Woodpecker Deterrents

With bird season right around the corner, the one bird you definitely want to deter is the woodpecker. While it’s interesting to watch them hammer holes in trees, it’s not so interesting when they’re turning your home siding into Swiss cheese. Or when they’re pulling the insulation out of your exterior walls to make room for nests.

The time to install woodpecker deterrents is before the birds arrive, not after. Once your siding and decorative beams are riddled with holes, you’re left with expensive replacement costs. And like a woodpecker, you’ll be beating your head against the wall for not being proactive about woodpecker control.

Your neighbor may have told you that woodpeckers are looking for harmful bugs when they peck holes in your siding.  But according to the experts, this is the case less than 10 percent of the time, and when they do dig for bugs, the insects are usually harmless to wood or siding.

Woodpeckers are not too particular about what they peck. They’ll “ventilate” mahogany siding, plywood, beams, plastic guttering, light posts, even synthetic stucco finishes.

You may be tempted to shoot the little peckers, but be warned: destroying their nests, or using poisons are cruel methods are illegal in many areas. Here are some woodpecker deterrents that are both humane and effective:

Lightweight Plastic Bird Netting

Ideal for physically denying specific areas of your home from woodpecker attacks, Lightweight Plastic Bird Netting has been proven to work in homes and businesses around the country. This bird netting comes in a number if mesh sizes. For woodpeckers, the 3/4-inch mesh netting is most often recommended. This netting even comes in a variety of colors to match the exterior color of the structure. Used as a woodpecker deterrent, the netting is best installed in overhanging eaves, patio covers or other elevated areas of a structure. 

Woodpecker Deterrent Kits

Packed with everything you need to get rid of woodpeckers, Woodpecker Deterrent Kits include a Bird Repeller Balloon, 50 feet of Flash Tape, and mounting hardware. The Flash Tape Banners rattle in the breeze and reflect sunlight to constantly distract and annoy the birds. Bird Repeller Balloons are covered with large Cyclops “predator eyes” and whip about in the breeze to further distract the birds. All  you have to do is move these visual deterrents around from time to make woodpeckers believe they constitute a real threat.

BeakGuard Woodpecker Deterrent

An innovative development from bird control experts, BeakGuard Woodpecker Deterrent is an elastomeric acrylic finish that conveys a warning signal to woodpeckers that discourages them from pecking your wood. The compound is harmless to woodpeckers and other birds. BeakGuard covers latex-painted surfaces, wood, fiber-cement, stucco, aluminum or vinyl. It leaves a durable, color fast, vapor permeable finish that resists dirt and harsh weather. It’s easily applied with a brush, roller, paint pad or power sprayer. And one gallon covers about 180 square feet.

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 Alex A. Kecskes

Your average woodpecker is 7 to 15 inches long, with short legs, sharp-clawed toes and stiff tails. These birds feed primarily feed on wood-boring insects like spiders and caterpillars.  Unless woodpecker deterrents are used, your home, garage, patio and other structures will be prime targets for attack.

While they’re considered migratory, many woodpeckers stay in the states in which they are found. Woodpeckers usually arrive in the spring, when pairs are on the lookout for nesting cavities. They will attack your favorite trees, leaving unsightly holes and possibly injuring the trees by leaving them vulnerable to damaging insects

Woodpeckers are responsible for considerable property damage to thousands of homes across the country. When they are in their feeding mode, they forage for food by drilling holes in wood and synthetic stucco siding and eaves. Bees and other insects use the grooves in board-and-batten siding to lay eggs, which will attract these birds.

If your home has wooden shingles, cedar or redwood siding, your property is vulnerable to damage. By the way, woodpeckers will also attack your rain gutters (both metal and plastic gutters are prime targets). They’re not shy about attacking your chimney caps and TV antennas (these things make a lot of noise, which is what they like). Woodpeckers prefer to “drum” in the early morning and late afternoon.

So how can you get rid of these annoying birds? The temptation is to use noisemakers, avicides, BB guns and other means to deter or eliminate woodpeckers from your home and property. But these means can be problematic and ineffective. For one thing, woodpeckers are classified as migratory non-game birds and are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It stipulates, “before any person may take, possess, or transport any migratory bird or its parts, including feathers, eggs, and nest, they must secure a permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The good news is that there are many effective and humane woodpecker deterrents you can use to keep woodpeckers from damaging your property.

A good place to start is the visual deterrent. These come in various shapes and sizes to frighten birds and discourage them from building nests. Perhaps the least expensive deterrents are bird scare banners and balloons. Banners can easily be hung anywhere and will crinkle in the breeze and reflect sunlight to make birds feel uncomfortable.  You can also affix large shiny balloons to various areas of you home and garden.  These bob and weave in the breeze, and they feature a large predator eye that convinces most birds they are being “sized up” for a meal. Keep in mind that most birds are smart, so it’s best to move these visual woodpecker deterrents often so birds don't get accustomed to them.

Another very effective woodpecker deterrent is lightweight plastic bird netting. Here, you’re physically excluding birds from certain areas of your home and property. You can get plastic bird netting in several mesh sizes to block out various size birds. For most woodpeckers, you’ll need a 3/4-inch mesh size. Today’s bird netting even comes in various colors to match your home's exterior.  Netting is most effective when installed in overhanging eaves, and other places that provide semi-shelter for birds. Be sure to secure the netting tightly to prevent birds from working their way around the netting.

One manufacturer offers a bird netting kit. It includes bird net hardware and perimeter cable—ideal for hanging the net and keeping it taut so that no gaps remain for birds to enter. Each netting kit also includes cable crimps, turnbuckles, intermediate attachments, hog rings, and accessories—everything you need to properly hang the netting.

The secret to keeping woodpeckers away from your home and property is to think ahead and install woodpecker deterrents before the birds show up.

by Alex A. Kecskes

You take great pride in the appearance of your home. You paint it, replace or repair the siding, and maintain the shutters. After all that work and expense, you don’t need woodpeckers defacing your home with holes and unsightly marks. But it can happen--if you don’t implement effective woodpecker deterrents.

As many homeowners have painfully learned, woodpeckers can drill holes into wood siding, window frames, eaves, trim and fascia boards. They often hammer cedar and redwood siding until it looks like the surface of the moon. If you have a façade or decorative fir, pine or cypress, they’ll attack that too. Regrettably, woodpeckers prefer new construction and rustic, channeled plywood with cedar or redwood veneers. Many a homeowner has been saddened to discover the tell-tale narrow horizontal line of holes on the side of their home as woodpeckers forage for insects. These birds will even go after the plastic parts in your rooftop solar panels. Without effective woodpecker controls, your home is at the mercy of these pests.

As if damage to your home wasn’t enough, woodpeckers can drive you crazy with their incessant drumming--especially in the springtime. They seem to love to bang away at the hollow areas where their drumming makes the most noise. That includes your metal rain gutters, downspouts, chimney caps, TV dish antennas, rooftop plumbing vents, and metal roof valleys. Ask any homeowner with a woodpecker problem: these birds will drum all day long, week after maddening week.

It’s enough to make you want to whip out the BB gun or even bird poisons. Unfortunately for you and fortunately for them, woodpeckers are migratory, non-game birds that are fully protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. In fact, the red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) and the ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) are both listed as Endangered Species and cannot be touched without incurring the penalty of law.

Fortunately for you, there are a number of effective and humane woodpecker control measures you can use to solve most woodpecker problems.

One widely used woodpecker deterrent is lightweight plastic bird netting. This method works because you’re physically excluding pest birds from specific areas.  Birds simply can’t get at your property. Plastic bird netting typically comes in several mesh sizes to block out various size birds. For most woodpeckers, you’ll need a 3/4-inch mesh size. If you’re concerned about the appearance of bird netting, high quality netting is now available in various colors to match your home's exterior.

When installing the netting, be sure to leave a 3-inch space between the netting and the area to be protected. You don’t want the birds to drum their beaks through the mesh. You can also install bird netting to the overhanging eaves, then swing back to your exposed siding. For best results, secure the netting tightly to prevent birds from getting behind it.

To streamline the installation of bird netting, one manufacturer offers a bird netting kit. These kits include bird net hardware to help match any job. Things like perimeter cable, which can be set up around the area to be netted off to ensure that there are no gaps for birds to enter, and that the netting stays taut. The kits may also include netting hardware--items like cable crimps, turnbuckles, intermediate attachments, hog rings, and accessories and tools to ensure a correct and lasting installation.

It’s sometimes best to add additional deterrents to your home (in addition to netting). Combined, two woodpecker control approaches create an effective solution to the woodpecker problem. For example, consider installing some visual deterrents like banners that crinkle in the breeze and reflect sunlight. Or balloons emblazoned with large predator eyes to intimidate pest birds. For best effect, visual woodpecker deterrents should be moved around often so birds don't get used to them.

Above all, it’s important to be proactive and install these woodpecker controls and deterrents before the birds arrive.  Once these birds have “set up shop,” it’s pretty hard to get rid of them.

by Alex A. Kecskes

Woodpeckers will be coming to your home soon—most usually arrive in the spring.
They’ll be in their feeding mode, foraging for food, drilling holes in your beautiful wood and synthetic stucco siding and eaves. They’ll be pecking and drilling in the grooves in board-and-batten siding, digging out insects and trying to attract mates with their incessant pecking. Your home will be at their mercy. If you don’t protect it with woodpecker deterrents, you can say hello to big unsightly holes.

After a while, your wooden shingles, cedar or redwood siding will look like Swiss cheese.
Woodpeckers will also attack your metal or plastic gutters, your chimney caps and TV antennas. The noise they make will drive you crazy--especially in the early morning hours. They’ll also attack your favorite trees, damaging the bark and leaving gaping holes, which can leave your trees vulnerable to predatory insects.

The solution? Forget noisemakers, avicides, BB guns and the like. They’re just temporary measures that can threaten kids, pets and neighbors. Besides, woodpeckers are classified as migratory non-game birds and are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It warns that, “Before any person may take, possess, or transport any migratory bird or its parts, including feathers, eggs, and nest, they must secure a permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

All is not lost. There are many effective and humane woodpecker deterrents you can use to protect your property from damage.

For starters, you can invest in a Wood Pecker Deterrent Kit. These offer a low cost solution to most pest bird problems. They include one Bird Repeller Balloon, a 50-foot roll of Flash Tape, and all the hardware you’ll need to hang these deterrents. The deterrents are extremely easy to install, highly effective and very humane.

The Flash Tape Banners can be hung anywhere and will crinkle in the breeze and reflect sunlight to make birds feel too nervous to stick around. Bird Repeller Balloons are big and shiny with a large eye. When these balloons bob and weave in the breeze, woodpeckers will get the feeling they’re being watched by a huge predator. For best results, it’s recommended that you move these visual deterrents around from time to time to keep the birds “on their toes.”

Woodpecker Kits should be used wherever woodpeckers have become a nuisance. You should install the deterrents on the side of your home, under eaves, and in your backyard or front yard to protect your trees. Installation is a snap. Simply install the brackets included in the kit using ordinary screws. Make sure that the brackets are at least 3 feet apart to cover the area where woodpeckers are attacking. Hang the flash tape from the two smaller brackets by tying a knot around the bracket. Cut the flash tape in 3-foot lengths or longer. When installing the Balloon, inflate it, apply the decals, and hang it from the larger bracket.

Another effective woodpecker deterrent is lightweight plastic bird netting. This easy to handle netting works by creating a barrier that physically excludes woodpeckers from specific areas of your home and property. Plastic bird netting comes in several mesh sizes. The most commonly used netting for woodpeckers is a 3/4-inch mesh size. You can also get bird netting in various colors to match your home's exterior. The best place to install bird netting is in overhanging eaves or any other area that offers shelter for birds. When installing the netting, make sure that you secure it tightly to prevent woodpeckers from squeezing their way around the netting’s perimeter.

The secret to keeping woodpeckers away from your home and property is to plan ahead and install woodpecker deterrents early--before the birds show up. Once they decide to make your house their home, it’s a real challenge to get rid of them.

by Alex A. Kecskes

Woodpeckers often do a lot of damage to vacant summer or vacation homes. Regrettably, it's not until your siding resembles Swiss cheese that you finally realize you have a woodpecker problem.

The birds will drill holes into wood siding, window frames, eaves, trim and fascia boards. Woodpeckers generally like to hammer cedar and redwood siding. They'll also attack fir, pine, and cypress in a pinch. And they'll choose natural wood surfaces over painted wood. They seem to zero in on new construction and rustic, channeled plywood with cedar or redwood veneers. The birds will create holes in a narrow horizontal line looking for insects. If you have plastic parts in your rooftop water-heating solar panels or electrical solar panels, woodpeckers can cause you plenty of grief.

Then there's all the drumming these annoying birds do. Woodpeckers seem to enjoy drumming in the springtime and choose wood and other areas where their drumming makes the loudest most resonant sounds. Areas like metal rain gutters, downspouts, chimney caps, TV dish antennas, rooftop plumbing vents, and metal roof valleys are common targets. The birds will drum intermittently all day long—for weeks, even months at a time.

If they drove you nuts last year, you may be tempted to shoot them or poison them, but be warned: Woodpeckers are migratory, non-game birds that are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. In particular, the red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) and the ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) are on the Endangered Species list and cannot be touched under penalty of law.

All is not lost, however. For there are effective, humane woodpecker repellants you can use to keep these annoying birds at bay.

One of the most effective methods of excluding woodpeckers from damaging wood siding under your eaves is to place lightweight plastic bird netting over the area. Plastic bird netting comes in a variety of mesh sizes and a 3/4-inch mesh is ideal for most woodpeckers. Leave a 3-inch space between the netting and the damaged building so that birds cannot drum their beaks through the mesh. You might also try to attach the netting to the overhanging eaves, and then reverse back to the siding below the damaged area. Be sure to secure the netting tightly so that the birds have no way to get behind it. The good thing about most bird netting is that it now comes in various colors to match your home's color scheme, so if you install it correctly, it virtually disappears from view.

You might also try to install some visual woodpecker deterrents like banners that crinkle in the breeze and reflect sunlight. Balloons work too, especially the one's with large predator eyes on them. For best effect, these woodpecker deterrents should be rotated so birds don't get used to them. Woodpeckers are pretty smart.

By Alex A. Kecskes

Woodpeckers are nice to look at but they can cause a lot of damage. They can hammer you building’s wooden shingles, cedar or redwood siding into “Swiss cheese.”  And unless you find ways to get rid of woodpeckers, they’ll pummel your metal or plastic guttering until it leaks like a sieve.  They’re also partial to light posts, wooden signs and some synthetic stucco exterior finishing. Plywood and Masonite are less attractive to woodpeckers, but they still will attack these materials, peppering them with unsightly holes.

Without effective measures to get rid of woodpeckers, these birds can hack all around an area, creating a large unsightly hole the size of a baseball.  They can damage a roof rafter so severely that it will need to be reinforced with steel to make it structurally sound. Wood shakes or clapboard, synthetic stucco, chimney caps, aluminum flashing and even vinyl over wood are prime targets for woodpeckers.

The woodpecker that does the most damage to buildings is the northern flicker (Colaptes auratus). If you spot one in flight, you’ll notice the yellow or salmon tint under the wings and tail feathers.

So how do you get rid of woodpeckers? If you’re considering bird poisons or BB guns, forget it. Woodpeckers are a protected species, and the $500 fine you pay for killing them can poke a hole in your wallet faster than any woodpecker can drill into your siding. Fortunately, there are effective ways to deal with these birds that are quite humane. Some strategies:

Bird Scare Devices

These Bird Scare Deterrents are a fairly inexpensive way to get rid of woodpeckers. They’re the bright foils that crackle in the breeze, the reflective tape banners that whip about in the wind, and beach-ball size balloons with intimidating predator eyes that bob and weave to give woodpeckers the “willies.”

Hawk Decoys.  Woodpeckers fear hawks, which unlike owls, hunt during the day. So one way to get rid of woodpeckers is to set up a hawk decoy or two. The hawks should be roughly 11 inches long with a 20- to 24-inch wingspan. For best woodpecker deterrent effect, hang the decoy from the eave of your building where your woodpeckers have been active. Use a thin, clear fishing line. To enhance the deterrent effect, attach a mirror that reflects the hawk and make sure your woodpecker(s) can see it from where they regularly perch.

Sonic Systems. You’ve no doubt chased away a woodpecker or two by clapping your hands or banging pots. But do you really want to stand there and bang pots all day?  Better to get a Sonic Woodpecker Deterrent. These devices have successfully been used to drive away all manner of pest birds—including woodpeckers.  They emit predator and distress calls that convince woodpeckers that yours is a danger zone filled with hawks and other flying predators. These sounds have been specially recorded to alarm woodpeckers, yet they are not unpleasant to humans. The best sonic bird deterrents can be programmed to emit distress and predator calls 24/7. You can also add speaker units to significantly widen the coverage area. Some systems will continually alter the pitch, frequency, timing and intensity of their sounds for maximum deterrent effect.

by Fran Prisco

Woodpeckers have become one of the biggest nuisances of the pest birds in North America.  Besides the constant “tap, tap” that drives most homeowners crazy, they are also leaving holes in the trim, wood siding even stucco of homes.  It is instinct that causes the woodpecker to leave baseball size holes in the sides of wood homes and buildings.  They are looking for insects, nesting cavities or communicating with other woodpeckers.

Ways to Deter Woodpeckers

There are several humane and effective woodpecker deterrents that can be used to get rid of woodpeckers from the sides of buildings and homes.

Sound Deterrents Scare Woodpeckers Away

An easy way to get rid of woodpeckers is by installing a bird sound deterrent.  These sound deterrents will play predator calls and woodpecker distress calls.  The woodpecker will hear the calls and by instinct move on to an area that is perceived safer.  Most bird sound deterrents are made to be used outdoors, they are water resistant and made of rugged plastic.  At the first site of a woodpecker, install the sound deterrent and the bird should go away.

Woodpecker Scare Deterrents

There is a wide variety of scare devices on the market to get rid of woodpeckers.  These include scare balloons, Mylar flash tape and scare eye diverters.  When hung by the area that the woodpeckers are attacking, the reflective scare deterrents cause a distraction zone and the woodpeckers will move on.

Woodpecker Deterrent Netting

One way to deter pest woodpeckers is using woodpecker deterrent netting.  Hanging a plastic netting from the eaves of your home or building creates a “curtain” that the woodpeckers cannot get through. This will force the woodpeckers elsewhere to do their dastardly deed of creating holes in your wood siding.

Installing the Woodpecker Netting

Woodpecker deterrent netting can easily be attached to the end of the eave of the home and draped down.  This blocks the wall making it difficult for the woodpecker to get at the siding of the home.  Once the woodpeckers have gone it is safe to remove the netting and save for the next spring or fall, when woodpeckers are active again.

It is always recommended to install any type of bird control before the birds are a problem.  If you have had bird control issues in the past, install bird control deterrents before you have a problem again.