Woodpeckers are famous for their strange behavior, but that interest is lost when they start pecking at your house. “We have been wondering, why has a woodpecker selected my house?” is how many homeowners all over the country ask themselves. There is a reason for their behavior, and luckily, they can be corrected before too much damage is caused through safe and effective ways.
Why have woodpeckers begun coming to my building?
Woodpeckers peck for several reasons, and understanding their motivation is key to stopping the behavior:
1. Foraging for Insects
When woodpeckers peck holes into your wooden siding or fascia or tear up your shingles, you’re generally looking at birds hungry for some ants or beetles or termites. Moist or inadequately treated properties are usually preferred by bugs and pecking woodpeckers to break into.
2. Marking Territory
The springtime drumming of woodpeckers has a dual purpose: announcing an invasion of one’s territory and proclaiming sexual availability for potential mates. The reason behind tapping touch after tapping touch is not to have food or a safe place to roost—it’s primarily to assert territory.
3. Nesting
Due to their very frequent nest-building, Woodpeckers create giant holes in trees. If your property is a tree to woodpeckers, especially if it has cedar or redwood siding, it doesn’t take much imagination for woodpeckers to see it as prime real estate.
To protect your home from these persistent birds, you’ll need an effective woodpecker deterrent. There are several kinds of deterrents, all of which are designed to scare birds away from your home without doing any harm – remember that federal laws protect woodpeckers.
Best Woodpecker Deterrents and Prevention Tips
Use Visual Deterrents
Woodpeckers are slightly more afraid of reflective or moving objects. The use of reflective tape, shiny pinwheels, or aluminum foil strips in pecked areas around the feeder can confuse sights as an effective way to keep woodpeckers away. An effective strategy that may be used is the placement of moving decoys of owls or hawks near the afflicted area, since this continues to support an image of threat.
Install Physical Barriers
Shield fragile areas of your house using metal flashing, netting, or plastic sheeting to prevent woodpeckers from accessing. The placement of bird netting several inches away from your home’s siding is an extremely effective method for disrupting feeding and nesting behavior.
Try Sound Deterrents
The use of ultrasonic emitters and motion-activated noise makers might disturb woodpecker pecking, given that they are triggered by sudden sounds. Combining sound deterrents with visual or physical tools has the most favourable results.
Repair Damage Promptly
If your siding has already been drilled by woodpeckers, take care of those as soon as possible. Use wood filler or caulk to seal any holes or repairs necessary to the panels. Renovate the area with a high-gloss paint since woodpeckers will not want to come back to areas with shiny finishes.
Eliminate Insect Infestations
If there are insects attracting woodpeckers, stop the problem by treating your wood surfaces for termites or ants. Regular pest inspections will help keep your home pest-free and thereby deter woodpeckers.
Conclusion
When you treat woodpeckers as being part of nature doesn’t mean you have to allow them to damage your home. By understanding why they’re pecking and using the right woodpecker deterrent methods, you can stop the damage before it starts. Act as soon as possible, respond immediately to avoid future loss and your house and peace would remain.
