Leaving deadwood alone gave me a good surprise.

Pat Sanchez · 2026-03-07T16:00:54.247154+00:00

I left some dead limbs on a pine tree this year. Now it's full of birds and the tree looks fine. Do any of you do this too?

maxt957mo ago

I left some dead branches on my oak. The birds love it and the tree's been fine for years.

7

noah_brown7mo ago

Any bug problems from the dead limbs?

5

the_linda7mo ago

Deadwood might look good now but it's a real risk for the whole tree's health. @noah_brown has a point about bugs, they can move from dead parts into healthy wood fast. Letting that rot stay up there invites disease that can kill the tree from the inside. The birds are nice but a sick tree is a huge hassle and cost to remove later. You might end up with a bigger problem than a quiet yard. Why risk losing the whole tree for a few birds?

2