Woodpecker Control
Most everyone likes woodpeckers. There are many species commonly found throughout North America including the flicker, gila, acorn, downy, hairy, redheaded, green, black backed, ivory billed, sap sucker and pileated. When in the wild, the site of a woodpecker pecking away at a tree is generally an acceptable behavior. But sometimes this pecking can be offensive; often times damaging. Note the accumulated damage to this tree caused by one persistent woodpecker.
In most cases, the woodpeckers have found the targeted wood because there is some kind of food supply living inside. Typical insects that will nest in trees or house siding include carpenter bees, wasps, boxelder bugs, house borers and ladybugs. Though having the woodpecker feed will help reduce the problem insect, in most cases the damage sustained from the pecking can lead to many other costly repairs thus making the behavior unacceptable. If you've got one of the above listed insects living on or in your home, be sure to do some treatments to help reduce their numbers. In many cases this will cause the damaging woodpecker to move away. In cases where you are unsure what the woodpecker is feeding on or if it's even feeding at all, try one of the following repellents.
Woodpeckers will also peck on anything which will generate loud "sounds". They will typically find metal edging, hollow backed siding, soffits and even windows to use for this mating ritual. Most commonly done in the spring, woodpeckers will repeatedly beat their pecks against anything which makes a loud noise as they try to establish themselves as a dominant bird in a given territory and get a mate.
Woodpecker Control Products
If woodpeckers are randomly pecking on the siding of the home searching for any kind of food, the liquid repellent ROPEL would be a good product to employ. It's basically a bad tasting agent that will force the woodpecker to go elsewhere. Treat weekly to insure you have a strong taste in place during the pecking season. This can be anytime of the year but seems to be mostly done during the fall, winter and spring.
If you have large holes which they are using for nests or flat areas being used for "sounding" pecks, apply a coat of 4-THE-BIRDS GEL or 4-THE-BIRDS LIQUID. This material is basically a non-drying glue like material they don't like one bit. One encounter with this gooey gel and they will avoid the area where it's applied. The Gel is applied with a standard caulking gun; the liquid is applied with a PUMP SPRAYER.
If woodpeckers are appearing randomly on the home, set up some BIRD DISCS. These can be hung from the side of the home which is having the activity. These are basically CD sized discs which are finished with a pattern of lines. When sunlight shines on these lines it creates an optical illusion to birds. Flat and weatherproof, these discs are perceived by woodpeckers as a threat and cause their natural "fright-flight" response to kick in and you can achieve woodpecker control. This response is instinctive and happens when they see something which looks like a raptor or predator bird. The image on the discs invoke this flight behavior in turn chasing them away. Bird Discs are ideal for windows where woodpeckers are active trying to nest or feed. Excellent for crop and garden protection as well.
Another effective option is the MOVING SPIDER. This mechanical device looks like a large spider and is activated by movement. When nearby motion is detected, it will release an 18 inch length of cord which causes the spider to drop down from where it's mounted. Motion, movement and vibrations will activate it like those created by a wood pecker which is either pecking for food or sounding for mating/marking territory. The device looks like a large spider complete with legs, head, eyes and mandibles. Two "AA" batteries power the spider and there is an on/off switch located on the bottom (batteries are not included with the Spider). You will need to use a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the side panel for loading the batteries. This panel is located under the fur of the spider and held in place by Velcro straps. There are two eye hooks for mounting the spider onto siding of the home which are best suited for screwing into wood or stucco. Mount these above the area you want to protect and place the spider flat against the surface of the material being pecked. When the woodpecker returns the spider will be activated and this motion will scare them away.
Set these out one spider per 10 foot by 10 foot area. When used on windows, you will need one spider per window you want to protect. Each spider comes with two eye hooks which can be used for mounting and installation. The cord of each spider has a round key chain like connector which can be used to connect to the included eye hooks. You can also connect an extension to this key chain connector, using some light twine or fishing line monofilament, so that you can hang it down however far you need it to be so that it's able to drop to the target area. This is commonly done when you are trying to deter woodpeckers from flying at a window which is tall, like the ones commonly used above front door foyers. Since the woodpeckers typically fly at the bottom of the window to it's ledge, it is sometimes hard to get the spider to drop all the way down where it is needed. For such applications, mount the eye hook at the top of the window into the window frame. Next, tie some light twine or fishing line down from the eye hook and connect the spider at a point where you want the spider to start it's motion. This should be about 2 feet above the area where the woodpecker is landing. The use of fishing line is suggested for this application since it is hard to see and will be more cosmetically appealing. Try to keep the spider out of direct rainfall. Though it can tolerate getting damp or wet, repeatedly getting soaked due to rain or irrigation systems will lead to damage. And be sure to install enough of them – especially if the woodpeckers are working different sides of your house.
Using sound for Woodpecker Control
Lastly, the BIRD CHASER is a sounding device that can provide one more option when trying to control woodpeckers. In nature, there are many birds of prey which woodpeckers know to avoid. The Bird Chaser is a small electronic device which is powered by a small AC adapter. When activated, it plays different predatory birds sounds like owls and hawks. As woodpeckers enter the field of detection, the bird chaser will play a sequence of these sounds. This typically spooks the woodpecker away and they'll know to avoid the area after a few encounters. The field of view for the motion detector is about 130 degrees and 30 feet out. This gives the motion detector an effective range of almost 4000 sq/ft. If this coverage is not large enough, you can set the device to sound off automatically, throughout the day, giving the appearance that there are predatory birds constantly around. This adjustment is a variable setting and will cause the sounds to play every 5 to every 30 minutes. There is also a volume control allowing you to set it at the level adequate for the coverage area. The Bird Chaser also has a "day light" sensor. This means it will not operate during the night. When annoying woodpeckers are randomly appearing on structures, the Bird Chaser can provide a good overall woodpecker control program.
Woodpeckers are generally not thought of as "annoying" or "nuisance birds". But if conditions are conducive around your home and some start to appear on the structure, they can become a problem. Woodpecker control cannot be done directly to the birds but by employing some of the products and equipment detailed above, you should be able to safely and effectively chase them off your home.
