Starting your day by hearing the cheery chirping of birds will set you in a good mood. However, nobody likes listening to the constant tapping of woodpeckers because we all know what that means- property damage.
It’s easy to see why many homeowners consider woodpeckers pests and why they want to get rid of them. These birds, as annoying as they can be, are protected species because of their critical role in the ecosystems.
Protected or not, all animals must be treated humanely, so if you are planning to get rid of these birds away from your property, here are seven ways to do it effectively yet in a humane way:
Remove their food sources
A significant part of a woodpecker’s diet is insects. As omnivores, they eat termites, ants, and bee infestations that could hide behind your walls. As a result, they are fixated on pecking your house to get to this food source. What can you do? First, confirm if there are any insect infestations in your home. This includes examining the appearance of any holes, checking the surrounding areas for any signs of infestation, and checking to see if you spot any live insects crawling on your walls to their nest.
Once you see and confirm an infestation, use a pesticide specific to the insect to get rid of it. Ensure you’re only targeting the infestation and not affecting other living creatures around it. Also, use safety protocols on the label to protect your family and pets from the chemicals. If the infestation is severe, you may need to call professional exterminators.
Install a decoy woodpecker predator
What eats woodpeckers? Foxes, coyotes, and other large birds of prey. However, it’s not practical to train and keep foxes and coyotes in your garden, but you can buy products that look and move like a woodpecker’s natural predators. These decoys are available in home improvement stores, gardening centers, and online platforms such as Amazon. These decoys look very realistic and life-size and are excellent deterrents for woodpeckers. Some come with life-like movements to scare the birds away and are battery-operated or solar-powered.
Install a decoy woodpecker feeder
If you don’t have a big garden to move the birds away from your house and to the trees, you can also try a woodpecker feeder. This way, from pecking at your house, they get to peck on tasty treats from the feeder. By providing them with a better source of food away from your home, you encourage them to nest far away from your home.
One of the most effective feeders for woodpeckers is suet. Suet is made from a mix of vegetables, seeds, fruits, and insects mixed with rendered animal fat, called suet cakes. These cakes are then solidified into blocks and kept in suet feeders. Suet feeders are typically hung from branches. It’s a perfect way to attract woodpeckers because they can grip the grills and peck at the food- their natural feeding position. When buying suet cakes for woodpeckers, check the label to see if it is specially made for these birds.
Planning your garden
If your area is prone to woodpeckers, one sustainable and humane way to deter them would be to strategically plan your garden with fruit trees and berry bushes that discourage woodpeckers from hammering away at your walls. Choose a planting area a reasonable distance from your home, and start creating a perimeter of shrubs, bushes, and trees to encourage birds to congregate there instead of near your walls. Next, you want to think about the type of fruits and berries to plant that will convince woodpeckers to move away from your walls, stay around the trees all year round. The suitable fruit trees and shrubs will bear fruit for the woodpeckers, attract insects that also serve as food, and have fresh and healthy fruits and berries for your table.
Removing roosting spots
Is your home comfortable as a place for woodpeckers to roost? Apart from holes, nests are a major havoc by woodpeckers. You might want to look at the fences, roofs, eaves, and other horizontal surfaces in your home and remove them. If the woodpeckers find these places and get familiar with them, they will likely roost on your property. Removing roosting areas is a practical yet straightforward method of controlling woodpecker visits. You can also install bird spikes made out of plastic in areas prone to woodpeckers. Plastic bird spikes prevent birds from gripping and settling in and are an effective physical barrier to protect your home.
Use reflection
Scaring woodpeckers using reflection is another humane way to get rid of them. You can try installing things that reflect light, such as old CDs, aluminum foil, and tiny mirrors. Birds rely on the sense of light, so shiny and bright objects that reflect light are easily and immediately noticed and can be alarming for them. To achieve this effect, hang reflective surfaces on a string so they can move freely in the wind. You can also use reflective tape to create striking light flashes and a crinkling sound in the wind. Alternatively, you can also purchase reflective pinwheels that do the job and look great when the wind blows. It’s ideal to use in the garden, potted plants, balconies, and windows.
Fill up the holes in your house
Find holes and cover them up. Holes and crevices tell birds that the wood is soft and easily destroyed to create an ideal place to nest. To prevent this, fill empty holes to discourage woodpeckers from carving their nests and housing their young. You can fill these holes with wood putty, foam, and screens. You can also use black foam to cover up holes. The foam is administered through a foam gun; it solidifies and leaves a black filling. The surface can be sanded and painted to match your home’s aesthetics. Copper mesh is also another way to cover holes. These are pliable, strong materials that can be manipulated to fit any hole or shape. You cut off a piece, crumple it to fit the spot, and adjust the mesh for a perfect fit. Because the copper mesh is rust-proof and stain-proof, there is little need for maintenance.
