How to Get Rid of Woodpeckers that are Damaging Your Home

Your Home Might Have Woodpecker Damage

If you live in Central Oregon, you have almost certainly heard this before: a loud, rapid hammering on the side of your house, early in the morning, with no sign of stopping. That is a Northern Flicker, and it is one of the most common woodpecker complaints we hear from homeowners in Bend, Sunriver, and Eagle Crest.

Sunriver and Eagle Crest are especially active areas. The cedar and wood-sided homes throughout both communities are exactly the type of soft-wood exterior that Flickers target for drumming, foraging, and nesting. The damage can range from cosmetic to structural, and it tends to get worse if it goes unaddressed.

There are many species of woodpeckers in the Pacific Northwest, but in Central Oregon the Northern Flicker is by far the most common culprit. Woodpecker damage can seriously impact your home's exterior siding, corner boards, and fascia.

Why is a woodpecker pecking at my house?

Essentially, woodpeckers peck for three reasons: communication, food, and nesting. You can determine what purpose woodpeckers are visiting your home for by examining the size and frequency of the holes they leave and listening to their activity. Determining why woodpeckers are pecking at your home can help you find the best way to keep them away.

Common Woodpecker Activity and How to Get Rid of Woodpeckers

Issue 1: Drumming for Communication

The loud noise of woodpecker activity is not just their effort to drive you mad. Drumming, or the sound of the bill being repeatedly struck on a hard surface, is how woodpeckers communicate with one another. You will notice this loud noise happens repeatedly from April through June. A woodpecker finds a good, sturdy surface to attract a mate or claim territory. The wood siding and cedar shake exteriors common in Sunriver and Eagle Crest homes work just as well as a tree trunk for this purpose. The good news is that if drumming is why you have a noisy visitor, the activity should end after mating season.

Solution 1: Scare Woodpeckers Away

You can easily give the woodpeckers a fright that will make them avoid your home in the future.

Woodpeckers can be startled by shiny and reflective objects, so you can utilize simple aluminum foil, mirror pieces, or reflective tape. Another scare tactic is placing decoys of predators, like plastic owls, that woodpeckers will spot and avoid.

Noise and motion can have a similar impact. Pinwheels, windsocks, or wind chimes hung around your home that mimic predator sound and movement will also work.

Place any of these objects in the area woodpeckers appear to be visiting, and the next time they come by, they will get spooked and stay away for good.

Issue 2: Woodpeckers Use Your Home as a Source of Food

If you are finding small, irregular holes in your home, this indicates that the woodpeckers are searching your home for food. They feed on small insects that may be within your siding material.

Solution 2: Remove and Replace the Food Source

If woodpeckers are using your home as a food source, you must remove the food and provide an alternative.

First, if there is a particular area of your home that woodpeckers are frequenting, check for an insect infestation. It may be necessary to hire a professional exterminator to clear the insects away.

Second, once the insect infestation has been cleared, provide alternative food sources a reasonable distance from your home's exterior. Suet cakes are a humane way to feed woodpeckers and keep them from your home. Set up a few bird feeders around your lawn with suet to keep them fed without sacrificing your home's exterior.

Issue 3: Nesting Holes

Woodpeckers may drill roost holes into your siding to create nests. They use their nests to store food and may drill multiple holes as small storage spaces. These holes will be larger than the tiny holes they create when searching for food. Cedar siding, log construction, and other soft-wood exteriors common in Sunriver and Eagle Crest are especially attractive for nesting because they are easier to excavate than harder materials.

Solution 3: Provide a New House

You can buy woodpecker houses or do a DIY with a quick building project. This will provide an alternative place for woodpeckers to settle. You can then do a quick temporary patch of their roost holes using putty. Check that there are no living creatures in the holes before patching.

Keep it Kind

It is important to remember that although woodpeckers pecking on your home is a nuisance, they are protected animals you do not want to harm. Using these humane methods should successfully keep them away to avoid harsher options. It is best to avoid spikes, bird netting, and any marketed sticky bird repellent, as these options can all cause fatal injuries. You can easily buy a suet feeder, hanging mirrors, and more on Amazon.

Repel Woodpeckers by Repairing Your Home

Once you have sorted out a successful woodpecker repellent, you will want to repair the damage already done to your home. The cost of repairing bird damage varies depending on the amount of damage you have.

Webfoot Home Improvements helps homeowners in Bend, Sunriver, Eagle Crest, and across Central Oregon repair corner boards, shingles, and siding. If a Flicker has been at work on your home's exterior, we can assess the damage, repair the siding, and get things looking sharp again. Book a free estimate and a Webfoot specialist will evaluate the damage and give you a clear written estimate.

Have woodpecker damage that needs fixing? Call Webfoot at 541-460-5340 or schedule a free estimate online today.