Bye, Bye Woodpecker

Bye, Bye Woodpecker

 To me, the only thing funny about woodpeckers is watching them in cartoons.  When woodpeckers choose our homes as drilling sites, all humor is lost to noise and nuisance.  These birds drill for a variety of reasons: to attract mates, to forage insects, or to create storage and nests.  Generally, they drill on homes made of wood or with wood siding, especially of redwood or cedar.   Typically, holes in homes or buildings are caused by only one or two woodpeckers.  Once a woodpecker claims your home as its territory, getting rid of it can be very difficult.  While we may find their behavior a nuisance, woodpeckers make many beneficial contributions to nature.  Since woodpeckers are non-game birds protected by law, keep in mind that your goal is to move them, not destroy them.

 First on your to-do list should be to have your house checked for pests (ex. termites, hornets and bees), which attract woodpeckers.   Woodpeckers also eat fruits, berries and nuts.  If you have a fruit bearing tree in your yard, make sure it is trimmed away from the house.  In the past, I have tried banging on the inside of the wall opposite where the woodpeckers drill without much luck.  Here are some other ideas that may help get them to stop:

 

• place strips of reflective tape or aluminum foil on the guttering
• scare the woodpeckers by hanging a colorful wind sock, a scare eye balloon, or aluminum pie pans near the area they are drilling
•  purchase a model owl or hawk and place near the area of concern
•  hang plastic, metal or nylon mesh sheets over the drilling area
•  use a squirt gun or water hose to spray the woodpeckers with water
•  attach metal or plastic sheeting over the drilling site
•  nail or staple chicken wire or wire mesh over pecked areas
•  frighten the woodpeckers away with a toy cap gun
•  camouflage metal, plastic or nylon deterrents that you've place by painting them the same color as your house           

Most damage from woodpeckers is too extensive to repair with just a patch.   Many times, homeowners neglect repairing woodpeckers' damage and another creature takes up residence in holes drilled by the woodpecker.  Replacing the damaged portions is really the only way to prevent wood rot, deterioration and infestation.

It’s important to note that there are over 200 species of woodpeckers in North America, and all are protected by federal law.  Shooting or harming them is forbidden, and trapping is discouraged and usually not successful.  Try outsmarting your woodpecker and you’ll be the one doing all the laughing!