 feet tall, and their sweet sap is attracting the
> sapsuckers. But rather than drilling just a few holes, these birds are
> ringing the trees, on some trees completely removing the phloem and
> cambium layers, exposing the bare sapwood. The trees don't know it yet,
> but they are dead above this point. Apparently the sapsuckers don't
> realize that they are killing the goose that lays the golden eggs,
> removing the trees from next year's sap supply.
<snip>

You may be pleasantly surprised to find that your birches will survive anyway,
Bill. Lots of sapsucker-ringed birches around these parts, including a european
weeping birch in my front yard, which show no sign of keeling over. Perhaps
birches have evolved a sapsucker survival method.






==========================
Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
jbowling at direct.ca