Woodpeckers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » February 27, 2006 1:58 pm

We have one of these not-so-charming fellas puttin' a nice hole in the side of our house.

Anyone with experience getting rid of one of these without ammunition and/or tons of money?

The little snot is at it as soon as the sun comes up!

I'm not opposed to the BB-gun approach, but it's not my first choice, obviously. Hubby has warned it COULD come to that, though, if our other methods aren't successful and quick!

rednekkPH · Post by **rednekkPH** » February 27, 2006 1:59 pm

flamethrower.

LIPH · Post by **LIPH** » February 27, 2006 2:00 pm

Didn't John Bobbit have a wood pecker.

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » February 27, 2006 2:01 pm

how'd i guess you'd be the first one to post?

i'm not opposed to the flamethrower, per se, but i am opposed to complete annihilation of my house.

ToplessRideFL · Post by **ToplessRideFL** » February 27, 2006 2:01 pm

Where is how to get rid of the cat thread...... maybe you can use some of the ideas

Of course the cat is STILL around......

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » February 27, 2006 2:03 pm

LIPH wrote:Didn't John Bobbit have a wood pecker.

it got whacked

Cubbie Bear · Post by **Cubbie Bear** » February 27, 2006 2:03 pm

LIPH wrote:Didn't John Bobbit have a wood pecker.

he does now

rednekkPH · Post by **rednekkPH** » February 27, 2006 2:10 pm

He's on the brink, all he needs is a little push...

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » February 27, 2006 2:13 pm

maybe i'll go peck his house and see how he likes it.

rsgeist · Post by **rsgeist** » February 27, 2006 2:15 pm

What you really need is a Commodores song:

Brick House

sy · Post by sy » February 27, 2006 3:19 pm

We have that problem in the spring a lot. There are a ton of trees in the back and hubby uses it as target practice time. It's about the only thing that's worked. I asked our pest control guy that comes around from time to time and he said that ours were stationed too high to be able to treat the tree without climbing and adding onto the price.

So the bb gun worked and it was free.

A paintball gun works better, but it leaves a mess too. Not sure if that helps or not

Sam · Post by **Sam** » February 27, 2006 3:22 pm

I Don't know if this will work or not but they make inflatable owls and fiberglass models too that people put on boats to keep other birds away ( but it drives crows nuts) Might be one alternative.

Seriously NASA had a problem with woodpeckers going after the foam insulation on the tanks on the shuttle. I forget how they cured it or if they ever did. If I find the article I will let you know...

One other thing,... is since it is pecking on your house...MIGHT mean it is there going after bugs.......then again maybe it just means it likes the place....

Maybe put some flashing so it can't peck there for a few days....might or might not work...

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » February 27, 2006 3:22 pm

Thanks, Jen. I remember having them at my mom's when I was little, and it was terrible. They really did a number to the outside of our house.

It's acutal "nest" is very high up in a tree in our neighbor's yard so we'd likely face the same type of response.

I'm normally not an advocate of the BB-gun method (we also have rogue bunnies around our house), but I don't know of anything else successfully used to get rid of the 'lil peckers.

sy · Post by sy » February 27, 2006 3:32 pm

buffettbride wrote: I'm normally not an advocate of the BB-gun method (we also have rogue bunnies around our house), but I don't know of anything else successfully used to get rid of the 'lil peckers.

You can try calling around to pest control places and animal control and see if they have any other advice. That's what I did, but because they were trees, there wasn't much I could do because if I killed the tree it would most likely fall on my house (and there was otherwise nothing wrong with the tree). But since they're pecking your house, there might be something else you could spray or do.

sy · Post by sy » February 27, 2006 3:34 pm

Also, just for giggles, try lowe's or home depot. Sometimes they have people there who know tricks of the trade in dealing with that type of stuff, especially since spring's coming.

Let me know what you find out, I'm curious too

pirate@43 · Post by **pirate@43** » February 27, 2006 3:37 pm

rednekkPH wrote:flamethrower.

I hear they taste like chicken

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » February 27, 2006 3:38 pm

sy wrote:
Let me know what you find out, I'm curious too

I will Jen!

buffettbear · Post by **buffettbear** » February 27, 2006 3:43 pm

Here are some suggestions I found online:

Give them a good scare.
At the first sign of woodpecker activity on your house, woodpeckers might be scared away by doing something as simple as making noises at a nearby window or against the adjacent inside wall. If this fails, hang strips of foil, fabric or commercially available bird netting from the eaves to deter the birds. Other scare tactics include placing hawk or owl cutouts on the house, hanging balloons in the area, a child's pinwheel, flash tape, strings of shiny, noisy tin can lids, wind chimes and/or pulsating water sprinklers. There are a few mechanical devices available for purchase that are advertised as woodpecker deterrents. Most of these are motion sensitive and cause something to move or make a noise when activated. One that we have seen advertised drops a spider on a string when motion is detected. The noisemakers may be more irritating than the woodpecker. We have not tested any of these devices and are not willing to recommend them at this time. Woodpeckers can be very persistent and are not easily driven from their territories or selected pecking sites. For this reason, visual or sound types of repellents should be employed as soon as the problem is identified and before territories are well established. Scare tactics are considered to be the least effective means for dealing with this problem.

Create a barrier between the woodpecker and the house.
If scare tactics don't work, create a physical barrier by screening the drumming site with hardware cloth, sheet metal, or nylon bird netting. Netting is one of the most effective methods of excluding woodpeckers. A mesh of 3/4" is usually recommended. At least 3" of space should be left between the netting and the damaged building so that birds cannot cause damage through the netting. This approach has proved to be the most effective technique short of killing the bird.

Give them something else to peck on.
It might work to provide an alternative drumming site by nailing two boards together at just one end and hanging on a secure surface. If you have dead trees in your yard, you might think removing them and the insects they harbor will solve your woodpecker problems. Again, the opposite may be true. Cutting down dead and decaying trees deprives the birds of nesting, drumming and food sites and may force them to take a look at your house. This tactic is a long shot. Don't put too much hope in it.

Remove the woodpecker from your property.
No, don't just go get your shotgun and start blasting away, as tempting as this may be. Call a professional pest control company and see if they have any experience with trapping woodpeckers. You might even be able to trap them yourself and take them on a trip to the boondocks (they may come back though). If it gets bad enough you may be forced to contact a wildlife services office to request a depredation permit. They will ask you to fill out forms explaining the problem and after a month or so of bureaucratic deliberation may give you the permit. Then you can get out your shotgun and start blasting away. Be careful not to shoot a hole in the house.

Moonie · Post by **Moonie** » February 27, 2006 3:44 pm

All woodpeckers are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 as migratory insectivorous birds and are classified as non-game by the state. Two California woodpeckers (Gila woodpecker, Melanerpes uropygialis, and Gilded northern flicker, Colaptes auratus chrysoides) are California-listed endangered species and are offered greater protection. When warranted, woodpeckers other than endangered species can be killed, but only under a permit issued by the Law Enforcement Division of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service upon recommendation of the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) Wildlife Services personnel. Generally there must be a good case to justify a permit and the permit process is time consuming. Control methods that do not harm the bird or its active nest are allowed except for the two endangered species. Those species cannot be harassed or bothered in any way. Physical exclusion, if installed before the endangered species is in the area, is allowed. For more information on these and other endangered species, see the California Department of Fish and Game Web site, or contact the main office of USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services in your state.

rednekkPH · Post by **rednekkPH** » February 27, 2006 3:46 pm

Moonie wrote:All woodpeckers are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 as migratory insectivorous birds and are classified as non-game by the state. Two California woodpeckers (Gila woodpecker, Melanerpes uropygialis, and Gilded northern flicker, Colaptes auratus chrysoides) are California-listed endangered species and are offered greater protection. When warranted, woodpeckers other than endangered species can be killed, but only under a permit issued by the Law Enforcement Division of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service upon recommendation of the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) Wildlife Services personnel. Generally there must be a good case to justify a permit and the permit process is time consuming. Control methods that do not harm the bird or its active nest are allowed except for the two endangered species. Those species cannot be harassed or bothered in any way. Physical exclusion, if installed before the endangered species is in the area, is allowed. For more information on these and other endangered species, see the California Department of Fish and Game Web site, or contact the main office of USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services in your state.

Readers' Digest version: Shoot them. Don't get caught.