The Hispaniolan woodpecker,Melanerpes striatusdamages cacao by piercing the pod and eating the pulp surrounding the developing seeds. Piercing of the pod permits invasion by insects and micro‐organisms. Pod damage was assessed at 3.7% in 1981 and 3.5% in 1982, close to the 4% estimate of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Dominican Republic. Although the Ministry established a bounty program in 1976, our study suggested this bounty should be discontinued. The program was found to be not cost effective, did not reduce damage, and had an adverse effect on other avifauna. Our preliminary attempts to protect cacao pods using chemical repellents and colour cues were inconclusive. None the less, additional crop protection work, as well as changes in agricultural production practices, may ultimately provide sufficient aid to offset losses.