Community Forums

bulldog2 · 10-07-2014, 12:42 PM

help ,the little buggers are driving me crazy, how do I stop them from

coming back

pagosajoe · 10-07-2014, 12:52 PM

Can't help completely, but we've had several pecker heads pounding away on the metal heating vents on top of the house. I climbed up there and put about 1/2 inch of grease on the tops of the vents - they stopped doing that. Aside from a .410 shotgun, I'm not sure. Some will suggest putting a plastic owl on top of the house - not sure how effective that would be. Good luck on getting rid of them - and if something works, let us know!

TexasTom · 10-07-2014, 12:58 PM

Blow up owl that moves with the wind helps

RoamingGnome · 10-07-2014, 01:03 PM

Woodpeckers have been pecking at my s&b rain gutters, metal roof trim & satellite dish off and on for decades. They think that the hollow sound means there are bugs in there. Once one starts doing it, it seems to keep trying several times a day until it moves to a new nesting site or dies. We live in Florida so they dont migrate anywhere seasonally, they seem to just live out their lives here. We have bird feeders with penuts and penut suet, which they love, and several acres of natural habitat so we have several mating pairs of red-bellied woodpeckers and at least one pair of piliated woodpeckers nesting around our house. Perhaps removing food sources and nesting sites nearby would help but I have never figured out how to stop the rogue ones that tap on the house.

Selah · 10-07-2014, 01:10 PM

Make sure you don't have some bugs behind what ever they are pecking at. We one one put a hole in a corner board. When I pulled the board down to replace it I found some carpentter ants. Fogged the area and never had a problem after that.

CampDaven · 10-07-2014, 01:17 PM

The sound the woodpeckers are creating is used to mark territory and communicate with other birds of their species. This behavior tends to be most prevalent during the spring but it can continue year round.

Get one of those fertilizer sprayers that you hook to your hose and put some bleach, vinegar, ammonia, or something like that and spray the gutter with it. It should keep him away long enough for him to forget about it and move on. Or you could get a rubber snake or a fake owl to put up there.

Woodpeckers are also sometimes scared away by loud noises. Improvising by banging pots and pans may be enough to banish them after a few days. A high-tech solution would be to purchase a device that emits the sound of a hawk periodically; the idea is to make woodpeckers believe that a predator is lurking near your home.

Best of luck!

srrobe · 10-07-2014, 01:25 PM

I feel your pain. I've tried everything! Fake owls, hawk, cd's from a string you name it. Checked for insects, none. The little pecker heads hammered 20+holes in my cedar siding. I can't use the shot gun, too close to neighbors. I have a pellet gun with a scope. The population is declining!

Dog Folks · 10-07-2014, 01:52 PM

1. Woodpeckers are Federally protected. Don't mess with the feds!

2. They "peck" for three reasons: A. They peck on metal etc. as a territorial and mating call. It is called "drumming." B. They peck relatively shallow, holes, usually in pine trees, but cedar is O.K. looking for bugs to eat. C. They peck to create a big hole and a nest.

All three can be handled by a competent pest control company that works with birds. (not all do)

Spend some money, and relax as the experts do the work. It will probably be cheaper in the long run.

CampDaven · 10-07-2014, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srrobe

I feel your pain. I've tried everything! Fake owls, hawk, cd's from a string you name it. Checked for insects, none. The little pecker heads hammered 20+holes in my cedar siding. I can't use the shot gun, too close to neighbors. I have a pellet gun with a scope. The population is declining!

Woodpeckers are classified as migratory, nongame birds and are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) and the ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) are on the Endangered Species list and are thus offered full protection. When warranted, woodpeckers other than the endangered species can 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-Wildlife Services personnel. Generally, there must be a good case to justify issuance of a permit.

http://icwdm.org/handbook/birds/Woodpeckers.asp

bulldog2 · 10-07-2014, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CampDaven

Woodpeckers are classified as migratory, nongame birds and are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) and the ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) are on the Endangered Species list and are thus offered full protection. When warranted, woodpeckers other than the endangered species can 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-Wildlife Services personnel. Generally, there must be a good case to justify issuance of a permit.

Woodpeckers and the management of woodpecker damage

Great ,so now i have to look forward to the FBI coming to the house ,like they have nothing else too do

Dog Folks · 10-07-2014, 05:50 PM

CampDaven:"When warranted, woodpeckers other than the endangered species can 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-Wildlife Services personnel. Generally, there must be a good case to justify issuance of a permit."

Have you ever seen the requirements and paperwork for said permit?
I could buy a new house and move faster and cheaper.

CampDaven · 10-07-2014, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dog Folks

CampDaven:"When warranted, woodpeckers other than the endangered species can 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-Wildlife Services personnel. Generally, there must be a good case to justify issuance of a permit."

Have you ever seen the requirements and paperwork for said permit?
I could buy a new house and move faster and cheaper.

Nope. I satisfied mine with 3 suet feeders pegged onto trees around the house. (When I still had S&B) They didnt need to leave!

sinnettc · 10-07-2014, 08:35 PM

I knew a guy who bought a serious super soaker and sprayed the woodpecker every time it started pecking on his siding. Didn't take too long for the bird to figure it out.

he thought they liked the siding for signaling/territorial purposes, not because they though there were grubs.