Woodpeckers Come Knocking

When the Woodpeckers Come Knocking, Find Out What They Want 

The sound of birds in the morning can be one of the most pleasant things to wake up to unless, of course, the birds are busy performing a drum solo on your house. While woodpeckers are fun feeder birds to watch, it’s much better when they are only visiting your home for the feeders. If you are having a problem with woodpeckers drumming on your home, then you need to first understand why and then solve the problem from there.

Woodpeckers will knock on the house for one of three reasons, each of which comes with its own unique solution:

1. They’re Hungry: Woodpeckers feed on wood-boring insects. They listen to hear them chewing and moving through trees or wooden structures. When they find one, woodpeckers will then peck holes in the wood to fetch the food. If that insect is in your siding or the frame of your home, then it can do a lot of damage. However, the wood-boring insects are also doing some damage. Take away the food supply by contacting a pest removal company, and your woodpecker problems will stop too.

2. They’re Nesting: Woodpeckers are cavity nesters. They look for holes in trees, banks and cliffs to lay eggs. Often, they will work to create or expand existing holes, and may try a series of them before finding the right one. This happens in both wood and stucco homes. Denying access by putting a board or mesh overlay across the areas can deter them if they haven’t laid eggs yet.

3. They’re Mating: The loudest of all the drumming typically comes when woodpeckers are mating and want to attract attention. This is when you will hear them rapping on metal stovepipes, gutters and drainpipes to get the loudest sounds. If this is the case, you can sometimes scare or harass them away with things like owl or hawk statues. Sometimes they must be relocated, however, and this requires a permit in accordance with the migratory bird act, which protects non-game wild birds at all times. Your local wildlife removal company can assist you in deterring or relocating your woodpeckers legally and humanely.