Woodpeckers may not be the most common of invasive pests, but when they choose your home as their nesting site, they can be quite a nuisance. Not only do these birds create incredibly loud pecking noises that can rattle your home, but their search for food in your wooden walls can cause severe and unsightly damage, as well as provide access points for other invasive pests.

In order to protect your home from damage and possible infestation and end that constant pecking noise, it helps to understand why these elusive birds choose to call your place ‘home’ and what treatments can successfully get them out.

Habits and Habitat

Woodpeckers usually peck at dead wood or diseased trees, but they are also known to hammer on buildings, siding, metal, and even air conditioners. There are many reasons why these birds peck, including searching for food, excavating areas for nesting, and attracting potential mates in the area. Once an ample mate and nesting spot is found, woodpeckers may have three to six offspring each year and live up anywhere between four to eleven years, depending on the species.

These birds are typically found near the edge of wooded areas, where food is readily available. Unfortunately, this spells trouble for homeowners who live in these areas, as woodpeckers often prefer nesting in homes, fences, poles, and sign posts on their property. The spring season is usually the woodpeckers’ most active time of year, especially in the early morning and late afternoon.

Damage Caused

If the woodpeckers remain in the wooded areas near your home, the only nuisance they will create is the seemingly endless hammering sound outside your home. But when they are in search for additional food sources, they may infest your property and cause real damage to your home.

Woodpeckers can cause extensive property damage by drilling small holes into the wood and synthetic stucco siding of your home. Although this will usually not compromise the structural support of your home, it can be unsightly and create access points for future pests to enter your home. The most common problem areas for pecking occur on wooden shingles, cedar or redwood siding, metal or plastic gutters, television antennas, chimney caps, and light posts.

Prevention Tips

There are a number of ways to prevent woodpeckers from nesting on your property. The most effective home remedies include implementing visual repellents, making loud noises, blocking access points, alternating construction materials, and providing nesting boxes throughout your property. If you notice woodpeckers beginning to nest in or around your home, take immediate action to remove them. Be careful though, they are not easily driven out of their established territories and pecking sites. Also, keep in mind that in some areas of Canada woodpeckers are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, so you should only utilize non-lethal treatment options when dealing with these birds.

If home remedies don’t do the trick, contact Greenleaf Pest Control for a free consultation. After a thorough inspection of your home, our team of specialists will locate all problems areas where woodpeckers are nesting and implement the necessary preventative treatments to keep them out. Our team of specialists has extensive knowledge on the woodpeckers’ habits and, through Integrated Pest Management (IPM), can ensure their safe and effective removal while minimizing or completely eliminating the use of harmful chemicals.

About the Author:
Daniel Mackie, co-owner of Greenleaf Pest Control, is a Toronto pest control expert well-known as an industry go-to guy, an innovator of safe, effective pest control solutions, and is a regular guest on HGTV. Mackie, along with business partner Sandy Costa, were the first pest control professionals in Canada to use detection dogs and thermal remediation for the successful eradication of bed bugs. In his free time, he is an avid gardener.