Woodpecker Problems

[BGP]

Does anyone know how to keep a woodpecker away from a house? We have one at our cabin who is continually pecking holes in our siding. We just replaced a bunch of it last year and then repainted. We now have 2 new holes.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[tweedlap]

Fedeal low base 8 shot. You will end up with a lot of little holes but the paint should cover them.

That's what I would like to do to the ones that think my house is a big dead tree.

Good Luck,

tweed

[Shack]

I would think one of the owl or crow statues would help fend off wood peckers. Place it near by the area they like to peck at. If need be, get a couple.

Good.

[demonjigger]

I don't think you can legally shoot them, but you could try an owl decoy, place it near your problem area. It should help.

[BGP]

Thanks guys. Believe me, I've thought about the number 8 shot. Problem is, we never see the thing. It stays away when we show up.

[Scott K]

I too believe it is ileagal to shoot them. But with that being said, I had one pecking on the side of my house, and the wood pecker is smarter then I thought, because just one bb from a bb gun and it learned its lesson! Sometimes you have to do things even when you know they arent right, to protect the things you cherish!

[redhooks]

My bro-in-law hung reflective ribbons off the back of his house, like the stuff they put in airplane hangers to scare birds out.

redhooks

[Gadgetman]

shoot 'em, with extreme prejudice! Those little suckers can cause tons of damage. Out here in the woods there is no shortage of them either.

[Bobb-o]

sounds like the woodpecker that we have problems with at my cabin, he's a smart little bugger, he always pounds on the metal umbrella thingy over the lines on the power pole, then flies to the ground to eat the bugs he knocked down. It gets REAL aggravating at 5:30 in the morning.

[Valv]

Funny, I have 2 woodpeckers that think my steel pole shed is an old tree !!!

They keep pecking on the roof tin, I wonder how long they will last before they find out it's not working !!!

[danwilliams]

Suspect it breaks a law...however in Tucson I once hung a rat trip with peanut butter bait on wall by eave ........ took care of problem..

[Tom7227]

From the U Extension Service:

Barriers

Exclusion is the best overall control technique. To prevent further damage to wood beneath the eaves, plastic bird netting can be installed from the gutter angled back to the siding below the damaged area. Metal sheeting (aluminum usually best) painted to match the siding can be installed over the area being attacked; hardware cloth can also be used but should be raised on 1" (2.5 cm) wood spacers so the birds can not reach the siding through the mesh.

When you see sapsuckers at work or observe freshly dug holes you may be able to discourage them by covering the affected area with heavy paper or hardware cloth or you could try tying boards or strips of wood to the affected trunks or branches.

Repellents

Sticky repellents, such as Bird Stop, Roost-No-more, and Tanglefoot, can be smeared on and near damaged areas including tree trunks and limbs to repel woodpeckers and sapsuckers. However, since these products can discolor surfaces it is a good idea to test them on small areas of the building that are not visible. As an alternative, apply the product to another piece of wood or plywood and fasten it to the building over the damaged areas.

Scare tactics

Sometimes scare tactics work. At the first sign of woodpecker activity on your house, make noises at a nearby window or against the adjacent inside wall. Hang strips of foil, fabric or commercially available bird netting from the eaves to deter the birds. Other scare tactics include placing hawk or owl cutouts on the house, hanging balloons in the area, a child's pinwheel, flash tape, strings of shiny, noisy tin can lids, wind chimes and/or pulsating water sprinklers.

Woodpeckers are protected by state and federal laws, so trapping or shooting them is not an option.

Here are links to more information about ways to control woodpeckers:

http://cecalaveras.ucdavis.edu/woodpeck.htm

http://www.alaweb.com/~kenwood/saba/yard/woodpeckers.htm

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/howtos/ht_sap/sap.htm

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/humm/Partnership.html

[Grant]

I'll leave the dirty joke alone

[Surface Tension]

Try placing some rubber snakes under the eves.

[irvingdog]

I've known of several people using the rat traps.

Illegal?

Yes.

Effective?

Very.

[Mid-Lake Rock]

Put steel wool in the existing holes to prevent further damage to those areas by the birds.

[vern]

I have cedar siding & the woodpeckers hit it all the time. Then the red sqirrels move in! It's been a nightmare trying to keep the red sqirrels from chewing golf ball sized holes in my house. It only takes a couple hours for them to do major damage. I've tried the plastic owl, shiny objects, various repellents & nothing works. Either shoot them or trap them. I keep removing them but every year there are more. I'm about to give up and switch to fiber-cement siding or aluminum.

[ice-man/vexilar-king]

SBE 12gauge and PatternMaster choke tube!!! 5shot Turkey load