We have deer here (not uncommon, I know) and a buck must have had a good time rubbing his antlers against the trunk of my little crabapple tree.

Urban forestry extension agent Larry Figart writes about the damage this medium-size woodpecker can cause to your tree and whether it's serious.

Q: I recently noticed a black, tar-like patch on my tree trunk, though it’s not tacky like actual tar. Are these insect eggs? Dried sap? Do I try to scrape it off? The tree has lichen but I don ...