Woodpecker Control Solutions for Home Siding Installers

If you’re a siding installer, your customers will look to you to recommend ways to keep their siding damage free. One major source of damage is birds—specifically woodpeckers. And while aluminum and vinyl sidings in lighter colors are less likely to be damaged by woodpeckers, the birds will peck at them to generate sounds that attract mates. While doing so, their sharp little beaks will deface and in some cases permanently mar the siding.

Anticipating this problem and offering your customers a solution will leave you with a grateful customer in the long run—a customer who will recommend you to their neighbors and friends. Large corporate customers will be equally grateful that you spared them the future expense of repainting and repairs.

Here are three effective woodpecker deterrents recommended by today’s bird control professionals:

BeakGuard™ Woodpecker Deterrent

This scientific breakthrough has been shown to keep woodpeckers away from siding and other painted surfaces. Known as BeakGuard, it covers virtually any latex-painted surface—including wood, fiber-cement, stucco, aluminum or vinyl. After it’s applied, the elastomeric acrylic finish communicates a warning signal to woodpeckers that says this surface is unwelcome and not worth the trouble to peck. The specially formulated compound is harmless to woodpeckers or other birds.  It’s also durable and long lasting. And it resists dirt pick up. Harsh weather won’t affect it either. BeakGuard establishes a tough, vapor permeable, flexible membrane that is colorfast. Best of all, it's easily applied using a brush, roller, paint pad or conventional spray equipment. One gallon will protect about 180 square feet.

3/4” Mesh Woodpecker Netting

Developed to deny woodpeckers access to siding and other vulnerable wood surfaces, Woodpecker Netting provides a proven effective barrier deterrent that blocks woodpeckers doing any damage. The 3/4-inch mesh netting is made of durable UV-protected polypropylene, which means it will last for season after season of harsh weather. Woodpecker mesh netting is lightweight, easy to handle and install. And something your customers will like is that this netting is practically invisible, so it blends aesthetically with its surroundings. Woodpecker netting comes in 14 x 100-foot rolls and is quickly installed using Poly Clips or staples.

Woodpecker Deterrent Kits

Ideal for discouraging woodpeckers from coming around, Woodpecker Deterrent Kits come with a Bird Repeller Balloon, a 50-foot roll of Flash Tape, and all the hardware you need to easily affix them to virtually any surface. Flash Tape Banners snap and pop in the breeze and reflect sunlight, which will convince woodpeckers to move on to someone else’s house. Bird Repeller Balloons display big “predator eyes.” When the balloons bob and weave in the wind, woodpeckers get the feeling that they are being “eyeballed” for a meal and won’t want to hang around. To ensure woodpeckers don’t get used to these visual woodpecker deterrents, it’s a good idea to move them around frequently.

Woodpecker Deterrents Can Save You Money & Grief

With bird season right around the corner, the one bird you definitely want to deter is the woodpecker. While it’s interesting to watch them hammer holes in trees, it’s not so interesting when they’re turning your home siding into Swiss cheese. Or when they’re pulling the insulation out of your exterior walls to make room for nests.

The time to install woodpecker deterrents is before the birds arrive, not after. Once your siding and decorative beams are riddled with holes, you’re left with expensive replacement costs. And like a woodpecker, you’ll be beating your head against the wall for not being proactive about woodpecker control.

Your neighbor may have told you that woodpeckers are looking for harmful bugs when they peck holes in your siding.  But according to the experts, this is the case less than 10 percent of the time, and when they do dig for bugs, the insects are usually harmless to wood or siding.

Woodpeckers are not too particular about what they peck. They’ll “ventilate” mahogany siding, plywood, beams, plastic guttering, light posts, even synthetic stucco finishes.

You may be tempted to shoot the little peckers, but be warned: destroying their nests, or using poisons are cruel methods are illegal in many areas. Here are some woodpecker deterrents that are both humane and effective:

Lightweight Plastic Bird Netting

Ideal for physically denying specific areas of your home from woodpecker attacks, Lightweight Plastic Bird Netting has been proven to work in homes and businesses around the country. This bird netting comes in a number if mesh sizes. For woodpeckers, the 3/4-inch mesh netting is most often recommended. This netting even comes in a variety of colors to match the exterior color of the structure. Used as a woodpecker deterrent, the netting is best installed in overhanging eaves, patio covers or other elevated areas of a structure. 

Woodpecker Deterrent Kits

Packed with everything you need to get rid of woodpeckers, Woodpecker Deterrent Kits include a Bird Repeller Balloon, 50 feet of Flash Tape, and mounting hardware. The Flash Tape Banners rattle in the breeze and reflect sunlight to constantly distract and annoy the birds. Bird Repeller Balloons are covered with large Cyclops “predator eyes” and whip about in the breeze to further distract the birds. All  you have to do is move these visual deterrents around from time to make woodpeckers believe they constitute a real threat.

BeakGuard Woodpecker Deterrent

An innovative development from bird control experts, BeakGuard Woodpecker Deterrent is an elastomeric acrylic finish that conveys a warning signal to woodpeckers that discourages them from pecking your wood. The compound is harmless to woodpeckers and other birds. BeakGuard covers latex-painted surfaces, wood, fiber-cement, stucco, aluminum or vinyl. It leaves a durable, color fast, vapor permeable finish that resists dirt and harsh weather. It’s easily applied with a brush, roller, paint pad or power sprayer. And one gallon covers about 180 square feet.