If you have a wood-shingled home with lots of open beams, you could be vulnerable to woodpeckers. If you have a patio cover or gazebo with nooks and crannies where birds can build a nest, you've got an open invitation to woodpeckers. If your garage has wood shingles or eaves, say hello to woodpeckers and expensive repairs.
Your only defense is these cases is a good offense—a safe and effective bird control strategy. One of the best strategies is to install and implement
woodpecker deterrents before woodpeckers arrive for the spring.
Before getting into details about which
woodpecker deterrents you should use, let's look at some of the woodpeckers you're likely to face.
Golden-Front Woodpecker. This mid-sized bird is about 11 inches long. It has a gold stripe across the face and behind the neck. Some birds in this family have a small spot of yellow, orange or red in the center of their stomach. They have a pale tan breast with a black-and-white "zebra-stripe" or checkerboard pattern across the back and wings.
Red-Belly Woodpecker. This bird has a pale red back to the nape of its neck and a pale pink belly. Males have a longer and wider bill than the female.
Red-headed Woodpecker. This bird is about 8 inches long. Adults have a black back with white wing tips and underbelly. The head is deep red.
Acorn Woodpecker. A medium sized bird about 9 inches long, adults have black heads, back wings and tails, white chest and facial markings and large white eyes.
Ladder-Back Woodpecker. About 6 inches long, this bird has a black-and-white stripe on its back and wings with a pale underbelly and darker spots on the sides. Males have a red head spot, flecked with black or black and white. Females are usually substantially smaller and without red markings.
Downy Woodpecker. The smallest woodpecker in North America, the downy features a proportionately short beak (less than the length of its head), a white stripe down his back and a white underbelly.
Hairy Woodpecker. Typically 7 or 8 10 inches long, this bird has a white, off-white, pale grey or tan underbelly, black-and-white patterned back and wings, and a white or pale stripe down the back. Males may have two little red spots or a red nape patch.
Red-cockaded Woodpecker. This mid-sized bird is black with white striping and large white patches on either side of the head. The underside is white with black speckles. They have a small patch of red behind the eyes on either side.
Northern flicker At 12 inches, this is the second largest of the common woodpeckers of North America. The golden-shafted variety is most common in the eastern and northern part of North America, while the red-shafted variety is more often seen in the west. Flickers are typically gray and brown with black striped markings across the back. The underside is light grey or pale tan with darker speckles.
Pileated Woodpecker. A large bird averaging 18 inches long, these birds feature a bright red crested cap on the top of their heads. The adult males also have a red strip on either side of the bill. They are almost black, with contrasting white marks on the face.
So now you know what the "enemy" looks like, you can prepare for their onslaught. Some of the best woodpecker deterrents are listed below:
Bird Netting. This exclusionary
woodpecker deterrent has been widely used with considerable success. Choose plastic netting made of a mesh that is fine enough to prevent the bird’s wings from getting caught. Manufacturers offer U.V. protected polypropylene netting in various mesh sizes and colors.
Bird Scare Devices. These are reflective foils, shiny tape banners and balloons that make woodpeckers too nervous to hang around. They crackle in the breeze and reflect the sunlight. The best balloons have large predator eyes.
Sonic Devices. Woodpeckers are deathly afraid of hawks. These devices can be set up to broadcast hawk sounds attacking a bird—this is not what your average woodpecker wants to hear while they're building a nest.
Remember, the best strategy is to install these
woodpecker deterrents before woodpeckers arrive.
