Gotta Get Rid of This 'Pecker!!!!

[Native Vail Gal]

Hey...How the heck do I get this darn Woodpecker to leave the top, sides, windows, and garage door alone on our house?!?!?!?!

It's been 2 weeks and he (or she....although I know it must be a he because he is not thinking of the damage he is causing and a woman instinctively would!) is driving me CRAZY!!!!!!!!

 

[Gloria]

Ohh, woodpeckers, aghhh! There is so little you can do. Generally woodpeckers are attracted to rotting wood, or wood that is previously infested by other pests like carpenter ants etc..If you have checked the area and the wood is not infested or damaged you have to make it miserable or scare it. If the surface is conducive you can wrap or cover in thin sheets of aluminum or similiar material. You may hear meshing also, but be warned, if they get tangled up in this, bad times. Plus in alot of states, you can get fined! The other option, scaring. They don't like windsocks, especially big bright ones, sometimes carefully crafted ones out of pie tins and aluminum foil works, but the best method is either an owl or a hawk decoy placed right on his favorite landing spot. It has to be somewhat real looking, but they sell pretty good ones at farm supply stores etc. I have no idea what they cost though. If you have a good high pressure hose, you can try spraying it also, not everyone feels good about doing this though. Be weary also with woodpeckers and some of the other bird deterrrents sold like tanglefoot, some states will fine you for using these for woodpeckers also.

 

[Gloria]

Here you go, I would put one of these on my roof and get a gnome for the window. You know, to match him ;).

https://www.provenrepellents.com/products.php?pid=38

 

[Native Vail Gal]

Ah Gloria!
Thank you!
Great Ideas!!!
This pecker is driving me NUTS!!!!!
It's like a jackhammer!
Seriously! How fast can his head go!

 

[Gloria]

Oh, they are terrible. In our old house we had a vacated chimney that one decided to peck at. For some reason he just went for the old chinking on that thing. What a lovely noise. We finally had to tear the chimney down, because he had turned it into a safety hazard in a matter of days. The cute thing was our daughter was about 4 and asked my husband, " How is Santa going to come in now?" Kind of cute, but darn that bird.

 

[pinto]

Our neighbors tie some sort of bright metallic silver ribbons on the areas where the woodpeckers come .... even a slight breeze blows them around, and it apparently scares away the birds. I'm not sure what they are, if they are a special material or just a bunch of 2-in. Hallmark ribbon.

 

[Native Vail Gal]

Excellent! I've got some metallic ribbon lying around here somewhere from the wedding! I'll make some strips now and put them up! Mr. NVG will think I'm decorating for a party or something! :D

 

[Robyn]

Your house will look very bedazzled and very NVGish!

 

[Kiragirl]

NVG, how's the 'pecker problem? too funny. We get mocking birds around here that are very loud too.