Any tips on getting rid of an annoying wood pecker?

[Rhone]

I figured this is for the green room because it may save a birds life.

I have an annoying woodpecker who's taken to chipping away under an eave of my house, repeatedly. How do I get rid of the offending bastard. I intended to use some birdshot but there's a family involved. He seems to be using my house to impress the Mrs. that's getting all googly-eyed at him destroying my house as she watches him from a nearby branch.

Any ideas people have tried that worked? The place is under an eave.

 

[Eric Johnson]

That will drive you crazy, especially since it tends to reflect on the integrity of your house, even if the offending bird is just trying to get laid.

How about getting one of those plastic owl statues that people use to keep crows and other undesirables out of the garden? I assume that owls eat woodpeckers, though I can't say I know that for a fact. Or some 'pecker 'pellent.

 

[Harley]

I've had one every spring drumming on my aluminum gutters (5:00 on the dot every morning). I've never done anything about it, since he was not really doing any damage (but I did consider the birdshot option on a few mornings). I've heard (and again don't know how well or if this works at all) that mothballs in a sock may keep him out of the area - I've seen that work pretty well for mice and bats, but no real experience with birds.

One thought.... if they are doing their fast pecking.... that's usually to attract the mate, but it seems that would be odd at this time of year. Are you sure that there's not rotting under the eves, and that there may be bugs he's trying to get?

 

[Mike Wilson]

My Solution to Your Problem ... worked like a charm when I had a Robin pecking on my windows.

And I have to agree with Harley, its a little late in the year for this type of behavior.

-- Mike

 

[CountryGal]

Some advice/information here.

 

[Nokoni]

I have an old wood frame house and lots of woodpeckers in my yard. None of them have ever eaten on my house in any way. But, I provide them with suet. Maybe if you hung up some suet feeders they would find that much more interesting. I have all varities of woodpecker. They are very beautiful to watch.

 

[suematteva]

We had a pair in our area, and it was always the female who was hammering on the tin roof of the shed..The Mrs..thought it was the male wanting attention...The Bird book come in handy...We have a pileated woodpecker that frequents the area from time to time and that thing can really rip out some chunks...

 

[Sandor]

I'm agreeing with Harley here. Are you sure you do not have an insect problem?

It is most likely being drawn to the house because it hears something, something like food. Do you leave a TV or Radio on? The reading I have done says they are chasing a vibration that sounds like insects eating wood.

If all else fails.....But, I do believe it warrants a closer inspection and the troublesome bird MAY be doing you a favor.

And if he's looking for some action, how do ya blame him? Got others guys killed before!

 

[begreen]

Get the word out that you have an ivory-billed woodpecker at your house. The bird will never have a moment's peace and will have to leave the country.

Or call homeland security and tell them you think you hear morse code info being tapped out by a very well trained bird. Either they'll take the bird away or you.

 

[struggle]

When it is doing that take two 2x4s and smack them together really hard to make a crack like sound.

 

[tutu_sue]

Definitely check for insect infestation. I have heard of birds chipping at house paint as a source of calcium that can be helped by spreading broken eggshells on the ground in the same area.

 

[ourhouse]

My Solution to Your Problem ... worked like a charm when I had a Robin pecking on my windows.

And I have to agree with Harley, its a little late in the year for this type of behavior.

-- Mike

THTTSSS FUNNY!!

 

[wg_bent]

Pellet gun

 

[Mike Wilson]

When it is doing that take two 2x4s and smack them together really hard to make a crack like sound.

Or just take one 2x4 and smack the bird with it really hard to make a crack like sound...

-- Mike


PS - anything left of your eves now?

 

[senorFrog]

How do I get rid of the offending bastard.

 

[Rhone]

I'll take a ladder and look for bugs. I was thinking it's late, real late for him to be trying to impress the Mrs.

I found out owls won't work, wood peckers don't identify them as enemies. I'll check for insects, I wouldn't think they'd be on the eave on that side because it's 2 stories up but I'll check. Thanks Countrygal, if I don't find insects I'll hang shiny tape for the time being.

 

[MrGriz]

Or just take one 2x4 and smack the bird with it really hard to make a crack like sound…

:lol: Now that's just laugh out loud funny... Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones :exclaim:

 

[Mo Heat]

R, I've got a cedar sided house that's stained so it all still looks like wood. The peckers seem to appreciate that. So do the Tufted Titmouses (Titmice?). I tried for 3 or 4 years to keep those suckers off the house using passive methods. They were absolutely destroying the cedar siding. Shiny foil on string, balloons, more foil in different configurations, more shiny silver balloons. Not easy to hang 20 feet in the air, either. The birds had apparently been pecking holes on one side (east) of the house for years before I got here. Of course my neighbors have bird feeding stations galore and a bird bath over on that side so I guess it shouldn't be a surprise.

I repaired the previous ugly repairs of the former owners (boards nailed up there, hardware cloth over holes, even a metal plate nailed onto the side of the house. Plus about 20 - 25 holes in progress. I had what I considered a moderate bird problem, but after buying some cedar siding for repairs and to redo my dormer, I then considered it an expensive problem. I bet I repaired 20 - 30 holes, some had me dangling from a ladder and holding my breath with a caulk gun in one hand, my corded drill tied around my waist, one-handing the ladder with my pockets filled with newspaper filler and custom cut circular cedar plugs that I would put into the holes I drilled into the house for a perfect fit. Almost looked like a knot hole using dark brown caulk. I now just plug with paper and then caulk the hole as it is. The irregular shape looks even better than the circular plugs and I don't have to carry the corded drill up there (I don't have a cordless). Much easier, but I still take offense to those devils laying claim to my east wall.

I even had a nesting pair of red tailed hawks in the back yard less than 40 yards from that wall with a full view of it the first 3 or 4 years (they've since moved over a yard or two). You'd think hawks would scare the little birds off, but they didn't. Regrettably, after years of failure with passive measures, I finally got fed up and violent with the regular offenders that seemed to have staked a claim. Sad, but it solved the problem. Now I try to scare the heck out of any newbies as soon as they think they've found a piece of cedar siding they are partial to. Maybe I've naturally selected for the house offending birds. I don't seem to get near as many these days, although I still see both Downy Woodpeckers (the most destructive at my house) and Tufted Titmice all over the yard. Maybe word has spread that I mean business and to keep off the human predator's square tree (house).

I employ one of these: http://www.beeman.com/p1.htm

 

[paulgp602]

I had one doing this to the side of my house. Luckily we were having it vinyl sided anyway. Needless to say , but once it was sided, the woodpecker went away.

 

[Mike Wilson]

I had one doing this to the side of my house. Luckily we were having it vinyl sided anyway. Needless to say , but once it was sided, the woodpecker went away.

Mmmmm.... but beware the ever elusive vinylpecker... :vampire:

-- Mike

 

[paulgp602]

lol, I kept listening for pecking sounds afterwards just in case. Luckily it didn't try to peck through it.

 

[DriftWood]

Woodpeckers are classified as migratory, nongame birds and are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The red-cocaded woodpecker and the ivory billed woodpecker are on the Endangered Species list and are thus offered full protection. When warranted, woodpeckers, other than the endangered species, may be killed but only under a permit issued by the Law Enforcement Division of the US Fish and Wildlife Service upon recommendation of USDA-APHIS-Animal Damage Control personnel. Generally, there must be a good case to justify issuance of a permit. Woodpeckers are commonly protected under state laws, and in those instances a state permit may be required for measures that involve lethal control or nest destruction. Other methods of reducing woodpecker damage do not infringe upon their legal protection status. Threatened or endangered, however, cannot be harassed.

Woodpeckers can be very persistent and are not easily driven from their territories or selected pecking sites. For this reason, visual or sound types of frightening devices for protecting buildings-if they are to be effective at all--should be employed as soon as the problem is identified and before territories are well established. Visual and sound devices often fail to give desired results and netting may have to be installed.

Netting is one of the most effective methods of excluding woodpeckers from damaging wood siding beneath the eaves is to place lightweight plastic bird-type netting over the area. A mesh of 3/4 inch is generally recommended. At least 3 inches of space should be left between the netting and the damaged building so that birds cannot cause damage through the mesh. The netting can also be attached to the overhanging eaves and angled back to the siding below the damaged area and secured taut but not overly tight. Be sure to secure the netting so that the birds have no way to get behind it. If installed properly, the netting is barely visible from a distance and will offer a long-term solution to the damage problem. If the birds move to another area of the dwelling, that too will need to be netted. Netting becomes increasingly popular as a solution to woodpecker problems because it consistently gives desired results.

WOODPECKERS
http://cecalaveras.ucdavis.edu/woodpeck.htm

 

[Mike Wilson]

Woodpeckers can be very persistent and are not easily driven from their territories or selected pecking sites. For this reason, visual or sound types of frightening devices for protecting buildings-if they are to be effective at all--should be employed as soon as the problem is identified and before territories are well established. Visual and sound devices often fail to give desired results and netting may have to be installed.

Woodpeckers can be very persistent and are not easily driven from their territories or selected pecking sites. For this reason, pellet guns - if they are to be effective at all--should be employed as soon as the problem is identified and before territories are well established. Visual and sound devices often fail to give desired results and shotguns may have to be implemented.

-- Mike

PS - thanks for the info, didn't know they were endangered, as you can't swing a dead cat around here without hitting one. Nonetheless, if one kept whacking at my house, I'd kill it, no questions asked.

 

[suematteva]

I had one doing this to the side of my house. Luckily we were having it vinyl sided anyway. Needless to say , but once it was sided, the woodpecker went away.

Mmmmm.... but beware the ever elusive vinylpecker... :vampire:

-- Mike

Are they related to softwood pecker and the hardwood pecker?

 

[HarryBack]

I think it likely this should solve your problem.