Pest Identification And Information

Woodpecker

The woodpecker family contains a varied assortment of species.  They range in size from the 6 inch downy to the 19-inch pileated woodpeckers (“Woody Woodpecker", with the red head).  Most woodpeckers eat insects, while some eat berries and nuts.

DAMAGE:

Damage by woodpeckers is primarily caused by the following reasons:

DRUMMING:

Woodpeckers do not sing, therefore they substitute for this by “drumming” to: 

• Sharpen their beaks

• Territorial displays

• Attract or signal prospective mates

• Mating

Where this drumming occurs, it can cause much concern for the homeowner.  It can be on hollow trees, the home itself, gutters, antennas, metal flashing, etc.  We've even seen them break through thin stucco!

NESTING:

Most species will make their nests in trees, a few on the exterior walls of homes. I f the hole is about the size of a golf ball or larger, it’s probably for nesting purposes rather than the smaller “in-line” holes which indicate feeding holes.  Often times their nests are taken over by other birds.

FOOD:

Woodpeckers eat carpenter ants and a large assortment of other insects.  The food that causes the homeowner to dislike woodpeckers the most is the Leaf cutting Bee and their larva. This is where the small holes are in straight lines.  There can be several sets of these holes.  The following excerpt is from the University of Minnesota Agriculture Extension Service:

Woodpeckers sometimes bother houses with plywood siding. The woodpeckers are feeding on leaf cutting bees nesting in tunnels in the plywood. When the plywood is manufactured, the subsurface ply (cross band) is made from wood sheets that are not butted together. A tunnel is created when the cedar face is added.

Bees gain entry to these tunnels either at the edge of the sheet or through openings to the tunnels created when the plywood was grooved.  The woodpeckers peck through the cedar face veneer to feed on the bees in the tunnels.

The most severe damage has been observed where new housing developments are located in or near open wooded areas.  Hairy and downy woodpeckers normally reside in such areas and seek the bees nesting in the plywood siding, especially in the spring.

Woodpeckers are migratory, non-game wildlife and as such are protected by law.  Shooting, killing or trapping these birds can get you in trouble.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may issue a permit. You may also have to obtain other permits.

TREATMENT:

Remember, they are protected, non-game wildlife.  Killing them can get you in deep trouble.

• Hang aluminum pie pans or foil strips 2 to 3 in. wide and about 1 ft. long under the eaves.

• Make falcon (predatory bird) silhouettes, fasten them to windows, patio doors or hang them from the roof overhang (soffit).

• Install a plastic owl, preferably one that moves, to look like a predatory bird.

• Stretch reflective Mylar strips along the roofline areas.

• Remove bird feeders, especially the suet type, from the area.

• Install protective plastic netting, stapled, at an angle.

• Install plastic netting and let it hang over the damaged area.

• Inspect and treat the siding for wood destroying organisms.  Insecticide use is not a practical alternative.  The tunnel arrangement protects the bees from insecticide contact so insecticides would have to be sprayed into each tunnel and then be reapplied frequently to be effective.

• Use a wooden rat trap baited with suet and fastened to the exterior wall, “in-line” with the other feeding holes. The spring arm of the trap should be padded so it only holds the bird and does not kill it.

Good luck.  Our experience is that most of these ideas rarely work.  We list them anyway because the low expense and inconvenience is worth the attempt.  If you've tried to make them move on with no success, you may want to consider a structural change or pursue a permit to kill them.  If you get a permit, contact us for help.