# Any tips on getting rid of an annoying wood pecker?



## Rhone (Nov 6, 2006)

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.


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## Eric Johnson (Nov 6, 2006)

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.


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## Harley (Nov 6, 2006)

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?


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## Mike Wilson (Nov 6, 2006)

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


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## CountryGal (Nov 6, 2006)

Some advice/information here.


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## Nokoni (Nov 6, 2006)

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.


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## suematteva (Nov 6, 2006)

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...


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## Sandor (Nov 6, 2006)

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!


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## begreen (Nov 7, 2006)

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.


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## struggle (Nov 7, 2006)

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


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## tutu_sue (Nov 7, 2006)

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.


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## ourhouse (Nov 7, 2006)

Mike Wilson said:
			
		

> 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!!


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## wg_bent (Nov 7, 2006)

Pellet gun


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## Mike Wilson (Nov 7, 2006)

struggle said:
			
		

> 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?


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## senorFrog (Nov 7, 2006)

Rhonemas said:
			
		

> How do I get rid of the offending bastard.


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## Rhone (Nov 7, 2006)

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.


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## MrGriz (Nov 7, 2006)

> 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:


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## Mo Heat (Nov 7, 2006)

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


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## paulgp602 (Nov 7, 2006)

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.


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## Mike Wilson (Nov 7, 2006)

paulgp602 said:
			
		

> 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


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## paulgp602 (Nov 7, 2006)

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


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## DriftWood (Nov 7, 2006)

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


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## Mike Wilson (Nov 7, 2006)

DriftWood said:
			
		

> 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.


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## suematteva (Nov 8, 2006)

Mike Wilson said:
			
		

> paulgp602 said:
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Are they related to softwood pecker and the hardwood pecker?


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## HarryBack (Nov 8, 2006)

I think it likely this should solve your problem.


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## colsmith (Nov 11, 2006)

At our last house we had recurring problems with woodpeckers poking holes in our house (wood siding.)  When we heard the pecking, we would thwack hard on the wall from inside the house, if that didn't scare the bird away we went outside and hollered at the bird.  Over time a few holes were put into the siding, but so what?  No real problem.  We are bird lovers so wouldn't hurt the woodpeckers.  (Not be be Ash Can-y, but why is the Republican answer to any problem to shoot the problem? ;-) )  Last year while visiting my old home I noticed that the newest owners had put on vinyl siding.  I asked why, since the wood siding was in great shape and looked very nice (nicer than the vinyl for sure.)  The elderly woman said it was because the birds were pecking at the siding and she didn't like it.  So if you are old and feeble and obsessed with appearance I guess paying $10,000 for new siding is a solution.  She also chastised me  for planting so many daffodils, crocus, tulips, etc. since "bulbs are so hard to kill."  Why she couldn't just let them bloom I don't know, they had them mowed down every year.  Some people hate nature, some try to coexist.


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## DriftWood (Nov 11, 2006)

HarryBack said:
			
		

> I think it likely this should solve your problem.



In my township discharge of firearms / weapons of any type is illegal. If I was seen in this neck of the woods with that thing, dressed like that I'd be in deep terrible trouble. The Coast Guard helicopters over head, Boarder Patrol out back in the river in there boats machineguns maned and Home Land Security leading me away in hand cuffs with the County Sheriff directing the traffic in front of my house after the neighbor called 911, "terrorists in the woods"


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## Gunner (Nov 11, 2006)

I could help


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## HarryBack (Nov 11, 2006)

Some Like It Hot said:
			
		

> At our last house we had recurring problems with woodpeckers poking holes in our house (wood siding.)  When we heard the pecking, we would thwack hard on the wall from inside the house, if that didn't scare the bird away we went outside and hollered at the bird.  Over time a few holes were put into the siding, but so what?  No real problem.  We are bird lovers so wouldn't hurt the woodpeckers.  (Not be be Ash Can-y, but why is the Republican answer to any problem to shoot the problem? ;-) )  Last year while visiting my old home I noticed that the newest owners had put on vinyl siding.  I asked why, since the wood siding was in great shape and looked very nice (nicer than the vinyl for sure.)  The elderly woman said it was because the birds were pecking at the siding and she didn't like it.  So if you are old and feeble and obsessed with appearance I guess paying $10,000 for new siding is a solution.  She also chastised me  for planting so many daffodils, crocus, tulips, etc. since "bulbs are so hard to kill."  Why she couldn't just let them bloom I don't know, they had them mowed down every year.  Some people hate nature, some try to coexist.



or maybe some people just dont share your view of "whats nice"? Possibly the elderly woman put the vinyl on there so she wouldnt have to hire anyone to paint/stain every few years. Possibly the old gal has allergies, where she might be allergic to your flowers? i dont think it means she hates nature, rather has a less eclectic viewpoint than your own.


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## HarryBack (Nov 11, 2006)

DriftWood said:
			
		

> HarryBack said:
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> ...



yeah, the Barrett .50, while not illegal in most states (its legal here even in MA, the land of tough weapons laws), is most likely too heavy to run around hunting with....in MA, you cant use a rifle to hunt, only shotguns, crossbows, bows, and black powder. So, this particular weapon is basically only for enthusiasts here, limited to range-shooting and as a deterrent to burglars and my daughters horny boyfriends....generally tell them Ive got lots of shovels too!


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## BrotherBart (Nov 11, 2006)

HarryBack said:
			
		

> I think it likely this should solve your problem.



I bet Mo Heat went into full fledged swoon mode at the sight of that.


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## ourhouse (Nov 12, 2006)

HarryBack said:
			
		

> I think it likely this should solve your problem.


I use to shoot one of thoes in the USMC it was a M82A1 50cal sniper rifle. That will work just fine


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## Webwidow (Nov 12, 2006)

As Mo Heat we had a ceder sided house, pretty stuff. Woodpecker loved it as did the carpenter bees.
I wrapped Aluminum foil around the posts the pecker was pecking, and ran outside screaming and clapping whenever I heard it. Seemed to work well. Then we sold the house, problem solved.


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## Rhone (Nov 13, 2006)

After hearing they're endangered (I was joking about shooting) it's most likely  a downy.  He kept poking at the same spot, this weekend I covered the spot with some foam board insulation.  No one can see it anyway, I'll tell you how it goes.  That will hinder it's ability to hear insects (I couldn't see any), and if using my eave as a sounding board, he'll be in for a shock trying to pick at the foam.    The one picking at my house is the male, it's got the red on the head while the female swoons in the tree (no red).  It's cute the family hangs out together.


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## Mo Heat (Nov 14, 2006)

For the record, not that I really care what people think of me, I'm not a Republican, nor am I a Democrat, but if shooting things were viewed less evil, I might move that up on my priority list of solutions for a lot of things and likely be the better for it. As it is, I am registered well to the left of middle, but see good and bad positions on each side of the isle. Mostly bad or disingenuous. And I put shooting things as my solution of last resort. My woods are filled with daffodils and naked ladies (that's flowers to you BB so don't go getting too excited , I have three big flower gardens that take more time than they are worth (thank you Mrs. Mo Heat), I grow a few vegetables every year, and I do my best to live in harmony with natural law. I love flowers, puppies and guns. Hopefully that will remove me from most little boxes so many seem to think within.

Few are as tender hearted as Mrs. and Mother Mo Heat, but even they gave their blessing before I cracked open the gun safe and got medieval on a couple Downies and Tufted Titmice. These birds were _dug in_ and going nowhere after 3 years of fruitless renaissance removal techniques. Sorry, don't feel like raising nets for that Halloween home appearance. Man is a predator after all.

Even the Dali Lama kills pests. During an interview he was being bitten by a mosquito. The first time he shooed it away. It returned and bit him again. Again he shooed it away. The interviewer was impressed by his compassion and probably said so. Then it returned a third time and bit him again. He smashed it dead without compunction, likely to the surprise of his interviewer, saying that he had given the mosquito two chances and he only had two cheeks to turn, or something like that. I'm telling this story second hand so some of the details are probably inaccurate, but the killing of the mosquito is a certainty.

Below is a quote from a Dali Lama lecture at UT. To be fair I've included both yin and yang statements. Life is after all a complex interaction of opposites (duality). Rising above judgement leaves only action without the mistake of the mind so he tempers his statement with a second qualifier statement that warns of blindly applying concepts wholesale to all situations. In other words, there is always an "on the other hand" when it comes to thinking. In doing so he, as most gifted spiritual masters do, equates the good and the bad and leaves your thoughts conflicted and somewhere in the middle. The lesson being that thinking is thinking while action is action. They are associated in people, but are discreet entities as well (does the tree falling in the forest make a sound if no one hears it? what is the sound of one hand clapping.  He of course understands well the concept of karma and the interplay of the three Gunas (Satva, Tamas, and Rajas) of Vedic tradition from which Buddhism is anchored whether acknowledged or not. Here is the quote:

_Sometimes anger protects you (ex: a mosquito - anger will kill it and protect you from further suffering, whereas patience may give you malaria). But decisions in the heat of the moment are not your normal mind. It is blind energy, self-destruction._

The lesson? Kill, but do it with premeditation and intent, not blind emotional reaction. Hmmm... It's weird how philosophy and law seems at odds sometimes, isn't it?


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## colsmith (Nov 15, 2006)

We had a woodpecker kill itself on our sliding glass door, maybe you could get your windows really clean and put lots of flowering plants in the house so that birds would fly into it and knock themselves silly?  We didn't mean to do that, but it has happened a couple times.  I recently bought some window paint to draw little designs on the windows to try to prevent this from happening in the future, but if you really WANTED to hurt the little birdies . . .

Re: my house that had woodpeckers pecking at the lovely wood siding, and the current owners who put up vinyl siding and mowed all the flowers to the ground.

HarryBack said:  or maybe some people just dont share your view of “whats nice”? Possibly the elderly woman put the vinyl on there so she wouldnt have to hire anyone to paint/stain every few years. Possibly the old gal has allergies, where she might be allergic to your flowers? i dont think it means she hates nature, rather has a less eclectic viewpoint than your own.

Actually she does seem to hate nature.  I talked to her for an hour or more on two different occasions, there was no mention of any allergies, and I heard all about her other infirmities (heart, legs, back, etc.)  She stays in the house mostly, and said she can't hardly walk to the back of the property (200 feet.)  She demonstrated disgust and dismay that her husband was starting a garden and trying to grow tomatoes and pumpkins.  She complained to her son about 'blue things blooming in the grass, couldn't he get rid of them?"  The 3 sets of neighbors across, behind, and next to the house have mentioned how awful it is that they were killing all the flowers and trees, I assure you that they were quite lovely.  One told me that she had cried when they were cutting 'my' trees down, another sent me photos and a message of shock and dismay.  I had some prairie parts and raspberry bushes in the back that I expected to be hacked down, but I didn't expect anyone to mow down the perennial flower beds in front of the house.  And then when the bulbs kept coming up anyway, to put sod over them.  Plus cut down some perfectly healthy trees (NOT for firewood.)  That is plain nature hatred.  As for the siding, we lived there 12 years and there was absolutely no staining or painting or anything that needed to be done in all that time, it looked great when we moved in and great when we moved out.   Attractive and no maintenance!  I think paying someone once in 10 years or so to stain it would be a lot cheaper than all new siding?!?  I try not to think about my old yard, my new one is much bigger and I never get done everything I need to.


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## Mo Heat (Nov 15, 2006)

Some Like It Hot said:
			
		

> We had a woodpecker kill itself on our sliding glass door, maybe you could get your windows really clean and put lots of flowering plants in the house so that birds would fly into it and knock themselves silly?  We didn't mean to do that, but it has happened a couple times.  I recently bought some window paint to draw little designs on the windows to try to prevent this from happening in the future, but if you really WANTED to hurt the little birdies . . .



This sounds significantly less effective than shooting them, but I appreciate the suggestion.


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