What (animal?) made a 0.75″ diameter hole through the asphalt shingles

pest-controlroofingshingles

Something made a tidy 3/4" diameter hole through my 8-year old 3-tab composite roof shingles. (~45 deg pitch, if it matters) I suspect it was a woodpecker (they used to go at the side of the house, till we wrapped it in hardi-plank.) Another possibility is yellowjackets – this Seattle house has had its share.

The hole seems a little large to be yellowjacket-created, but I don't know, really. I am surprised at anything taking the time to go through the asphalt like this. Anyone know what it could be? Can I just replace the affected shingles and call it good?

Details:

  • 1908 construction, re-roofed in 2007
  • 45 degree pitch roof
  • 50-yr architectural 3-tab. 8 years old
  • Hole cleanly penetrates 3/4" plywood underlay.
  • 25 feet above ground level (Any solvent would have to have come from a flying source)
  • Hole is nearly vertical (not perpendicular to plane of roof. EDIT: Looked more carefully-it is a little past vertical (Farther from perpendicular to plane of roof.)
  • Hole is above where ceiling meets roof (sloped ceiling. Not accessible.)
  • There are no power cords running through the rafter bay at that spot.
  • I fished around with an olive grabber and recovered a couple of pine needles and insulation from about two inches down.
  • A red-shafted northern flicker has taken serious interest in this house in the past, and still frequents our lawn and pine trees.
  • Looking around the area, I found a half dozen beginnings of other holes, diameter of a pencil eraser, halfway through the outermost layer of shingles. Could be old. The large hole could be old too.

It is bizarre. I give up. Onto the repair.

I'll get more/better photographs tonight.
Hole at night
The hole
My keys in the hole

Best Answer

I call them manufacture burn holes, I see them in most roofs even roofs only 1 year old, it is normally where there are either loose stone or poor seal of the stones on the shingle and with out the stones there is no protection and the sun will burn right thru the asphalt, it looks like your in this picture had some help with insects or yellow jackets, normally it just goes to the fiber or the shingle below, here is picture of one year old roof, just starting to deteriorate, enter image description here