Hearing a tiny jackhammer outside your home. Yep – that’s a woodpecker going at your nice cedar siding!
But Woody isn’t usually trying to destroy your home on purpose. He’s just looking for a meal, some love, or maybe even a nice home to nest in.
Why Woodpeckers Damage Homes
Woodpeckers look for insects hiding inside wood siding, trim, or fascia boards. Carpenter ants, termites, and other bugs can turn parts of your home into a yummy snack bar.
In the right season, Woody will hammer on gutters, vents, chimney caps, and siding because loud surfaces help them establish territory and attract mates. And in some cases, they may try to create nesting holes in soft or damaged wood.
Signs of Woodpecker Damage
Yessir, you have a woodpecker problem if you happen to notice:
• small round holes in siding or trim
• wood chips below walls
• repeated pecking in the same spot
• loud tapping early in the morning
The sooner you address the issue, the easier it is to prevent more serious damage and costly repairs down the road.
How do you stop the woodpecker madness?
Well, do you have insects or moisture damage in the body of your house? Fixing those will remove the reason those hungry birds like your house to start with. Woodpeckers (well, all birds really) do not like bright, flashing lights, so reflective material works great. This includes:
• reflective tape
• shiny streamers
• pinwheels
• reflective bird spirals
Heck, you can even use old CDs (remember those)!
These moving reflections can discourage woodpeckers from returning.
You need to repair holes quickly. The birds will come back again and again and can really mess up siding, soffits and fascia. Damaged wood can lead to moisture problems, rot and even attract other animals like rodents (squirrels in the attic are a pain!)
Ace Handyman Services North Oakland County Can Be Your Knight in Shining Armor!
WE have a great team that’s pretty darned experienced in fixing critter damage. We can help you protect your homes by:
• repairing woodpecker damage
• replacing damaged trim or siding
• installing reflective deterrents
• handling exterior wood repairs before they become larger issues
Woodpeckers may think your home is the perfect tree or buffet, but with the right preventative measures and repairs, and the right partner, you can encourage them to move along—preferably somewhere far away from your bedroom wall.