The Value of Tall Dead Trees ~ Natural Insect Control





As I made my way down to the swampy area at the bottom of the steep sledding hill out back I was being scolded by a bird. I had to look high in the trees to spot the half concealed bird. At first I thought it was a pileated woodpecker because of its call but the color was all wrong. The call of the Northern Flicker and the Pileated Woodpecker are very similar so it may indeed have been a flicker. It flew into the upper hole in the tree and I did not see or hear it again. 


Tall dead trees, or snags, can be home to many types of birds and other animals. The birds provide great insect control. The areas behind our home contain a lot of wetlands and there are plenty of mosquitoes and other insects in our back yard. We encourage birds to nest in our yard by providing man made houses and leaving the dead trees and stumps where they are. 

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