How can I prevent Woodpeckers damaging our home?

[flexible]

How can I prevent Woodpeckers damaging our home?

We happened to walk the the southern end of our deck and I saw a 4 inch x 3 inch hole. I turned the corner and found two more holes the same size on the South end of our house where our garage is located. We are never in that area of of home.

We've heard woodpeckers on the North end of our home outside the master bedroom before and just run outside and shoo them away. But I am hearing them sometimes about 6 am and can't see them or any damage when I go outside. I fear they might be creating next on our foam roof (it's about 2 inches think and was very expensive.)

Any suggestions would be appreciated?

 

[Passepartout]

How about calling animal control, or a pest removal service. It's insects they are after. No bugs = no woodpeckers. Or maybe they are looking for some place to build a nest. Either way, they can be out there rat-a-tat-tatting 24 X 7 X 365 and you can't. Just guessing that the pro's would spray for insects, then cover the holes and area where the birds are working with some kind of metal flashing to deter them.

 

[Kal]

Shotgun would work

 

[Passepartout]

Shotgun would work

I think they're protected.

 

[BJRSanDiego]

How can I prevent Woodpeckers damaging our home?

We happened to walk the the southern end of our deck and I saw a 4 inch x 3 inch hole. I turned the corner and found two more holes the same size on the South end of our house where our garage is located. We are never in that area of of home.

We've heard woodpeckers on the North end of our home outside the master bedroom before and just run outside and shoo them away. But I am hearing them sometimes about 6 am and can't see them or any damage when I go outside. I fear they might be creating next on our foam roof (it's about 2 inches think and was very expensive.)

Any suggestions would be appreciated?

We had a similar problem on the porch of a lake home. They made a dozen holes the size of my fist. I called some places like the Audubon society and some bird rescue places. They weren't terribly helpful. It seems that the birds sometimes tap on the siding to get at bugs and sometimes they do it for fun (perhaps part of the mating ritual?).

One solution would be to "thin the herd" but I fear that it is illegal. Another one might be to spray the area with something that the birds may not like. I'm not sure what that would be but would start with something like capsaicin, pepper spray, mixture of blood meal (its just a fertilizer but the smell of blood scares off some critters. Another possibility is to place an ultrasonic pest repeller very close to the areas that they are attacking. I added a fake owl and it may have helped (even though some birds pecked its eyes out). Harbor Fright might have one where the head moves and the eyes light up. I haven't tried it, but perhaps a bird feeder could be of benefit - - either to attract the wood peckers to the food or attract other birds that might annoy the wood peckers. Hanging CDs from strings under the eves may annoy the birds.

Hopefully after a month of so the birds will change their habits.

 

[Makai Guy]

Here's an earlier thread on this subject:
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108878

 

[jaym]

How can I prevent Woodpeckers damaging our home?

We happened to walk the the southern end of our deck and I saw a 4 inch x 3 inch hole. I turned the corner and found two more holes the same size on the South end of our house where our garage is located. We are never in that area of of home.

We've heard woodpeckers on the North end of our home outside the master bedroom before and just run outside and shoo them away. But I am hearing them sometimes about 6 am and can't see them or any damage when I go outside. I fear they might be creating next on our foam roof (it's about 2 inches think and was very expensive.)

Any suggestions would be appreciated?

******************************************************
When my wife and I purchased our "fixer-upper" in the metro Boston 'burbs over 25 years ago, the house had ugly aluminum siding. My first encounter with woodpeckers was a rude awakening, literally, as these varmints often drummed (rata-tat-tat) on the siding very early in the morning!
I did some research and Woody can be daunting to eliminate. Apparently, in addition to pecking into wood to extract food sources, woodpeckers (males?) will "drum" into metal or other surfaces to reverberate sound as a mating ritual.

Some deterrents, and one I tried with some success was the wacky idea of extending shiny helium filled Mylar Balloons to the roof area on a long ribbon or string, about as high as gutters, (find it at a local party store or market).
Place the strung balloons on the side or two sides of the house where they have been active. (helium may only last a day or two so you may need a couple of rounds over a week or so....)
Key is placing something with movement and glare/flash, such as the already mentioned CDs on 1 to 2 ft. string, tied around a piece of wood, that you place in the gutters, dangling, reflecting. If that side or area, usually front and back roof line, has gutters installed. Otherwise, use the balloons on side gables. Inexpensive attempt if nothing else.
I also read about using a periodic recorded hawk cry to frighten them but never figured how I'd arrange that setup......hope this helps, best of luck.

Listen to the distress call of a Downy Woodpecker, followed by the call of a Sharp-shinned Hawk »
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/wp_about/lib/audio/Downy_Sharpie.wav

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/06516.html

 

[DonM]

wacky[/I] idea of extending shiny helium filled Mylar Balloons to the roof area on a long ribbon or string, about as high as gutters, (find it at a local party store or market).
Place the strung balloons on the side or two sides of the house where they have been active. (helium may only last a day or two so you may need a couple of rounds over a week or so....)
Key is placing something with movement and glare/flash, such as the already mentioned CDs on 1 to 2 ft. string, tied around a piece of wood, that you place in the gutters, dangling, reflecting. If that side or area, usually front and back roof line, has gutters installed. Otherwise, use the balloons on side gables. Inexpensive attempt if nothing else.
I also read about using a periodic recorded hawk cry to frighten them but never figured how I'd arrange that setup......hope this helps, best of luck.

Listen to the distress call of a Downy Woodpecker, followed by the call of a Sharp-shinned Hawk »
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/wp_about/lib/audio/Downy_Sharpie.wav

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/06516.html

This has been my experience as well. We had no insects- the birds were just being territorial.

 

[lizap]

I have found this to be the case. Carpenter bees were attracting the woodpecker. I put some sevin dust in the holes, and he hasn't been back..

How about calling animal control, or a pest removal service. It's insects they are after. No bugs = no woodpeckers. Or maybe they are looking for some place to build a nest. Either way, they can be out there rat-a-tat-tatting 24 X 7 X 365 and you can't. Just guessing that the pro's would spray for insects, then cover the holes and area where the birds are working with some kind of metal flashing to deter them.

 

[TF865]

I have found this to be the case. Carpenter bees were attracting the woodpecker. I put some sevin dust in the holes, and he hasn't been back..

I had the same problem. It was actually the carpenter bees that bored holes in the wood (quick too!) and then the woodpeckers were after them! To top it off they were driving us, the cat included, to distraction! We also had hornets build a huge hive in our attic and had to have an exterminator remove it. We started having the exterminator spray for bees each spring which helped. We eventually sided the house and trim ending all that nonsense!

 

[FLDVCFamily]

We have some that love to peck on the metal downspouts of our gutters. What I have done is to put those metallic whirligig things that you can buy at the dollar store along the path near the downspouts. The wind blows, they twirl, and Woody takes a hike. So far it's working. These things are only a buck at the dollar store. Go buy like 20 of them and put them near where the woodpecker goes.

 

[MGBrental]

How can I prevent Woodpeckers damaging our home?

We happened to walk the the southern end of our deck and I saw a 4 inch x 3 inch hole. I turned the corner and found two more holes the same size on the South end of our house where our garage is located. We are never in that area of of home.

We've heard woodpeckers on the North end of our home outside the master bedroom before and just run outside and shoo them away. But I am hearing them sometimes about 6 am and can't see them or any damage when I go outside. I fear they might be creating next on our foam roof (it's about 2 inches think and was very expensive.)
Any suggestions would be appreciated?

 

[MGBrental]

Woodpecker

You can get some fake Owls at lowes or Home Depot, Walmart hang them around your house and woody the woodpecker will go by by.:whoopie:

 

[csxjohn]

Shotgun would work

I think they're protected.

You can get some fake Owls at lowes or Home Depot, Walmart hang them around your house and woody the woodpecker will go by by.:whoopie:

They are definitely protected so the shotgun approach may bring you bigger problems than woodpecker holes in your house.

My experience is that the fake owls don't work for more than a short time. The birds and other pests soon figure out that the plastic owl isn't going to hurt them.

 

[dwojo]

Call an exterminator and have them check for insect infestation. If woodpeckers are tha persistent they are usually looking for food. They prefer insects.

 

[Barbeque]

Pellet gun or a mega mean cat

 

[flexible]

Thanks for all the advice. Much appreciated.

A local agricultural/tractor store suggested metalic strips to hang in problem areas. Apparently Woodpeckers (and maybe more birds) think our home is on fire when they see the strips blowing in the wind. We are giving it a try.

A customer who overhead us suggested we call the Audoban Society or "Bird Rescue" group located in the County south of us to ask their advice too.

 

[1950bing]

My neighbor has this problem and he hung CD's on a string so the wind would turn them. I never figured out how he knew which CD's the birds did not like !!!

 

[billymach4]

seed

My neighbor has this problem and he hung CD's on a string so the wind would turn them. I never figured out how he knew which CD's the birds did not like !!!

To kill a mockingbird.

 

[SMHarman]

seed

To kill a mockingbird.

It's a novel, not a 'how to' book.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk

 

[ace2000]

I've also had a woodpecker problem over the past couple of years. I see a couple of large holes in the side of the house that have developed recently. (I have no idea how they can make those holes without anything to stand on!). We've had the outside of the house sprayed for bugs earlier this year. Anyone have any luck with any of the other suggestions offered above? I think we're going to go with vinyl siding in the next five years but would rather wait for a bit.

 

[rapmarks]

woodpeckers actually pecked out a window on a neighbor's summer home in Wisconsin. They stick to our trees, thank goodness.