3 Reasons Why There’s a Woodpecker on Your House

Woodpeckers on your home can be both annoying and damaging. While feeding is one of the reasons they may be on your house, there are others to consider as well. Here are three reasons that you may see and hear woodpeckers on your home, and what they mean to you:

1. Feeding: Woodpeckers, as a species, peck holes in wood to get food. Carpenter bee larvae, a common species in home siding, is one common food for them. Pupae of other species who have been hiding in cocoons under your siding laps are another popular food. This behavior is different from others because woodpeckers will be exploring your home and choosing different sites. You’ll see them perch on your home and tilt their ear against the siding, as if listening. If you have woodpeckers exhibiting feeding behavior, they’ll be drilling holes in vertical lines, often grouped in threes or sixes. These holes will often be in the middle of a shake or siding board. For you, this means that you have an insect problem to control first before the woodpeckers will go somewhere else for a meal.

2. Drumming: Drumming is a breeding behavior designed to establish territories. Here, woodpeckers are looking for something tall and loud that will ring out a far distance. Metal gutters, downspouts and chimneys are popular choices, instead of wood, because they make a great sound to the woodpecker (even if it’s awful for you). Drumming is typically concentrated on one part of a house. Dents instead of holes are seen. What it means for you is typically that there is a nest nearby, and your home has great acoustics. Plastic owls and other items meant to scare may be all that’s needed to get them to move on.

3. Nesting: Woodpeckers are cavity nesters. This means that they will take advantage of rotting wood to carve out holes in trees as nests. If your home has some severe rot, it may be enough for a woodpecker to carve out a nest. Outbuildings that are older and have less traffic are more common locations, as woodpeckers want some privacy for their family. If woodpeckers are seen entering or exiting a hole in a building you own, it is probably a nest. They may be seen carrying insects. In this case, you will need to make a call about whether to wait for the babies to fledge or ask for help removing the nest before beginning repairs. Wildlife removal experts can deal with young under federal rules to protect species. When the nest is gone, replacing rotten wood with new boards is the best way to prevent future occurrences.