How to Prevent Woodpecker Damage

Woodpeckers may look nice, but they can damage the exterior of your home.

Living in a wooded area may seem relaxing, but the comfortable silence might soon be broken by the hammering of a woodpecker. Woodpeckers not only cause a noise disturbance, they damage the outer walls of houses and garages. Since woodpeckers eat mostly insects, they look to the exterior of your home to find their meal, says Defenders of Wildlife. Rather than deal with the damage left by a woodpecker, you can employ methods that will prevent the damage and save you money in remodeling.

Things You'll Need

• Sealants
• Pesticides
• Mirrors
• Noisemaker
• Metal sheathing

Instructions

1. Avoid using wood or stucco materials in your house design when building or remodeling. Woodpeckers won't look for insects in brick or stone. If you must use wood, avoid cedar, pine and redwood, as these most often attract woodpeckers searching for insects, according to Colorado State University.

2. Treat any outdoor wood structures with sealant and pesticides. This will kill any insects inside the wood and prevent them from coming back later on. While woodpeckers may come by looking for a meal, they won't stay long once they find no food source in the wood around your home.

3. Place a mirror flat against the surface of the material a woodpecker has been damaging. When the woodpecker flies near it, it will be startled by the mirrored image and fly away. Place mirrors anywhere that gets a lot of traffic and damage from woodpeckers.

4. Keep a horn or other noise-making device near your home's exits. Any time you hear a woodpecker damaging your home, go outside and make a loud noise. This will scare the woodpecker away. After a few times, the woodpecker will decide to find its food elsewhere.

5. Cover any areas damaged by woodpeckers with metal sheathing, such as aluminum can lids. Woodpeckers often come to the same spot because they recognize their holes. If it's covered, there is less chance that the woodpecker will create further damage.

Tips & Warnings

• Woodpeckers are an endangered species, according to Defenders of Wildlife. Don't kill or injure the birds. Instead, keep them away without harming them.

References

• Colorado State University Extension: Preventing Woodpecker Damage
• Defenders of Wildlife: Woodpeckers