Woodpecker

[GeneF]

This might sound like a stupid post but if anyone has any ideas, I would appreciate them.

I have a woodpecker who has decided that the siding on my house is gourmet food.  He drilled a hole about 1/2 inch in diameter.  I think he is using the house for breakfast because he/she generally shows up about 8 am.

I got the old ladder out and filled the hole with caulking but the sucker just came back again.

Any ideas, No, I do not own a shotgun.

[brainpause]

High powered BB guns are cheap. I have one with a scope on it, powerful enough to have killed a duck and a squirrel. Too bad you are 6 million miles away from me, or I'd loan it to you.

And NO, I'm not going to apologize to PETA folks for making the above statement. I love animals, but I'm sure Gene's house is an average American's house, and there are plenty of trees around for the woodpecker to go pecking on.

While I'm venting, Merry CHRISTMAS.

Larry

[wavery]

I almost hate to bring this up but you've gotta ask yourself, "What's he after?"

He may have done you a favor, could be termites. Birds don't eat wood.

[Kelly]

I found some tipes at ehow.com, Gene.  I hope they help.

Sounds like you can deter them, but the best way to keep them from coming back is getting rid of their food source.

btw, Larry ~ there is an interesting note at that site ... "All species of woodpeckers are protected by federal law. Shooting, trapping or otherwise harming them is forbidden. "   Be careful out there   [/FONT]

[GeneF]

I found some tipes at ehow.com, Gene.  I hope they help.

Sounds like you can deter them, but the best way to keep them from coming back is getting rid of their food source.

btw, Larry ~ there is an interesting note at that site ... "All species of woodpeckers are protected by federal law. Shooting, trapping or otherwise harming them is forbidden. "   Be careful out there   [/FONT]

Kelly

Thanks for the link.  Found it interesting.

I have a set of aluminum wind chimes.  I think I am going to nail them right where that bird is pecking.  The aluminum idea from the site gave me the chime idea.

I didn't know it was against the law to shoot them.


Larry

You are correct.  They have a ton of trees to peck on.  We have a two acre lot that is about 70 percent covered by trees, plus there is a nice 120 acre wooded area right across the street.

As for termites, we don't worry about them much in NH.  Carpenter ants are more of a problem.

[AustinBoston]

As for termites, we don't worry about them much in NH.  Carpenter ants are more of a problem.

Carpenter ants are about the only thing pileated woodpeckers eat.

Another idea is a model of an owl.  You have to move it from time to time, but they see the thing and decide they do not want to be eaten.

Austin

[ScoobyDoo]

I had one that would on my metal chimmeny at the buttcrack of dawn. I tossed a short (3ft) hose on the roof, he left. Disd fill the house with profanty before I learned what that noise was.

[CAPEd CODger]

I almost hate to bring this up but you've gotta ask yourself, "What's he after?"

He may have done you a favor, could be termites. Birds don't eat wood.

I have to agree with Wavery, better check and see what that rascal is after.

~Edited for content~

[AustinBoston]

Did you hear the story of the birch tree and the beech tree?...

Posters are reminded that this is a family forum.

Austin

[ForestCreature]

Posters are reminded that this is a family forum.
 
 Austin

Hey even tho it was an old joke, it's still funny. And really not dirty. It even stuck to the topic of woodpeckers.
I don't think CAPEd CODger was out of line at all.

[CAPEd CODger]

Hey even tho it was an old joke, it's still funny. And really not dirty. It even stuck to the topic of woodpeckers.
I don't think CAPEd CODger was out of line at all.

Thanks for comming to my defense, but I had a feeling that some members might be offended, so in the interest of not getting anyone angered, I figured it was best to delete the "offensive" content.

Merry Christmas


Bob

[flyfisherman]

Back to the woodpecker business ...

I don't have a problem with them attacking the wood part of my house but I do have them get onto the metal chimney part of the fireplace and just go to town pecking on the metal. Sounds like a macine gun! Especially inside the house! It's been said around here that was part of their "signaling" to other woodpeckers but so far no one has been able to explain that theory to me to any satisfaction ... more just hear-say.


Fly

[dthurk]

Gleaned the following from the web.  It was easier to copy this piece than to give the link:

Discouraging woodpeckers from pecking cedar siding
 Homeowners in rural areas sometimes find that woodpeckers go after their cedar siding--even pecking all the way through to the insulation.  Why do they do this, and how can you discourage the habit?

 Law in many areas protects woodpeckers.  They are great at reducing the bug population. They peck at wood to find bugs, and they bore holes to attract more bug "residents."  They also peck loudly to define their territory.

   I have heard of two methods that can deter woodpeckers from making swiss cheese of your siding.

 Try scaring them away with something that moves or makes noise, such as a wind sock, or aluminum pie tins hung from fishing lines.  Strips of thin black plastic, 3 inches wide and 3 feet long, may also work.

  Distract the woodpecker from the problem area by fastening a block of suet (in a wire basket) to the siding.  The woodpeckers love it, and they stop bothering the siding.  

You could also check the following links:
http://www.larimerhumane.org/wildkind/woodpeckers.cfm
http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/allegany_cattaraugus/hort/Wildlife.htm
http://cecalaveras.ucdavis.edu/woodpeck.htm

Don't know how visible the metal area is that they're drumming on, but the best sounding solution that I've seen here would be to surround the area in some way with chicken wire.  That probably would be the most permanant and least expensive method.

Doesn't appear that there is any easy way of discouraging them.  Good luck.