How to Stop Woodpeckers from Pecking Your House

2024-03-12
How to Stop Woodpeckers from Pecking Your House

Although beautiful, woodpeckers are often noisy, and they can be destructive—especially if they are pecking away at your house. The damage they do is easy to recognize; most often, you will spot a series of small, deep holes in neat vertical or horizontal rows. Larger holes indicate the woodpecker is trying to create a nesting site, but the dead giveaway is the loud hammering noise they make.

So, how do you stop woodpeckers from pecking your house? Understanding the birds' habits and behaviors can help you deter them from damaging your home.

Why Do Woodpeckers Peck?

Nuisance woodpeckers can be tricky to deter. Understanding why they hammer is the first step in knowing what to do about it. There are four reasons for woodpeckers’ hammering habits:

Attracting Mates

“Drumming is a behavior woodpeckers do to attract mates and repel rivals. It involves pecking just to make sounds,” explains Emma Greig of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. If this is the case, the pecking usually stops when mating season commences in spring.

Emma Greig is the project leader and manager of Project FeederWatch at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Foraging for Food

“They also make sounds when they are foraging for food because of the pecking,” Greig says. “It all makes noise, unfortunately!” Woodpeckers may be searching for insects in your siding, such as the larvae of carpenter bees, leafcutter bees, or termites. They also feed on wood borers, ants, grubs, and caterpillars. Eliminating insect pests and filling the holes in your siding should discourage the woodpeckers’ hammering on your house if food is their objective, and they will likely begin to look elsewhere.

Building Nests

A woodpecker may be trying to create a nest cavity in the siding of your home. If so, it will be round or irregular and fairly large. This usually occurs in spring at the beginning of their breeding season. If you see such a hole, evict the birds before or after nesting season and cover the hole. Do not trap the birds inside.

Storing Acorns

In the Western and Southwestern states, the acorn woodpecker stores acorns in holes drilled in trees or houses. Each hole is about the size of an acorn.

How to Stop Woodpeckers from Pecking Your House

The most common woodpeckers in North America are the downy, hairy, pileated, acorn, and red-bellied woodpeckers, the yellow-bellied sapsucker, and the northern flicker. Aim your efforts at redirecting their focus away from your house. Don’t use sticky traps that could harm the birds. There are several ways to approach the problem, but you may need to try more than one.

The North American Migratory Bird Act protects woodpeckers. Like other birds, they are an important part of our ecosystem and should not be killed.

1. Eliminate the Insects

If the woodpeckers are feeding on insects that live in your siding, eliminate the insects. You might need to hire an exterminator to get rid of the bugs, which may be doing serious damage to your house on their own. The woodpeckers’ hammering might actually alert you to a problem that needs your attention.

2. Watch for Roosting Cavities

If the birds have made (or are starting to make) a roosting cavity, cover it quickly, but be sure no birds are inside. If they’ve already made a home in your siding, wait until the nesting period is over before covering the hole. Setting up woodpecker nesting boxes in your yard may discourage the birds from using your house for raising their brood.

Because most woodpeckers prefer to excavate their own roosts, fill the nesting box with wood chips and tamp them down a bit. Smaller woodpeckers, such as the downy woodpecker, need a nesting box with a 1 ½ inch diameter hole, while larger woodpeckers, such as the northern flicker and the hairy woodpecker, need a box with a 2 ½ inch hole.

3. Coax the Birds Away

Since woodpeckers are fond of suet, you may be able to coax them away from your house by serving them this alternative meal. Set up your feeder close to the house at first and gradually move it further away. Be sure to keep it filled. They also feed on many berries, so planting trees and shrubs with bird-friendly fruit may help keep them away from your house. Some of their favored fruit sources are chokeberries (Aronia), serviceberries (Amelanchier), dogwood (Cornus), and wild cherry (Prunus).

4. Try a Deterrent

Researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology tested several woodpecker deterrents, including woodpecker distress calls followed by the call of a hawk, full-sized plastic owls with paper wings, reflective streamers, and plastic eyes hung on fishing lines, among others.  While most deterrents had some effect, none of them worked all the time. Some, such as the owl and distress calls, were effective initially, but woodpeckers seemed to get used to them after a short time.

The most consistent deterrent was the reflective streamers; look for mylar holographic tape if you plan to try this yourself. Woodpeckers don’t like shiny objects, especially when they move in the wind. Similar shiny objects have also been effective. Mirrors, aluminum foil, and mylar balloons suspended from areas where woodpeckers have been spotted may alarm them sufficiently so they’ll go elsewhere.

5. Hang Bird Netting

If your woodpeckers aren’t intimidated by your scare tactics, you can keep them away from your house by hanging bird netting from the roof line to the ground. Be sure to seal the sides of the netting so they can’t sneak through. Keep the netting at least 3–4 inches away from the siding so the woodpeckers' beaks cannot reach through.

Related Article

How to Plant and Grow Rose of Jericho

How to Plant and Grow Rose of Jericho

Rose of Jericho is a unique houseplant that can survive with minimal water, making it a great option for travelers and forgetful gardeners.
21 Adorably Petite Plants for Fairy Gardens

21 Adorably Petite Plants for Fairy Gardens

Color is always nice, but scale is everything when choosing miniature garden plants. Peruse our favorite picks for fairy gardens and terrariums.
13 Colorful Nectar Plants for Pollinators

13 Colorful Nectar Plants for Pollinators

Create a gorgeous, pollinator-friendly garden by including these nectar-rich plants.
Is Coleus a Perennial or Annual? Here's How to Grow It Both Ways

Is Coleus a Perennial or Annual? Here's How to Grow It Both Ways

Is coleus a perennial that comes back every year? That depends on where you live and how you care for it. Use these tips to enjoy coleus as a colorful perennial or annual plant.
How to Plant and Grow Ranunculus

How to Plant and Grow Ranunculus

Ranunculus are favorite flowers for weddings, arrangements, and gardens. Here's how to plant and grow ranunculus.
How to Plant and Grow Glossy Abelia

How to Plant and Grow Glossy Abelia

This guide on how to grow glossy abelia includes essential planting and care tips such watering, fertilizing, and pruning needs. You'll also find popular types of abelia to grow and pretty companion plants for this flowering shrub.
Hydrangeas Not Blooming? 7 Reasons Why and How to Fix the Problem

Hydrangeas Not Blooming? 7 Reasons Why and How to Fix the Problem

Hydrangeas not blooming can be a frustrating problem for gardeners. These straightforward tips will promote tons of long-lasting flowers.
10 Best Sweet Potato Companion Plants for Larger Harvests

10 Best Sweet Potato Companion Plants for Larger Harvests

Mix and match these sweet potato companion plants in your vegetable beds for pest-free crops and easier gardening.
How to Harvest Mint, Dry Mint, and Store Mint

How to Harvest Mint, Dry Mint, and Store Mint

Learn how to harvest mint to keep plants more manageable and gather fresh mint leaves for cooking, drying, and storing!
How and When to Harvest Radishes at Their Peak

How and When to Harvest Radishes at Their Peak

These easy-to-follow tips will help you figure out how and when to harvest radishes for the best flavor and size. Plus, get troubleshooting advice if your radish roots aren't developing properly.
How and When to Start Tomato Seeds Indoors

How and When to Start Tomato Seeds Indoors

Find out exactly how and when to start tomato seeds indoors so they'll be ready to transplant into your garden in spring.
Tillers vs. Cultivators: How to Choose the Right One for Your Gardening Tasks

Tillers vs. Cultivators: How to Choose the Right One for Your Gardening Tasks

Learn the differences between tillers and cultivators and the tasks they're best suited for.
Here’s What Not to Put in Compost to Avoid a Contaminated Bin

Here’s What Not to Put in Compost to Avoid a Contaminated Bin

Composting is a simple way to turn your kitchen and yard waste into food for your garden. But some of these items should never be in compost.
Easy Lawn Repair for Patchy Grass Using Seed or Sod

Easy Lawn Repair for Patchy Grass Using Seed or Sod

With a bit of grass seed or sod, lawn repair is easy, and you’ll soon have a lush green carpet again.
What Are the Tiny White Bugs on Your Plants? 4 Common Pests They Could Be

What Are the Tiny White Bugs on Your Plants? 4 Common Pests They Could Be

Tiny white bugs on plants in your home or outdoors can be a big problem. Learn how to identify and get rid of them with this guide.
How to Spot 5 Common Plant Diseases and Keep Your Garden Healthy

How to Spot 5 Common Plant Diseases and Keep Your Garden Healthy

Protect your plants from the most common diseases. Learn to recognize the symptoms and how to prevent these diseases in the first place.
How to Landscape with Rocks and Stones in Your Yard

How to Landscape with Rocks and Stones in Your Yard

Decorative rocks and stones add another element of nature to your yard, whether you grow hydrangeas, tulips, or cacti.
Landscape Planning Tips From Start to Finish for a Perfect Yard

Landscape Planning Tips From Start to Finish for a Perfect Yard

Even if you're a beginner, these simple landscape planning tips will take the mystery out of designing your yard's ideal layout.
10 Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants Growing in Your Garden

10 Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants Growing in Your Garden

Use native plants in your garden instead of popular invasive landscape plants: See a list of common invasive plants, plus native alternatives to plant instead.
Your Seasonal Lawn-Care Schedule for the Midwest

Your Seasonal Lawn-Care Schedule for the Midwest

Use our lawn-care schedule to help you maintain a beautiful yard all year long. You'll learn exactly when to mow, aerate, fertilize, and overseed.