Question
We have a woodpecker that has made ton's of holes in our very large tree and one big hole which I think he lives in. here's the bigger problem, we now are having very large limbs/branches just falling down off the tree but they don't seem to have woodpecker holes in them is this damage due to the woodpecker? we also seem to have a very dark black like color coming down the tree from the woodpecker area. I'm afraid that a limb is going to fall on someone, as you can't tell anything is wrong till the big branch is down. what are your thought's and what should we do?? is our tree done for? it's still blooming even the limb's that have come down have blooms on them. I really don't know what to think? Thank you Jammie

Answer
When large limbs fall and the end that was near the trunk is either hollow or decayed--soft, this is an indication that the tree has advanced decay and is hollow. Woodpecker nesting holes is another sign that the tree is decayed and can easily be excavated by the woodpecker.  

A 揾azard tree?is a tree with structural defects likely to cause failure of all or part of the tree, which could strike a 搕arget.?A target can be a vehicle, building, or a place where people gather such as a park bench, picnic table, street, or backyard.

Decaying trees can be prone to failure, but the presence of decay, by itself, does not indicate that the tree is hazardous. Advanced decay, i.e., wood that is soft, punky, or crumbly, or a cavity where the wood is missing can create a serious hazard . Evidence of fungal activity including mushrooms, conks, and brackets growing on root flares, stems, or branches are indicators of advanced decay.

A tree usually decays from the inside out, eventually forming a cavity, but sound wood is also added to the outside of the tree as it grows. Trees with sound outer wood shells may be relatively safe, but this depends upon the ratio of sound to decayed wood, and other defects that might be present. Evaluating the safety of a decaying tree is usually best left to trained arborists.

Take action if...

Advanced decay is associated with cracks, weak branch unions, or other defects.
A branch of sufficient size to cause injury is decayed.
The thickness of sound wood is less than 1" for every 6" of diameter at any point on the stem.

I would suggest that you call the local office of the State Forestry agency and ask one of their Foresters to come out and take a look. They should be able to determine if the tree is a hazard or if all it needs is fertilizing to keep it healthy.