Does anyone know how to get rid of them? They
are pecking big holes on the corners of my house and I don't own a bb gun.:shrug:
are pecking big holes on the corners of my house and I don't own a bb gun.:shrug:
Woodpeckers
- Thread starter Brian Thomas
- Start date
might help. Also, fake rubber snakes. You can hang them right up where the woodpeckers are causing damage. You might also be concerned over what they are trying to peck out (sounds like you might have termites).
Tape 6 sticks of TNT to the side of your house and when they start pecking - set em off. Guaranteed results. The bastards will either be blown to smithereens or to scared to come back.
I had this happen to my first house a few years ago. They were pecking at the front part of my house that was stained and not painted - someone said that's why there were there. They claimed that woodpeckers will attack stained wood, but who knows. From now on I'll only paint a house.
I put up reflective streamers (party favors) from the gutters and I think that helped. That was going on just when I was selling the place after getting married! I was worried about the new owners coming back on me for that, but they put vinyl siding up within a year.
I think the streamers worked, but obviously you don't want them up for long - hopefully they'd find someplace else to move onto after a week or two.
This is frustrating to deal with. Good luck to you.
I put up reflective streamers (party favors) from the gutters and I think that helped. That was going on just when I was selling the place after getting married! I was worried about the new owners coming back on me for that, but they put vinyl siding up within a year.
I think the streamers worked, but obviously you don't want them up for long - hopefully they'd find someplace else to move onto after a week or two.
This is frustrating to deal with. Good luck to you.
- Mar 19, 2006
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Avoiding Problems with Woodpeckers
photo: (c) Mike Green, CZS
Woodpeckers, a true tree hugging species, have strong toes with sharp claws that enable them to cling upright on the bark of tree trunks and branches. Their stiff feathers also contribute to their vertical position and their pointed beaks allow them to chisel into wood in search of insects and sap. Likewise, their beaks enable them to excavate cavities for nesting and roosting.
These attractive birds play a beneficial role in our natural environment and reward us by consuming millions of noxious insects, including carpenter ants and carpenter bees.
Pecking up the Wrong Tree
Woodpeckers prefer a nice dead or decaying tree trunk to establish a feeding post or nesting site, but occasionally a house or building is singled out. This happens most often when developing infrastructure calls for the removal of surrounding trees that may have already been established as home for a woodpecker.
A common complaint of woodpeckers is their drumming. Although drumming doesn't usually cause damage to a structure, it can be noisy and, to some, annoying. Woodpeckers drum against hard resonant surfaces to proclaim territories and attract their mate during mating season (spring). When there aren't any trees or even wood surfaces around the drumming can become even more bothersome as woodpeckers will resort to metal gutters, siding and spouts on a house or building.
Helpful Deterrents
Discourage drumming by modifying the surface and covering it with fabric or foam. To further eliminate drumming noise be sure to fill any hollow spaces with caulking.
If woodpeckers are returning to a site and pecking at various surfaces throughout the year then it's likely they are drilling for food. Check your house or building for insect nests. Woodpeckers are attracted to insect infested wood. This may require you to replace affected timber, siding or roofing. Plus, you may need to contact your local pest controller to eliminate a more serious insect problem.
If woodpeckers are hanging around because they are roosting, storing food or have established a nest wait until the woodpecker is gone, along with any hatchlings, eggs or other nesting material, then seal the openings. Plug holes with caulking or wood filler and repair larger crevices with plugs, steel wool, screen or netting before permanently sealing the space.
At the first sign of activity, woodpeckers can be scared away by noises near drumming and pecking sites or you can hang strips of foil, fabric or commercially available "bird-scare" tape found at garden centers and hardware stores.Very Important: Before using any sort of "scare" tactic or sealing component make sure a nest is not in a woodpecker opening and make sure that you are not scaring a woodpecker away who is trying to reach an established nest.
Friendly Neighbor
Many folks enjoy the presence of woodpeckers and want to welcome them into their yards. Attract woodpeckers by setting up suet feeders that are appropriate in size and design. Keeping a feeder in your yard is likely to distract woodpeckers from the siding on your house. Likewise, do not cut down dead or decaying trees in your yard if you want these handsome birds to hang around. Trees provide nesting, drumming and food sites and, again, are likely to keep woodpeckers away from your house. Another beautiful bird, the flicker, can be welcomed to your yard using nesting boxes of appropriate size and design.
Very Important: The 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects all native birds. It is illegal for any person to possess birds, dead or alive, nesting material, eggs, feathers and bones of a bird, without the proper permits from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the State of Illinois. It is illegal to harm or kill a protected bird species. It is also illegal to remove or destroy nesting material from a nest once an egg has been laid. Contact the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for additional information on the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. www.fws.gov
photo: (c) Mike Green, CZS
Woodpeckers, a true tree hugging species, have strong toes with sharp claws that enable them to cling upright on the bark of tree trunks and branches. Their stiff feathers also contribute to their vertical position and their pointed beaks allow them to chisel into wood in search of insects and sap. Likewise, their beaks enable them to excavate cavities for nesting and roosting.
These attractive birds play a beneficial role in our natural environment and reward us by consuming millions of noxious insects, including carpenter ants and carpenter bees.
Pecking up the Wrong Tree
Woodpeckers prefer a nice dead or decaying tree trunk to establish a feeding post or nesting site, but occasionally a house or building is singled out. This happens most often when developing infrastructure calls for the removal of surrounding trees that may have already been established as home for a woodpecker.
A common complaint of woodpeckers is their drumming. Although drumming doesn't usually cause damage to a structure, it can be noisy and, to some, annoying. Woodpeckers drum against hard resonant surfaces to proclaim territories and attract their mate during mating season (spring). When there aren't any trees or even wood surfaces around the drumming can become even more bothersome as woodpeckers will resort to metal gutters, siding and spouts on a house or building.
Helpful Deterrents
Discourage drumming by modifying the surface and covering it with fabric or foam. To further eliminate drumming noise be sure to fill any hollow spaces with caulking.
If woodpeckers are returning to a site and pecking at various surfaces throughout the year then it's likely they are drilling for food. Check your house or building for insect nests. Woodpeckers are attracted to insect infested wood. This may require you to replace affected timber, siding or roofing. Plus, you may need to contact your local pest controller to eliminate a more serious insect problem.
If woodpeckers are hanging around because they are roosting, storing food or have established a nest wait until the woodpecker is gone, along with any hatchlings, eggs or other nesting material, then seal the openings. Plug holes with caulking or wood filler and repair larger crevices with plugs, steel wool, screen or netting before permanently sealing the space.
At the first sign of activity, woodpeckers can be scared away by noises near drumming and pecking sites or you can hang strips of foil, fabric or commercially available "bird-scare" tape found at garden centers and hardware stores.Very Important: Before using any sort of "scare" tactic or sealing component make sure a nest is not in a woodpecker opening and make sure that you are not scaring a woodpecker away who is trying to reach an established nest.
Friendly Neighbor
Many folks enjoy the presence of woodpeckers and want to welcome them into their yards. Attract woodpeckers by setting up suet feeders that are appropriate in size and design. Keeping a feeder in your yard is likely to distract woodpeckers from the siding on your house. Likewise, do not cut down dead or decaying trees in your yard if you want these handsome birds to hang around. Trees provide nesting, drumming and food sites and, again, are likely to keep woodpeckers away from your house. Another beautiful bird, the flicker, can be welcomed to your yard using nesting boxes of appropriate size and design.
Very Important: The 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects all native birds. It is illegal for any person to possess birds, dead or alive, nesting material, eggs, feathers and bones of a bird, without the proper permits from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the State of Illinois. It is illegal to harm or kill a protected bird species. It is also illegal to remove or destroy nesting material from a nest once an egg has been laid. Contact the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for additional information on the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. www.fws.gov
- Mar 19, 2006
- 38,413
- 459
- 83
- 74
General woodpecker deterrents
1. Tactile deterrents
Although some people recommend applying sticky repellents such as Tanglefoot Pest Control, Roost-No-More, and Bird Stop to areas where damage is occurring, we are against using them. These products can get on a bird?s plumage, impairing its ability to fly and stay warm. Moreover, they can darken and stain wooden siding and cause dirt to adhere to the surface where they?re applied.
2. Visual deterrents
Aluminum foil strips or reflective tape, such as Irri-Tape, manufactured by Bird-X, hung from areas where damage occurs may scare away woodpeckers. The strips should be long enough to hang freely and blow in the breeze.
Windsocks hung from house corners serve the same purpose as aluminum foil and may be less intrusive. Handheld windmills, especially those with reflective vanes, can be attached along areas of damage. The motion of the revolving vanes may discourage woodpeckers.
Plastic owls hung from the eaves of a house will generally frighten off woodpeckers for the first few days. However, birds often acclimate to the same visual stimulus in the same exact place every single day.:mj07: Terror Eyes manufactured by Bird-X, may prove effective as an alternative to plastic owls. This product bounces from a spring, and the lenticular, holographic eyes follow the bird in any direction. Therefore, the product is actually moving, making it less likely that the birds will become acclimated to it.
3. Sound deterrents
With an electronic distress call system, a recording of a woodpecker distress call followed by the call of a predator such as a Sharp-shinned Hawk is broadcast through a speaker system at various intervals to frighten woodpeckers away from your house. One example is BirdXPeller Pro, manufactured by Bird-X.
A movement detector that makes noise when it senses movement can be attached to damaged areas (this will also keep deer away from your garden).
Listen to the distress call of a Downy Woodpecker, followed by the call of a Sharp-shinned Hawk ?
4. Other preventative measures
To prevent damage under eaves, lightweight nylon or plastic netting can be attached from the overhanging eaves to the siding of the damaged building. One type of netting on the market is BirdNet, manufactured by Bird-X. To keep the birds from reaching through the net, leave at least three inches between the net and the siding.
Aluminum flashing can be used to cover existing holes or to line the corner or fascia boards of the house. You can paint it to match your siding.
Setting up a suet feeder in your yard may draw the birds away from your house. Keep the feeder supplied with food throughout fall, winter, and spring when natural food is scarce and the birds are hungriest because of the cold weather. Remove the feeder during the hot summer months because the suet may become sticky and adhere to the bird?s plumage.
To dull the sound produced by drumming, place padding behind the area where the bird is drumming.
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1. Tactile deterrents
Although some people recommend applying sticky repellents such as Tanglefoot Pest Control, Roost-No-More, and Bird Stop to areas where damage is occurring, we are against using them. These products can get on a bird?s plumage, impairing its ability to fly and stay warm. Moreover, they can darken and stain wooden siding and cause dirt to adhere to the surface where they?re applied.
2. Visual deterrents
Aluminum foil strips or reflective tape, such as Irri-Tape, manufactured by Bird-X, hung from areas where damage occurs may scare away woodpeckers. The strips should be long enough to hang freely and blow in the breeze.
Windsocks hung from house corners serve the same purpose as aluminum foil and may be less intrusive. Handheld windmills, especially those with reflective vanes, can be attached along areas of damage. The motion of the revolving vanes may discourage woodpeckers.
Plastic owls hung from the eaves of a house will generally frighten off woodpeckers for the first few days. However, birds often acclimate to the same visual stimulus in the same exact place every single day.:mj07: Terror Eyes manufactured by Bird-X, may prove effective as an alternative to plastic owls. This product bounces from a spring, and the lenticular, holographic eyes follow the bird in any direction. Therefore, the product is actually moving, making it less likely that the birds will become acclimated to it.
3. Sound deterrents
With an electronic distress call system, a recording of a woodpecker distress call followed by the call of a predator such as a Sharp-shinned Hawk is broadcast through a speaker system at various intervals to frighten woodpeckers away from your house. One example is BirdXPeller Pro, manufactured by Bird-X.
A movement detector that makes noise when it senses movement can be attached to damaged areas (this will also keep deer away from your garden).
Listen to the distress call of a Downy Woodpecker, followed by the call of a Sharp-shinned Hawk ?
4. Other preventative measures
To prevent damage under eaves, lightweight nylon or plastic netting can be attached from the overhanging eaves to the siding of the damaged building. One type of netting on the market is BirdNet, manufactured by Bird-X. To keep the birds from reaching through the net, leave at least three inches between the net and the siding.
Aluminum flashing can be used to cover existing holes or to line the corner or fascia boards of the house. You can paint it to match your siding.
Setting up a suet feeder in your yard may draw the birds away from your house. Keep the feeder supplied with food throughout fall, winter, and spring when natural food is scarce and the birds are hungriest because of the cold weather. Remove the feeder during the hot summer months because the suet may become sticky and adhere to the bird?s plumage.
To dull the sound produced by drumming, place padding behind the area where the bird is drumming.
Back to top
