Woodpeckers And Siding ?

[Bob]

Hi,

Any hints for keeping woodpeckers (type unknown) from pecking on wood siding ?

Have the normal horiz. clapboards. Painted. Live in New England.

Thanks, Bob

[dpb]

On 7/29/2012 9:18 AM, Bob wrote: ...

...

Generally they're after (or think they're after) insects and do that on basis of noises/sounds.

So, the first step is to ensure you don't have an infestation of something in the siding/structural materials.

After that, other causes of noises can apparently confuse them into thinking "there's food!" -- vibration transmitted from power lines mounting terminals, wind, etc., etc.,(+) ... Lastly it does seems that from what we can sense they're simply perverse in going at an area for nesting--we had a spot under eaves in fraternity house when was at uni that was a favorite. Only final resolution we ever found on it was to fabricate a screen barrier over the area hung from the soffit/gutters.

(+) Utilities have difficulty w/ power poles in some areas -- it seems that they can vibrate at particular frequencies that are just irresistible to them. The big pileated buggers were actually topping poles in E KS at some regularity. EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) has even sponsored research on ways to discourage them...

--

[krw]

First, make sure you don't have a bug infestation. Carpenter ants are big in New England. If everything is clean, he probably likes just likes the sound (they'll even drum metal). The best you can do, short of aluminum siding, is to shoo him away. If he isn't going after food, it's probably not that difficult.

[hrhofmann]

Acidental shotgun discharge,

[Sjouke Burry]

Bob wrote in news:jv3gob$ja4$ [e-mail]:

Shoot them?

[krw]

Not if you want to stay out of jail.