For the second year in a row, something has chewed a hole in the eaves in the side of my house. Last year the holes didn’t go all the way through – they were maybe 1/2 inch in diameter and the edges of the eave near the holes were chewed. With some difficulty, I got close enough to examine the damage. The wood didn’t appear rotted or insect infested so I puttied it over and restained. In the last day or two it happened again. This time it looks like the hole went entirely through the board. More damage at the edges of the eave as well. I’ve examined the hole with binoculars – haven’t seen anything flying (or crawling) in and out yet.
This is in New England, a 140 year old house. No known current insect infestations. No evidence of leaks in the roof near the damage. On the inside of the house there’s a massive beam so I can’t examine damage from there.
Has anyone encountered anything like this? My best theory is a woodpecker (although I haven’t heard nor seen one.) If so, would this imply an insect infestation? Next theory is something like a carpenter bee, but it seems like a lot of damage in a short time for an insect.