Woodpeckers on Homes…the Damage Can be Costly

by Alex A. Kecskes

Woodpeckers on homes can give homeowners an awful lot of grief. They will tap-tap night and day on aluminum siding and wood, and leave nasty little holes in fascia or trim boards, on wood beams, even stucco or brick. They'll puncture metal gutters, downspouts, chimney tops and roof vents. They can quickly disfigure board-and batten or tongue-and-groove siding, especially at the seams, leaving gaping, baseball size holes. Instinct makes them do it. The birds are simply looking for insects, nesting cavities, or ways to communicate with other woodpeckers.

There are 22 species of woodpeckers in North America, the most common being the Downey Woodpecker. Also quite ubiquitous are the Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker and the Northern Flicker. The birds are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, so you can put away your BB gun, poisons or other lethal traps. Any bird control measure used to deter woodpeckers on homes must be non-lethal and humane.  Fortunately, there are a number of humane and highly effective woodpecker deterrents you can use to discourage woodpeckers from your home.

Bird Proofing for Woodpeckers

by Alex A. Kecskes

It's that time of year again.  When woodpeckers come a knocking and holes start appearing all around your home, patio, gazebo and even your wooden hot tub.

You can't really blame them. They have their reasons for turning your property into "Swiss cheese." One big reason: they're just looking for a meal. They also tap away during their mating season. Woodpeckers love to tap-tap endlessly on aluminum siding and fascia or trim boards on wood, stucco or brick. And this includes metal gutters, downspouts, chimney tops and roof vents. Time to bird proof your property.

Woodpecker roosting or nesting holes are often found in structures near wooded areas, in clapboard, board-and batten or tongue-and-groove siding made of redwood or cedar. Regrettably, woodpeckers prefer to drill holes in the seams of siding, since there's very little resistance at that juncture. It doesn't matter if the seams are vertical or horizontal, the holes will usually be quite large--baseball size on average. These holes are most often created in the late summer and fall as the birds prepare for winter. Nesting holes, on the other hand, are usually drilled out at the start of the breeding season--between late April and May.

How to Get Rid of Woodpeckers

Image via Wikipedia

Woodpeckers can cause hundreds of dollars of damage each year to homeowners.  They can also be a nuisance, hammering all day on the side of your home, telephone pole, tree or other noisy area.  It seems that woodpeckers hammer for several reasons: to attract mates, establish or defend their territory, create a nesting or roosting site and to search for insects for food.  They will drum on all types of substrates including wood, metal, plastic and stucco.  They seem to love the loud sounds that they produce.   All of this drumming can create costly damage for homeowners and building management.  Woodpeckers will frequently damage cedar, rough pine and redwood siding and even some synthetic stucco finishes; causing hundreds of dollars in damage each year.

Woodpeckers are migratory birds and are thus protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treat Act.  This means you must be very careful when choosing a method of deterring woodpeckers.   You must choose a non-lethal method.  Luckily there are many non-lethal woodpecker deterrents available on the market. Some of these include visual repellents, loud noises, and exclusion.  It is very important to take immediate action to reduce the damage, as woodpeckers are not easily driven from their territories or pecking sites once they have become established. There is no "standard" approach to dealing with woodpecker damage. Evaluate each individual situation separately to determine the most effective woodpecker control measures. Often more than one technique (for example, using both visual and sound repellents) may provide the best control.

Bird Proofing for Woodpeckers

Image via Wikipedia

by Alex A. Kecskes

It's that time of year again.  When woodpeckers come a knocking and holes start appearing all around your home, patio, gazebo and even your wooden hot tub.

You can't really blame them. They have their reasons for turning your property into "Swiss cheese." One big reason: they're just looking for a meal. They also tap away during their mating season. Woodpeckers love to tap-tap endlessly on aluminum siding and fascia or trim boards on wood, stucco or brick. And this includes metal gutters, downspouts, chimney tops and roof vents. Time to woodpecker proof your property.

Woodpecker roosting or nesting holes are often found in structures near wooded areas, in clapboard, board-and batten or tongue-and-groove siding made of redwood or cedar. Regrettably, woodpeckers prefer to drill holes in the seams of siding, since there's very little resistance at that juncture. It doesn't matter if the seams are vertical or horizontal, the holes will usually be quite large--baseball size on average. These holes are most often created in the late summer and fall as the birds prepare for winter. Nesting holes, on the other hand, are usually drilled out at the start of the breeding season--between late April and May.

Woodpecker Damage Control

Image via Wikipedia

By Carolyn Griffin

Woodpeckers, part of the Picidae family, also include flickers and sapsuckers.  Approximately 21 species inhabit the United States, and 200 species within this family exist worldwide.  Physically, woodpeckers have short legs with two sharp-clawed, backward pointed toes and stiff tail feathers.  These attributes help the bird cling to tree trunks, wood siding, or utility poles while pecking.  In addition, woodpeckers have short, sharply pointed beaks for pecking into wood and a developed long tongue. The tongue is used to dislodge larvae or ants from their burrows in wood and bark, which benefits the environment.  Yet, woodpeckers cause serious damage by drilling holes into wood-sided structures, wooden fences, power poles, and orchards.  Houses and buildings with wood exteriors near wooded areas are particularly susceptible. 

The key to reducing woodpecker damage is to install bird control products before the damage occurs.  Since individual pest woodpeckers may respond differently to control measures, more than one method at a time may be required to stop damage.  Various bird deterrents which frighten the pest woodpeckers have proven effective when used early and in conjunction with other bird control products. 

The Woodpecker Kit includes two visual woodpecker deterrents to discourage woodpeckers. In addition to being effective, it is humane as it does not harm birds.  In addition, it is easy to install and comes with brackets for easy attachment to structures.  In short, this is an effective technique as it creates a deterrent zone that woodpeckers will avoid.

Sonic woodpecker deterrents are used to keep birds away from large open spaces.  There are sound deterrents available that are weatherproof and safe to use around humans and pets.  These sonic deterrents scare pest birds away with distress and predator calls.  In addition, these sound deterrents can target specific species of birds such as the woodpecker.  Each unit can covers up to 10 acres.