You have a couple of options. First and foremost, it's important to understand the woodpeckers are feeding on insects that no doubt are nesting on or in the bradford pear trees. It just so happens bradords are subject to many types of insects moving "in" on them. What I mean is that there are many types of boring insects as well as bark seeking pests which will take advantage of vulnerable pear trees. Some of these insects will be targeting your trees for food. Others will be using the tree to nest or hide during adverse weather or even for an entire season. So to decrease the amount of interest woodpeckers will have for your trees, it would be wise to spray them 2-3 times a year. Simply treating the trunk and limbs with CYPERMETHRIN can not only kill anything living on them but also repel most any pest. In the end, reducing the amount of food on the tree will go a long way at reducing the amount of woodpecker interest which in turn will cut out the damage.

To deal more directly with the woodpeckers, you can install some IRRITAPE to the trunk sections where they seem most focused. Cut 1-4 foot pieces as needed and tack them on anywhere you see pecking and damage. Spread out the tape by 3-6 feet and you should be able to get good enough coverage to keep them away for good. Another visual repellent is our ATTACK SPIDER which can be mounted pretty much anywhere. Both these products serve as a visual repellent and are designed to keep them off and away from trees you want to protect but they won't reduce insect activity or infestation which is most likely why the woodpeckers are coming around. Reduce this population and in the end you'll find the trees will both last longer and not draw so much attention that usually leads to damage.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Cypermethrin:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin

Irritapte:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/visual/irritape-bird-ribbon-25-ft

Attack Spider:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/visual/attack-spider-w18-line

Woodpeckers feed on insects and foraging on trees is what they do to find food. Pecking is mostly associated with feeding though there are times when they'll peck to create a nest. Nest pecking is mostly confined to one location and commonly the location will get a larger and larger hole till it is capable of housing the adult ready to lay eggs. Food pecking in the same area will be more random and constantly changing which is what it sounds like is happening on your tree.

Unfortunately this behavior can kill a tree. Most every tree harbors insects of some sort and some can kill a tree. Combine the insects feeding with the Woodpecker pecking, and the tree's life will be diminished that much faster. You could treat the tree with some Ropel detailed in our on line article on Woodpecker Control. In the article you'll find Bird Tape which works well at keeping them away from a small area too.

I also suggest doing a good inspection of the tree to make sure it doesn't have some kind of insect infestation that needs to be treated. Common pests that can kill a tree include Carpenter Ants, Pine Borers and Termites. Woodpeckers will commonly feed on these pests and others and sometimes treating the source of food (the insects on the tree) can be the best long term remedy to the problem. Other detailed directions on how to get rid of most any pest can be found at www.bugspray.com

Here are direct links to the information and products mentioned above:

Ropel:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page85.html

Woodpecker Control:  http://www.woodpecker-control.com/woodpecker-control

Bird Tape:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page547.html

Carpenter Ant Article:  http://www.carpenterants.com/carpenter-ant-control

Pine Borer Article:  http://www.bugspray.com/article/pinebark.html

Termite Article:  http://www.termites-swarming.com/termite-control