Woodpecker Deterrents

If you’re a homeowner in any area where there are trees, you’ve probably had problems with woodpeckers. They often drill nasty, gaping holes in your siding, fascia boards, EIFS, and those beautiful architectural elements created with foam.

The problem is compounded by the fact that woodpeckers are classified as migratory, non-game birds and are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. So forget about poisons or pellet guns. Lethal controls or nest destruction can only be implemented with a special permit issued by the Law Enforcement Division of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and after recommendation of USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Service’s personnel.

So what can you do to protect your home from woodpecker damage? Fortunately, there’s a humane and highly effective woodpecker deterrent that’s recently been developed. It’s Called BeakGuard.

BeakGuard Works

BeakGuard is a paint-on Woodpecker Deterrent that quickly conveys a warning signal to any woodpecker that may be tempted to start pecking on your home. The results are startling and virtually immediate. After two years of field testing in the most prolific woodpecker areas of the country including  Montana, Colorado, South Dakota and Washington, BeakGuard scored a success rate that exceeded 90% in deterring further building damage. 

BeakGuard was tested on building structures experiencing ongoing woodpecker problems. In one test, a remodeled office building outside of Seattle, Washington with large EIFS cornices (coated foam insulation) was assaulted by woodpeckers every season. Some years the drumming resulted in more than 10 holes around the building—holes that eventually became  nesting sites for smaller birds. The holes had to be filled with spray foam, sanded and refinished every year. After coating the building with BeakGuard, not a single woodpecker has damaged the building.

BeakGuard is Easy to Apply

Easily applied to latex painted surfaces, wood, fiber-cement, stucco, aluminum or vinyl, BeakGuard is an elastomeric acrylic. You can apply it with a brush, roller, paint pad or appropriate spray equipment. One gallon covers about 180 square feet. Thinning of the product is not recommended. BeakGuard should be screened prior to spray application, and the manufacturer recommends that you don’t thin the product. Back-roll BeakGuard when applying over acrylic finishes or other textured substrates. Depending on your climate, BeakGuard usually dries in just 24 hours.

BeakGuard Won’t Harm Birds

BeakGuard uses a common compound that will not harm woodpeckers or any other bird species. In fact, the ingredients in BeakGuard are used in many consumer products on the market today. Products like nail biting and thumb sucking deterrents used to break children of these habits use this technology.

BeakGuard Lasts and is Color Fast

Beakguard is specially engineered to leave a durable, long lasting finish. It resists dirt pick up and holds up to season after season of rough weather. It leaves a vapor permeable, flexible membrane that ensures the color won’t fade or change in tone.

If your siding is being damaged by birds, the likely culprits are woodpeckers or swallows. Without effective bird control measures to deter them, woodpeckers will peck holes in both your wood and stucco.  Smaller birds will even nest in abandoned woodpecker holes. Swallows prefer to nest on vertical surfaces under eaves or overhangs, leaving unsightly and damaging mud nests on the sides of your home.

Woodpeckers have also been known to penetrate siding and yank out the underlying wall insulation. Holes created by determined woodpeckers can be as large as 4 inches in diameter.  Imagine how your home would look if you had holes that size peppered all over your siding. You’d have to replace it or risk rainwater getting into the side of your home. That’s a huge expense you don’t really need in these tough economic times.

You need to be proactive if you want to protect the sides of your home from bird damage.  Wood siding, window frames, eaves, trim and fascia boards are all fair game. As are rustic, channeled plywood with cedar or redwood veneers. BB guns, bird poisons, or attacking their nests are a no-no. Woodpeckers and swallows are migratory, non-game birds that are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Non-lethal, humane bird control measures should be used. Here are three effective bird control deterrents you should consider:

Woodpecker Netting 3/4" Mesh

Lightweight,  easy to handle and virtually invisible, 3/4” mesh plastic bird netting will prevent woodpeckers and swallows from accessing specific areas of your home. The netting comes in 14’ x 100’ pieces, can be cut to the desired size, and is easy to store and use. The best netting will be made from UV-protected polypropylene for lasting durability outdoors. A bird netting kit makes this netting easy to install.  The kits include Poly Clips to secure the netting under eaves.  These self-adhering clips hold the netting tightly in place.

Red-Tail Hawk Decoys

Even the dumbest, most determined bird knows it’s time to leave when they see a Red Tail Hawk.  Decoys of this predator make decorative bird-control accents around your home.  Always get the most realistic decoy you can buy. The best hawk decoys will be manufactured of heavy duty plastic to remain convincingly realistic year after year.  Just place them in high visibility areas near your home and move them around from time to time to sustain the illusion of a real live hawk.

Visual Bird Deterrents

Easy to install and relatively inexpensive, Visual Bird Deterrents include Flash Tape and Reflective Banners, which whip about in the breeze and catch the sunlight. Equally effective are Scare Eye Diverters and Bird Scare Balloons, which boast mock predator eyes that glare down on birds to convince them that danger is near. Attach these deterrents to high visibility areas around the perimeter of your home, and move them around often to convince birds they are “living” threats.

Are woodpeckers pecking holes in your wood or stucco? Do you have so many holes in your siding that smaller birds have started to nest in abandoned woodpecker holes? Without effective and humane bird deterrents, your home will be at the mercy of woodpeckers. Can you afford the expense of re-siding your home right now?

One homeowner had woodpeckers eating through the mahogany siding covering her home. But when she filled in the holes and the house was repainted, the woodpeckers came back as soon as the painters left. One woodpecker put its head into the hole it had made and yanked insulation right out of the wall. Woodpeckers have been known to peck away at siding and tear out the insulation to make a hole suitable for nesting.

Another homeowner had woodpeckers pecking right through her wood siding and through the plywood underneath. The birds promptly tore the insulation out and built a nest between the wallboard and plywood. She put tin over the holes, but the birds just pecked a new hole next to the tin. She plans on putting vinyl siding over the wood, but believes they may peck through that as well. A consultation with a bird control expert would be a smart first move.

Contrary to common belief, woodpeckers aren’t looking for bugs when they peck holes in your siding. Experts suggest that woodpeckers seek bugs in your boards less than 10 percent of the time. And the bugs they’re looking for are usually harmless to your wood or siding.

Getting rid of woodpeckers can be a challenge—unless you use professional bird control methods. Shooting them, destroying their nests, or using poisons are cruel methods that may be illegal. Woodpeckers are protected in most states, so these methods are ill advised.  Here are some woodpecker deterrents the pros recommend:

Woodpecker Deterrent Kits

To get rid of woodpeckers, get a Wood Pecker Deterrent Kit. They come with a Bird Repeller Balloon, a 50-foot roll of Flash Tape, and all the hardware you need to hang them up. Flash Tape Banners crinkle in the breeze and reflect sunlight, which will scare most birds away. Bird Repeller Balloons are covered with  a big “predator eye.” The balloons bob and weave in the wind and convince birds that a giant predator is ogling them. To ensure woodpeckers don’t get used to these “threats,” your should move them around frequently.

Lightweight Plastic Bird Netting

By physically blocking out birds from your siding, Lightweight Plastic Bird Netting denies woodpeckers access to it. Bird netting comes in several mesh sizes. For woodpeckers, get 3/4-inch mesh netting. You can also get bird netting in a variety of colors to match your home's exterior.  To keep woodpeckers away, install the netting in overhanging eaves or other nooks and crannies where woodpeckers peck.

by Terra Anders

It seemed that the infamously obnoxious Woody Woodpecker pestered his victims for the pure joy of it.  In fact, in many episodes of this fun-loving cartoon the victims ended up looking far more looney than Woody. They tried ridiculous bird control methods in an attempt to end the tap, tap tapping of the woodpecker’s relentless noisemaking. From salt on his tail to cleverly disguised traps, nothing seemed to be clever enough outsmart this rambunctious woodpecker.

In reality, the North American Woodpeckers are beautiful birds that happen to have the unfortunate habit of pecking tree trunks, sides of houses, chimneys or roofs.  This pecking is done for specific reasons, none of which is for the mere pleasure of watching homeowners run in horror to the library to learn about effective bird deterrents.  Woodpeckers will drum on almost anything that makes a loud sound.  Drumming that creates a loud noise is almost always done to attract a mate.  This is a musical ritual performed by both male and female woodpeckers, and will dramatically increase in the Spring during breeding season.

The indentations from pecking are also done to mark the pest bird’s territory, warning other woodpeckers that this area is taken.  Drumming on tree trunks is likely done in search of food that might be lingering just a peck away. Homeowners who find the sides of their home or barns abused by the bird’s drumming, might find this is actually from the pest bird’s drilling a nesting cavity safe from predators, but close to a good food supply. Woodpecker control can actually be quite effective, and it doesn’t have to peck away at the pocketbook.

Woodpecker deterrents are simple to install, and if set up before the Spring mating season, can eliminate the temptation of Woody and his friends from even stopping by for a visit. To humanely keep birds away, try some of these simple pre-season steps.

Rid yards of any dead or dying trees or trunks that might invite woodpeckers searching for an entry point. Schedule regular maintenance checks with a pest control service to be sure that termites or other wood boring insects can be found.  Eliminating the food source is one way to make sure the woodpecker’s drumming is short lived. 

Most birds do not like bright colored moving objects. Hanging strips of red and silver mylar flash tape from the roofline of is one persuasive bird control method that can scare birds away from house siding or eaves.  This tape can also be used in the gardens or patios to deter birds from pecking at fruit or tree nuts.

If the woodpeckers have already landed, you can fight noise with noise by using a bird control sonic sound device. This apparatus comes complete with speakers and pre-programmed sounds that replicate bird distress sounds and broadcasts these sounds at ten-minutes intervals so woodpeckers will feel threatened and leave.  Those that haven’t landed won’t touch down.

Setting up bird deterrents for the North American Woodpecker doesn’t have to look like a script from a cartoon strip. Just using a few of the steps mentioned here can keep Woody and his feathered flocks flying right on by.

by Alex A. Kecskes

If you’ve begun to see little holes and cavities in your home’s siding; if your patio cover is starting to look like Swiss cheese; and if you’re awaked in the mornings by the tat-tat-tat of bird beaks, well, you lucky homeowner, you’ve got some serious woodpecker problems.

Chances are, you’re being invaded by any of the 22 species of woodpeckers in North America. Most woodpeckers are attracted to earth-tone or natural-colored stains and paints. And whether it’s the Downey Woodpecker, the Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, or the Northern Flicker, they'll come a knockin' and do their damage in one way or another.

You really can’t blame the little critters. They’re just foraging for insects under your eaves, siding and patio beams. Problem is, if you don’t implement some effective bird control, the tapping of one woodpecker will draw more birds to your home, and before you know it, you’ll have woodpeckers creating a symphony of destruction. And that means you’re in for some major repairs; something you don’t need in this bad economy.

If you’re thinking of using pellet guns, firecrackers, or bird poisons, forget it. You’ve got kids and pets to protect, and finicky neighbors who will bristle at the thought.

Time to implement a bird control strategy. And one of the most effective and humane ways to deter woodpeckers from your home, patio, or gazebo is Woodpecker Netting.

An ideal physical barrier, woodpecker netting has been specially designed by bird control experts to keep woodpeckers from pecking around your home. This netting works by denying woodpeckers access to wood or stucco siding. After a few unsuccessful tries, the birds will simply get discouraged by the barrier and move on to someone else’s home.

Woodpecker netting consists of a tight 3/4-inch mesh that’s small enough to prevent woodpeckers from getting through. The best netting is made from durable U.V.-protected polypropylene. This netting is lightweight, virtually invisible and easy to handle. It can even be stored and re-used as needed. And it comes with a one-year guarantee.

Woodpecker netting typically comes in a 14 x 100-foot roll. For fast, easy installation, it’s recommended that you get the added hardware, which includes “Poly-Clips. These clips make it easy to hang the net under eaves or other areas. When installing the netting, be sure to position it away from the wall of your home. Secure it to the outer edge of an eave or overhang using Poly Clips, staples, or other attachments. You can let the netting drape down the side of the wall and hang it using weights, or secure it back to the building with self-adhering hooks (you’ll find these at most hardware or lawn and garden centers).

One final bit of advice: If woodpeckers are starting to build nests in your siding, add a woodpecker nesting box. This will give them an alternative to drilling a hole in your siding.

By Terra Anders

The Pileated Woodpecker is easy to spot, and even easier to identify by its distinct drumming sound. At about 17 inches from head to tail, a crown of fire red feathers accentuates its black body. Snowy white plumes run along the bird’s checks and down the neck and under the throat. The woodpecker uses its strong silver beak dig out nest holes in dead trees or branches.  These birds have also been known to drill into the wooden siding of houses.  It is this habit that sends homeowners to the bird control experts looking for a way to deter these birds from damaging their home.

Woodpecker control efforts are best put in place prior to the bird’s mating season. During the spring woodpeckers will be on the lookout for two things: a mate and a safe place to dig a nest. Creating a plan before spring is essential to keep woodpeckers around, but prevent any woodpecker house damage from occurring.

Bird netting can be used to protect wood sidings where woodpeckers may be tempted to drill. Attach a polypropylene bird netting at the edge of the overhang with staples or plastic clips.  Make sure the netting remains a few inches away from the surface as it hangs down, covering the side of the house.  Ends can be weighted for stability, or attached to the siding using self-stick hooks.  This 3/4 inch mesh netting creates a barrier that won’t allow the woodpecker access for drilling.

Once the woodpecker netting is in place, a nesting box could be provided on the property. A wooden nesting box can act as a kind of friendly bird deterrent, since it will provide the woodpeckers a safe alternate environment to build their home. Typical nesting boxes are about 8” wide x 8” deep x 24” tall. The “front door” should be about 4 inches in diameter and be positioned toward the top of the box (about 20 inches from the floor).  Nesting boxes can stand alone on a pole lifting the nest to about 24 feet off the ground.  Better yet, hang the nesting box in a tree where woodpeckers are most comfortable. This technique of woodpecker control is humane and allows homeowners to remain on friendlier terms with the beautiful birds.

Pileated Woodpeckers generally prefer to drill their nests in a dead tree or branch. For this reason, property owners who are planning on removing dead trees should take a week to watch and closely evaluate the site.  It’s quite possible that a woodpecker family has already chosen this tree to raise their family. If a nest is found, it is best to let nature take its course before removing the tree. With a little patience and about three weeks time, the woodpecker chicks will be in flight school and quickly winging their way away from home.  The tree removal can be scheduled once the chicks have flown the nest.

Living harmoniously with woodpeckers is possible.  Understanding their mating and nesting habits will go a long way toward planning effective woodpecker control methods that give both peace of mind and a safe nesting habitat.