I'm continually having issues with woodpeckers putting holes through the siding of my house. It is cedar plywood siding. The woodpeckers are putting holes through the chimney portion of the house (highest part of the house). My understanding is that Woodpeckers do this because there are bugs inside that they want to feed on? What product(s) do you have that might help deter the woodpeckers? If I patch a hole they go right back to the same spot.
Regards, T.
Woodpeckers will commonly peck in search of food. Cedar commonly gets infested with Carpenterbees, Carpenterants, Powderpost Beetles and Woodwasps. Additional sources of food include Boxelder Bugs, Asian Ladybugs and Stinkbugs. These invasive insects will readily move onto structures every fall seeking shelter from the soon to arrive winter season. Though these insects don't bore into the wood, they will many times get up under the siding. Their presence alone will attract woodpeckers which do what they know best to get the "pot of gold" behind the siding. This approach is what you refer to as "putting holes through the siding" but to them, it's just another day looking foraging for a meal.
To stop this behavior, you'll find several products we have listed in our WOODPECKER CONTROL article. The easisest device to employ would be our JUMPING SPIDER. When combined with BIRD DISCS, most woodpeckers can be scared away effectively. 4-THE-BIRDS GEL is another great product to employ. Woodpeckers will readily avoid treated areas for good once they encounter a little bit of this gooey gel.
Based on what you describe, it could be the woodpeckers landing on your home are in fact attempting to nest. This commonly is the case when they insist on "reopening" holes you close. To stop them for good, apply 4-The-Birds to the area after you fix it. Install some Jumping Spiders on either side of the chimney and I'm sure they'll be gone for good.
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I have a woodpecker that's been pecking at a tree in my yard. I just noticed there is now a slight hole in the bark but I don't think he's building a nest. I see 2-3 of these little holes where he's done this and now I'm worried he's going to kill the tree. Is there anything I can do to chase him away?
Woodpeckers feed on insects and foraging on trees is what they do to find food. Pecking is mostly associated with feeding though there are times when they'll peck to create a nest. Nest pecking is mostly confined to one location and commonly the location will get a larger and larger hole till it is capable of housing the adult ready to lay eggs. Food pecking in the same area will be more random and constantly changing which is what it sounds like is happening on your tree.
Unfortunately this behavior can kill a tree. Most every tree harbors insects of some sort and some can kill a tree. Combine the insects feeding with the Woodpecker pecking, and the tree's life will be diminished that much faster. You could treat the tree with some Ropel detailed in our on line article on Woodpecker Control. In the article you'll find Bird Discs which work well at keeping them away from a small area; Irritape might prove more effective if the pecking is covering the entire tree.
I also suggest doing a good inspection of the tree to make sure it doesn't have some kind of insect infestation that needs to be treated. Common pests that can kill a tree include Carpenter Ants, Pine Borers and Termites. Woodpeckers will commonly feed on these pests and others and sometimes treating the source of food (the insects on the tree) can be the best long term remedy to the problem. Other detailed directions on how to get rid of most any pest can be found at www.bugspray.com
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There has been a small woodpecker pecking at my great room window and we're afraid it's going to do some real damage. The window is quite large and thick but his bird is strong. Why is he doing this and what can we do to make it stop?
Woodpeckers, like other birds, get territorial from time to time every year. During this time they instinctively establish territories and will even confront birds they see in what they believe to be "their turf". Windows can reflect images and many times birds will see themselves but mistake the image to be another bird. This is most likely what's happening at your house.
Generally this wouldn't be a major problem and since it only lasts a short while, there is a good chance the activity will stop. But in many cases the bird will get conditioned to seeing his reflection and if left to go on "fighting" with himself, the behavior can continue much longer than normal. This is when it becomes a problem.
The best way to deal with this behavior is to set out some Bird Discs which are featured in our Woodpecker Control article. Use 1-2 per window and set them up in front of any window where the pecking is happening. If the Discs don't do the trick, set out a Jumping Spider. This will definitely get them to move away.
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Are there any woodpecker traps available?
There are. We carry a model that can catch woodpeckers when placed over their nests. This placement can be on a tree or the side of the home where you know an unwanted or nuisance bird is living. Basically the trap has a single entrance hole, which needs to be located over the hole of their nest, so when they leave they get caught in the trap. Once caught you'll need to relocate the bird at least 10 miles away. If they return, you'll need to take them 20 miles away. The distance needed to insure they don't return will depend on the species.
The trap is knows as the Bird Excluder Trap
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We've had a pilated woodpecker pecking at our house for the last week and it's getting to be a problem. At first it was cool seeing him peck but he quickly started to do some damage and now we just want him gone. I've seen him at several locations and I don't think there is a nest anywhere close by. Why is it attacking our house?
Woodpeckers typically feed on insects that ware buried in wood. Their pecking reveals food for them and their keen sense of smell and hearing allows them to target pests which are cannot be seen. I suspect you could have some kind of insect problem like carpenter ants, carpenter bees, some kind of beetle, etc. that is living up under the siding of the house. Such infestations might be naked to the eye but a foraging woodpecker will quickly find them.
To stop this destructive pattern you can try several things. Ideally if you are able to locate just what the bird is feeding on you could attempt to control that pest which in turn would force the woodpecker to forage elsewhere. If you are not able to find the source or insect he is pursuing, try some of the repellents we have listed in our Woodpecker Control article. The Bird Discs work well as does the Attack Spider. Both can cover about 100-200 sq/ft and are easy to install but you may have to set these up on several sides of the home since they'll only work when the woodpecker gets close enough to them. If the activity is limited to a small area repelling him is usually easy to do but if the whole house is under attack, it will take several of each to get adequate coverage.
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I have a woodpecker that's been pecking at my house for the past 2 weeks and I want it to go away. I've tried setting an inflatible owl up on the roof along with some moth balls but so far nothing has worked. What do you have that we can use?
Chasing nuisance woodpeckers away can be done if you are able to place some Bird Discs or a Jumping Spider where they're active. Sometimes this is tough but both deterrents do a good job of repelling them. If they're on the side of the house, use the Jumping Spider and anchor it to the soffit or roof overhang. If they're around windows, use the Bird Discs. We have more options listed in our Woodpecker Control article.
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Is there some special reason why there has been a gila woodpecker pecking at the metal edge around my chimney top? I have a metal vent and edging that he seems to love but the pecking is very loud. I know they peck at wood for food but why my chimney cap?
Most woodpeckers will "sound" or peck at objects as a way to establish their territory as explained in our Woodpecker Control article. Gila woodpeckers are no different. Most likely to happen in the spring, sounding will be done throughout the day and is a way for this bird to communicate. To stop the loud behavior, set out some Bird Discs on either side of the vent. This is usually enough to repel them and keep them away from the home.
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There has been a flicker woodpecker pecking my house for the past week. I don't see any nest and he doesn't seem to be at the same location so I'm not sure what he's doing. Any ideas on what's going on and how I can get him to stop?
Most species of woodpeckers will "sound" during the spring as described in our Woodpecker Control article. This could be a random thing but many times they will tend to use one side or section of the house. You should be able to get them to move away by installing a Jumping Spider or Bird Discs. These visual deterrents do a good job of alarming woodpeckers and make them uncomfortable enough to get them to go elsewhere. I suggest you set either or both of these repelling devices up where he is most active and see if you can get him to stay away.
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Recently I have a problem with some birds pecking through the stucco on my house. What do you recommend I use to stop them?
Birds routinely create nests in trees. During the process of building the nest they'll peck away at soft spots to create the void they'll use. On some houses this causes damage. Stucco houses are such structures. If local birds notice the stucco has a hollow sound to it, they'll instinctively start pecking expecting to find a space behind it where they can nest. To stop the behavior, you can set out some Jumping Spiders or Bird Discs. These deterrents work well as explained in our Woodpecker Control article. You can also get them to stop instantly by applying some 4-The-Birds Gel or 4-The-Birds Liquid to the areas where they're active. They hate this stuff and will move away immediately.
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I need to stop a wood pecker from pecking the side of my house. I think there must be some kind of bug in there because he keeps pecking and pecking and then he moves to another spot and makes another big hole. I notice that some of the damage opens up to a space that's like a drilled out section of the siding. I haven't seen any bugs but I'm not close enough to tell if anything was there or if the woodpecker ate anything that was. What can I do to get him to stop causing all this destruction?
Woodpeckers will forage for food on the siding of homes. Such areas commonly have carpenter bees or powderpost beetles. The Carpenter bees will drill holes that are long and big like what you described. You can read more about them on line under Carpenterbee Control. If you think you have this bee you must treat the holes as soon as possible. This most likely will chase the wood pecker away.
Once you've done some kind of insect treatment, install some Bird Discs or Moving Spider where the pecking is mostly happening on the house. This should help keep the wood pecker away. Further information about these products and why woodpeckers do this can be found in our Woodpecker Control article.
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