How to Get Rid of Woodpeckers: Your Questions Answered

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Woodpeckers are so much fun to watch – unless they’re drilling holes in your house! So how do you stop them from pecking on your house and get rid of woodpeckers forever?

Fantastic claims are made for all kinds of products that say they get rid of woodpeckers, but scientific tests prove there’s only ONE woodpecker deterrent that actually works (and one other that helps some of the time.)

Before we get to strategies for getting rid of woodpeckers, it’s helpful to understand why woodpeckers damage houses, and which houses are most at risk.

Table of Contents

Why is a woodpecker pecking on my house? Part 1

Woodpeckers don’t care if you’re trying to sleep (or get the baby to sleep), nor do they care what your siding, roof, deck or trim looks like after they’re done with it. They’re just bent on pecking holes. So why are these crazy birds attacking homes? From a woodpecker’s point of view, it’s not crazy at all. In fact, there are 3.5 good reasons why woodpeckers damage houses¹ :

1. To build nesting or roosting holes to live or sleep in. Most homes are clad in material that’s a lot softer than hardwood – pine or cedar siding for example. And stucco. Once the bird reaches the inside of the wall, there’s an incredibly cozy, well hidden space that’s just perfect for raising babies and getting a good night’s rest.

2. To dig insects out of the walls to eat. The wood – or crevasses between pieces of wood – might be infested with carpenter ants or bees, termites or the larvae of wood-boring beetles. Some siding is made of plywood, which is made with tunnels inside it that readily harbor insects.

Pileate woodpecker inside a hole in stucco

A triumphant Pileated woodpecker peers out of a good-sized hole in stucco – photo by Mike G.

If plywood siding is grooved so it looks like tongue-and-groove or board-and-batten siding, the gaps in its structure are exposed. Insects get inside and create delicious buffets that will make it hard to get rid of hungry woodpeckers.

In addition to excavating nests and foraging, Acorn woodpeckers in the southwest also make holes to store various kinds of nuts in. (Acorns as well as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, and pinyon pine nuts.) They will also wedge nuts between or beneath roof shakes and drop them into unscreened rooftop plumbing vents.

3. To make a loud noise signaling their claim on the area to other woodpeckers, the louder the better. This is called “drumming” and can go on for weeks during the spring mating season. Drumming doesn’t normally do much damage, except for chipping paint, but it sure can be annoying. A woodpecker banging on a metal chimney can sound like the end of the world! How would you like to wake up to this every morning? (Turn your speakers on please.)

Oh, you want to know the “half-a-reason”? Woodpeckers, like other birds, also engage in what ornithologists call “shadow boxing” or attacking their own reflections in windows, trying to drive the “other bird” away. Like drumming, shadow boxing is territorial behavior. You can stop shadow boxing simply by blocking the bird’s reflection.

Woodpecker activity related to mating and nesting is worst in the spring and fall, but defending territory and foraging goes on all year round because most woodpeckers don’t migrate.

The bad news: all of this is hard-wired instinctive behavior, which means it’s pretty much impossible to stop. The good news: while you can’t completely stop them from pecking, you can get woodpeckers to stop pecking your house IF you act fast.

It’s not just houses – woodpeckers peck all over

It’s not just siding that woodpeckers damage – they also go after eaves, stucco, window and door frames, and trim boards. And it’s not just houses either. Woodpecker damage is a big problem for commercial and public buildings too. Utility (electrical) poles are another favorite woodpecker target. Heck, even the Space Shuttle had major woodpecker damage in 1995 that resulted in a three-week mission delay and a million-dollar repair bill. (You can bet NASA wanted to get rid of woodpeckers!)

The usual suspects

There are about 22 species of woodpecker in the US and Canada, but “only” 10 of them are associated with damage to houses²,³ , with the worst offender being the Northern flicker. The other woodpeckers known to damage houses are, by region:

Northeast US/Canadian Maritimes

Pileated woodpecker
Hairy woodpecker
Downy woodpecker

Northern flicker by KCBirdFan, CC BY-SA 2.0

Midwest US/Central Canada & Canadian Prairies

Pileated woodpecker
Hairy woodpecker
Downy woodpecker
Southeast US
Hairy woodpecker
Downy woodpecker
Red-cockaded woodpecker
Red-bellied woodpecker (uncommon)
Red-headed woodpecker

Southwest US

Acorn woodpecker
Hairy woodpecker
Downy woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Red-cockaded woodpecker
Red-headed woodpecker
Red-bellied woodpecker
Golden-fronted woodpecker

Mountain US

Downy woodpecker
Hairy woodpecker

Pacific US & Canada

Pileated woodpecker
Hairy woodpecker
Acorn woodpecker (US only)
Downy woodpecker

Alaska/Northern Canadian Territories

Downy woodpecker
Hairy woodpecker

Why would a woodpecker peck on my house?

A woodpecker disaster waiting to happen

Scientists have done a few studies that turned up some interesting insights on this issue.

It seems that woodpeckers are strongly attracted to wood siding⁴ that is stained or painted in earth tones. If the house is covered in that material and located in a heavily wooded area or lot, it is virtually certain to be damaged by woodpeckers.

Soft cedar, rough pine and redwood siding gets the worst treatment, but plywood siding with grooves in it gets, er, hammered too⁵. Also on the hit list: wood shakes/shingles, decking, rails and trim.

Even metal siding sometimes takes a beating. Stucco is another easy target for pesky woodpeckers.

On the other hand, researchers found that houses which are painted white or light pastel colors suffer far less woodpecker damage than houses dressed in earth tones.

What happens if you don’t stop woodpecker damage quickly?

Unsightly as they are, woodpecker holes are just the beginning of what could be a very expensive set of problems if you let the woodpecker carry on unchecked.

For one thing, rain and snow can get into the wall, leading to water damage and mold growth.

For another, most wild birds are infested with mites and other parasites, which also get into their nests. Bird mites are bloodsucking insects that complete their lifecycles in just seven days, so an infestation that starts with just a few mites can spread into your home in a very short time.

Woodpecker nest hole in a house.

Woodpeckers are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the US and the Migratory Birds Convention Act in Canada, which make it illegal to harm, disturb or destroy protected birds and their active nests, eggs and young.

Wait long enough for the woodpecker to establish a nest and breed and you’ll have to leave them alone until the birds are gone. Got mites?

If you read The Ultimate Guide to Woodpeckers, you also know that even after the woodpecker is gone, the hole will be reused by other birds and small mammals. It’s a “gift” that keeps on giving!

Why is a woodpecker pecking on my house? – Part 2

The key to getting rid of woodpeckers is to figure out why they are there and work on removing or diverting the attraction:

Foraging

If the woodpecker is making a long, straight line of small holes, a series of small deep holes, or is excavating tunnels in the wood, it’s feeding on bugs inside the wood and you have an insect problem. You’ll need to get an exterminator in pronto to take care of it so there’s nothing for the woodpeckers to eat.

In the meantime, you may be able to distract the birds by offering suet and mealworms (live or dried) in a spot that’s away from the house.

Before you try this, make sure that foraging is really the reason for the woodpecker holes on your house. If the woodpeckers are pecking your house for a different reason, suet and other foods may make the problem worse by attracting more woodpeckers.

Note: If you have wood siding, rails, deck, shingles or shakes, or door/window frames, you may be able to prevent insects from ever becoming an issue by treating your with a good quality wood preservative and sealant to keep bugs out. Be sure to follow the recommended schedule to keep your wood in good condition.

Nesting and roosting

Large, roundish and deep holes mean the woodpecker is excavating a nest or a roost (a shallower cavity meant to be a safe place to sleep at night).

Some homeowners have been able to divert this activity by placing a suitable nest box on top of the hole and a few more nest boxes elsewhere on the house. If you do this, be sure to pack the boxes full of wood chips, shavings or coarse sawdust which will keep other birds from nesting there and allow woodpeckers to simulate excavation, which is a natural part of their nesting activity.

Only the Hairy woodpecker, Lewis’ woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Flickers are known to use man-made nest boxes or birdhouses to nest in, although a few other woodpeckers, such as the Downy and Red-headed, may roost in them at times. If you’re getting Northern Flicker damage, getting a nest box is a good idea. See How to Attract Woodpeckers to Your Yard for information on how to use woodpecker nest boxes.

But if your problem is a pesky Acorn Woodpecker or Pileated Woodpecker, a nest box won’t help - because they don't use them.

If nest boxes aren’t feasible, you’ll need to repair the damaged area and/or cover it with metal flashing or hardware cloth, which can be painted the same color as the house. (Note that Pileated woodpeckers are strong enough to peck right through hardware cloth.)

Another option for, those who enjoy providing wildlife habitat, is adding a tree snag to your property. You can often get these from firewood sellers or land development contractors for nothing.

Removing dead trees, which is sometimes recommended, is not advisable. Experts speculate that one reason woodpeckers excavate on houses could be a shortage of dead trees!

Establishing territory

Northern Flicker drumming on a chimney cap

Northern Flicker drumming on a metal chimney cap. Image by Living Montana via YouTube

If a woodpecker is “just” drumming to mark its territory or find a mate, it wants to make the loudest possible noise, so anything you can do to deaden the sound will make that spot less attractive. This might mean filling the wall with an expanding foam or enclosing your chimney cap and metal vents with hardware cloth or chicken wire to keep the bird out. Unfortunately, woodpeckers also drum on metal gutters and downspouts.

This is one problem that will go away by itself, eventually. Drumming is mostly a springtime activity that goes on for three weeks or so, until breeding begins. If you can stand the noise for that long and you’re positive it’s just drumming, you might choose to just ignore it. (It’s not just drumming if you can see actual holes.)

You can also try setting up a woodpecker drum away from your house – this can be anything that makes a loud noise when struck, such as a metal garbage can or lid, two boards loosely fastened together, an old pot etc. Hang smaller items securely, 10 to 20 feet above ground on a post or tree. Place a suet feeder nearby to attract the woodpeckers.

How to keep woodpeckers away from your house: Step 1

The single most important key to stopping woodpecker damage is to take action at the first sign of a problem. Once a woodpecker has established a pattern of behavior, it is very hard to dislodge.

“How do I get rid of woodpeckers?”

Science says there’s only one method that fully and reliably stops woodpeckers from damaging a house. It's expensive, but it's better than losing your home to various infestations.

That method is to install bird netting ⁶,⁷

The netting must be hung at least three inches away from the surface to keep the birds at bay, and must be secured so the birds can’t wiggle their way behind it. (They aren’t likely to crawl up from below, so don’t worry about leaving a gap at the bottom.)

Properly installed netting is barely visible at any distance, so don’t worry about making your house look ugly. Netting should last for several years.

Bird netting installation by Bird B Gone

Bird netting comes in various sizes and weights – here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing bird netting as a woodpecker deterrent:

- Choose a mesh size of one inch (1″) or smaller – the 2″ mesh sold as poultry netting isn’t suitable for stopping woodpeckers.

- If the netting isn’t taut it is likely to trap smaller birds which can lead to their deaths.

- Netting can be damaged or displaced by heavy weather. Woodpeckers will get through any large holes, so the netting must be kept in good shape.

- Buy a few more yards than you think you’ll need as insurance against measuring errors.

- Choose a quality product that will stand up to weathering and UV light.

- Consider using a professional installer.

Installing bird netting on a house is a fairly big undertaking, so some might be tempted to try a less drastic solution first. Please read on to find out why you should avoid most products that claim to get rid of woodpeckers.

The Wrong Stuff

Norther Flicker nesting in a utility pole

Woodpecker damage is a major economic problem, so utility companies, the US Army and Air Force, and airports all over the world have also invested a LOT of money in researching woodpecker deterrents.

I looked into this research to on your behalf, and here’s what I found:

The homeowner-type products that were tested include: fake owls and snakes, balloons, reflective tape, chemical deterrents, sticky gels and devices that play sounds such as territorial, distress and bird predator calls. These products target one or more of the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.

Some people claim success with some of these methods, some of the time. But when these woodpecker deterrents were put through controlled scientific testing, their ability to get rid of woodpeckers was profoundly disappointing in all but one case⁸. Let’s take a look.

Sticky gels

Sticky gel-based products with product names like Tanglefoot™ or Bird-Proof Gel™ are based on the idea that birds will stay away from anything that interferes with them getting a solid footing.

Some of these gels include capsaicin, the active ingredient in pepper spray, or other strong-tasting or smelling ingredients. Manufacturers claim the capsaicin creates a mild burning sensation on the birds’ feet.

Other gels sold as bird repellents claim to emit ultraviolet light and that birds perceive this as fire and avoid it.

These products are applied like caulking, in long wavy lines and would be best used in places like window sills, deck rails or the edges of gutters. They are not practical for use on areas covered by siding.

How effective are these gels?

1. Claims that capsaicin repels birds are complete rubbish: several studies have shown that birds are completely insensitive to capsaicin because they lack the anatomical receptors to perceive it. In other words, they don’t even notice it!

2. Optical gels do reflect light in the ultraviolet range, and many birds do perceive ultraviolet light quite well. However, a fire would have to be hotter than 2,500 °C (about 4500 °F) to emit ultraviolet light. How likely is it that any given bird has seen a fire that hot? Even forest wildfires don’t get that hot – wood ignites at about 590 °C (1,000 °F).

In other words, there’s no possible way that birds could associate ultraviolet light with fire. And since the ability to see ultraviolet light plays a part in how birds migrate and locate food and mates, UV reflections are not going to get rid of woodpeckers!

What the scientists said

There is very little scientific data on the effectiveness of bird repellent gels, but I did find an interesting study⁹ that tested the gels’ ability to stop pigeons from landing on surfaces. (Woodpeckers have to land before they can peck, right?)

Results from the study indicated that the gels did reduce the number of pigeons that landed on tested areas – for about a week. This was probably because it was new and spooked them a bit. After the first week, the birds gradually got used to the stuff. They even landed right in it and tracked it all over.

The scientists noted that both types of gel were quick to collect insects, feathers, dust and feces, making them ineffective (and unhygienic).

Finally, they had a heck of a time cleaning up gel that had been spread around to other surfaces by the birds. In fact, despite using strong cleaners, they couldn’t get rid of it all. Do you really want to do that to your home?

Others¹⁰ have noted that these gels can slump and spread in hot weather and also may mark or stain the surface where they are used.

Keep in mind that songbirds and other non-target birds will land in these gels too. The gels can get into feathers, sticking them together and making it hard for birds to fly or stay warm in cold weather.

To sum up, gel repellents don’t work to get rid of woodpeckers; may harm other birds and have a huge potential mess factor. Not recommended.

Chemical repellents, mothballs and other stinky stuff

Methyl anthranilate is an expensive chemical sold under brand names like Bird Stop™. The idea is that birds will be repelled by the smell and/or taste of the chemical. It does keep woodpeckers from eating suet treated with the chemical¹¹, but it won’t stop them from chipping away at your house, since they don’t eat the wood.

Other strong smells such as peppermint oil, and mothballs have also been tried as woodpecker deterrents, without provable success. Why?

Scientists believe that birds have very poor senses of both taste and smell.

In short, another ‘solution’ that doesn’t work. Save your money.

Scare tactics

Scare tactics include “decoy” objects like fake owls and snakes, balloons, “Scare Eyes™”, foil pie pans, old CDs, mirrors and other reflective items (except reflective tape, which we’ll get to in a moment.) Banging pots and pans together, yelling, firing cap guns or squirting birds with water are other frequently recommended scare tactics.

The survival of all birds, including woodpeckers, depends on their ability to determine whether or not an actual threat exists, and they’re pretty good at it.

Can you scare woodpeckers away?

You’ve probably noticed that birds are quite easily spooked by anything that’s new or strange in their environment, especially if it moves. You’ve probably also noticed that it doesn’t take them long to get used to such things and stop avoiding them. Scientists call this process “habituation.”

The survival of all birds, including woodpeckers, depends on their ability to determine whether or not an actual threat exists – and they’re pretty good at it.

That’s the problem with all “decoy” and scare type devices¹². There’s no actual threat present and woodpeckers quickly figure that out.

Some decoys might be an effective way to get rid woodpeckers for a short time, especially if you’re prepared to go out and move them every few hours for several weeks.

Noise-makers will work IF you’re prepared to go out and make loud noises every single time a woodpecker starts pecking, over a period of two or three weeks … by which time your neighbors might be ready to tar and feather you!

Sound-based woodpecker repellents

There are quite a number of electronic products for sale that emit audible and/or ultrasonic (inaudible, to us) sounds which are supposed to to get rid of woodpeckers.

Audible sounds that are used may include distress calls, territorial calls and bird predator calls – so-called “bio-acoustic” sounds.

Birds do have much better hearing than humans – woodpeckers, for instance, can hear insects and larvae moving inside wood.

Sound-based repellents look promising, so let’s see what independent scientists have learned by testing these devices:

One study ¹²tested a bio-acoustic sound broadcaster on Pileated woodpeckers in a flight cage with two utility poles.

One pole (the test pole) was equipped with the device; the other pole wasn’t. The device emitted various sounds (except for distress calls) whenever it detected a woodpecker landing on the test pole. There were eight woodpeckers in the study, and the device’s full range of sounds was tested on each bird.

The result: scientists found there was no difference at all in the “amount of time spent on poles, amount of time spent pecking on poles, and weight of wood chips removed from poles with and without” the sonic device.

Sound-based repellents don’t work either.

Several other studies have tested both ultrasonic-only and combination sonic-ultrasonic bird repellents on a number of non-woodpecker species. All of the the studies concluded that while the devices may scare birds away for a day or two,¹³

“Tests to date indicate that the device has no significant effect on the species studied.”

It’s not surprising that ultrasonic noise doesn’t repel birds: 26 of 33 bird species tested can’t even hear sounds in the ultrasonic range! ¹⁴

The one study¹⁵ I found that tested a sonic repellent on woodpecker damaged homes found it was the least effective deterrent, eliminating woodpecker damage in only one of six test sites. It didn’t get rid of woodpeckers – they were back again within 8 days. So you might get some relief from one of these devices, but it won’t last.

Reflective tape: a partial victory

Bird scare tape is wide, shiny plastic ribbon that is sold in rolls of various lengths. Most products are shiny and silvery with a highly reflective hologram pattern. It is sold under brand names like Irri-Tape™, Bird Blinder™, Brite Way™ and others.

The tape (ribbon) is used by attaching it in long strips (three or four feet or so) such that one end can move freely in the breeze. For siding, strips of tape need to be placed along the wall about every four feet.

A study¹⁶ that tested six common woodpecker deterrents on 16 different houses found that none, including reflective tape, were consistently effective at eliminating damage. (This study did not test bird netting.)

However, the study found that reflective tape was far more effective than any other method. In fact, it completely eliminated woodpecker damage in 50 percent of the test sites, and reduced overall woodpecker damage by 95 percent.

If you’re going to try the tape, keep in mind:

It will deteriorate/come loose in heavy weather.
It only works in a breeze – motion is essential.
You’ll need to place it near all the spots where the woodpecker is active.
It won’t do much for your curb appeal.
Look for a sturdy product that won’t break easily.

How to keep woodpeckers away from the house: more permanent solutions

Other than bird netting, the only permanent way to get rid of woodpeckers is to replace your wood siding with something that’s woodpecker-proof.

If you’re prepared to make such a substantial investment, your options include metal siding, fiber cement siding (SmartSide™, Hardie plank™) or a new exterior treatment developed by EIFS Armour that is guaranteed woodpecker-proof. To date about 300 (mostly commercial) clients have been very happy with the results of this treatment.

(Note: Tip of the hat to Keith, who kindly pointed out that SmartSide™ is made of wood, not cement. Oops! Three pecks on the head for me! Joy)

Woodpecker deterrents are mostly ‘for the birds’

Most woodpecker deterrents are “for the birds.” It’s true that some people claim success with these items, but the scientific evidence indicates that most woodpecker deterrents are “Band-Aid™” solutions at best and will not get rid of woodpeckers.

The Bottom Line

If you already have a problem woodpecker damaging your home, you need to cover the damage quickly and remove whatever is attracting the bird.

If it’s insects, get a pest control team in to eradicate them.

If it’s a place to nest or roost, provide suitable alternatives.

If it’s a place to drum – and you’re certain – you can just ignore it. The woodpecker may chip your paint a little or make a few dents in the wood but any damage will be minimal. If you can’t stand the noise, reflective tape is your best option and can be placed pretty much anywhere until breeding has begun. (Of the woodpeckers, not the tape.)

Summary: How to keep woodpeckers away from your house

After you’ve figured out why the birds are pecking and removed the attraction as much as possible, you can make your house less attractive to future woodpeckers by:

Painting your house white may keep woodpeckers away. NPS Photo

Painting your house white or a pale pastel (helpful¹⁷ but not fool-proof.)
Keeping all your wood finish, trim, roof and decking in good condition with bug-proof stain and sealer.
Swapping your wood siding for something tougher.
Hanging bird netting to exclude woodpeckers from targeted areas.

Have you ever had a woodpecker problem? What did you do about it and how well did your solution work over period of several weeks?

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