How to deter woodpeckers
The cute but noisy male downy woodpecker.
Tap-tap. Tap-tap. This is a sound some residents have become quite accustomed to—the pecking of a woodpecker on their house. These birds can cause damage by drilling holes in wood siding and stucco, and can create quite a racket by hammering on almost any part of the house, even seeking out metal surfaces for maximum volume. They may make this noise, called drumming, to declare their territory or to try to attract a mate.
The most common woodpecker in Colorado is the northern flicker. Larger than most songbirds at around 12-14 inches in length, they are light brown with black bars on the back and wings. Males have a distinctive red patch below their eyes.
Less common is the downy woodpecker. A smaller bird at five to seven inches in length, downy woodpeckers are black and white. Males have a bit of red on the back of their heads.
When these feathered friends are causing a nuisance by hammering on your house, there are a few things you can do to discourage them. First, inspect the damage. If there are many small holes, it is possible the birds are feeding on insects living in your siding. Filling the holes and curing the underlying insect invasion may be all it takes. If there is a larger hole, especially in the spring, the woodpeckers may be trying to excavate a roost. In this case, the solution may be to provide a nesting box near the damaged area. With a little luck, the woodpecker will not only cease the assault on the house when he moves into the box, but once a nest is established will defend the space from other woodpeckers.
If there are no holes, just a lot of noise-making, or the above methods do not work, another approach that has been successful in Castle Pines is to set up a bird feeder to turn the birds’ attention to snacking. Peanuts are a favorite, as well as berries, seeds and other nuts. In the winter, berry or insect suet is a good option to try. (Suet is beef fat designed for bird feeders and can be found at most places that sell wild bird feed and home improvement stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot.)
For more information visit extension.colostate.edu and search “woodpecker.”
The common northern flicker woodpecker.
By Rachel Poe; courtesy photos
