Wood pecker vs lo home

[dogma]

This is such an obvious question but never thought about it until now. Heard a strange sound and discovered a wood pecker drilling a hole on outside of house. Filled hole with a screw. Anyone met this challenge?

[upthesaukee]

The woodpecker may have done you a favor by pointing out some hidden insect activity that you may want to investigate. Just a thought 🤔.

Dave

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[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by dogma

This is such an obvious question but never thought about it until now. Heard a strange sound and discovered a wood pecker drilling a hole on outside of house. Filled hole with a screw. Anyone met this challenge?

The only reason that woodpecker bored a hole is to get at food...most likely ants or some other insect. I would pull a piece of sheathing / siding off your home where the hole was bored and see what’s going on underneath....

Good Luck!

Dan

[dogma]

Not easy to pull a log off the side of the house but I respect the suggestion to look for insects.

[Hillcountry]

They don’t necessarily peck at things that harbor food...we had one this Spring that insisted on pecking our satellite dish daily...ping-ping-ping-ping...
Usually they’re after bugs, beetles, larvae of some kind but there were none such on our dish.

[Lil' Barndoor Guy]

Have had the same problem. Woodpecker holes at the corner of my house on the rakes and eves. I've replaced siding and trim boards many times and never found any insects or evidence of prior insect infestation.
I have learned that many times it is a territorial behavior that woodpeckers perform. They make loud noises to mark their domain. It's very frustrating, lying in bed and hearing them tear apart your house!

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by dogma

Not easy to pull a log off the side of the house but I respect the suggestion to look for insects.

Sorry, Didn’t know it was a log home as your original post did not state that. I see where you edited to revise.

Dan

[Top-Water]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

They don’t necessarily peck at things that harbor food...

Correct Although woodpeckers can sing like other birds they often communicate with each other by "Drumming" usually to claim territory or to (find / attract) a mate.

Have had lots of problems with them over the years. An inexpensive way to temporarily discourage them from visiting is to hang a reflective mylar tape or strip where they like to visit. The slightest breeze will move it around and make them uncomfortable. However it looks a little odd hanging off the side of your home. Short pieces of monofilament fishing line is also said to work.

Other suggestions
http://www.sialis.org/drumming.htm

[RumGuy]

My Wife actually wrote a story for a real estate magazine about our woodpecker incident: We initially thought bugs as well, and called an exterminator. He found nothing until he came into the house, where he broke out laughing. In the corner where the woodpecker was making his hole stood our grandfather clock----ticking away. Apparently the woodpecker hears the ticking as bugs chewing and goes after it. We moved the clock, and the bird moved on to more substantial food sources.

[Biggd]

I had this problem many years ago on a home that was completely sided in red cedar. He pecked a hole in one of my corner boards. The only thing that scared him away is I hung a couple of tin pie plates from the corner of the overhang. It was in the front of my house so it was a conversation piece every time we had company.
I had another incident on another house where a wood pecked was pecking on an aluminum gutter so it wasn't a bug issue.

[dogma]

I have enjoyed reading all of your posts. Good info. I will see if it continues. Fortunately the pecker hole is near balcony so easy to get to. I may move the Halloween scarecrow up there!