What visual distinction separates the neat sap wells from haphazard excavations for beetle larvae?

Sap wells are neatly spaced, while excavations for larvae are more haphazard and deeper.

An observer can often deduce the immediate nutritional objective of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker by examining the pattern of its drilling activity. The holes intended for sap harvesting, known as wells, are created with precision and organized spacing, reflecting the bird's effort to maintain a consistent, slow-drip liquid resource. In contrast, when the bird shifts its focus to obtaining animal protein, such as ants or beetle larvae, the resulting excavations are less uniform. These search patterns for solid food are typically more random, deeper, and appear more haphazard because the goal is to breach the wood structure to reach a specific target, rather than managing a consistent ooze.