[Bird Control] Dealing With Woodpeckers

When the call comes into the office for a woodpecker problem how do you respond? I can honestly tell you that working with woodpecker concerns can be challenging, frustrating and satisfying when handled correctly. A large part of the knowledge that I have obtained in addressing woodpecker concerns has come from reading and getting out "in the field" and trying to help folks out who are having problems with these birds. In this article we’ll take a look at some basic woodpecker biology, general habits, control strategies and then several "case studies" where I learned some valuable lessons. After you have reviewed this article I hope you will be better prepared to evaluate woodpecker concerns and appropriately implement corrective action.

BIOLOGY. There are more than 20 native species of woodpeckers in the United States. Depending on where you are located in the U.S., and the type of construction that is prevalent in your area, you may find that there are several specific species of woodpeckers that commonly create most of the concerns around the homes and businesses of your customers. (Several species that can cause structural concerns are yellow shafted flickers, downy woodpeckers and pileated woodpeckers.)

Woodpeckers generally feed on insects. Many of the insects that are fed upon are associated with dead, diseased or insect-inhabited trees. At times this may also include wooden structures infested with carpenter bees or other species of solitary bees that may inhabit wood or the vacant galleries of wood-boring beetles.

Woodpeckers often nest in the cavities of dead trees and will often find a wooden structure, such as one constructed with board and baton siding, attractive as a potential nest site. Buildings constructed with rigid foam board-type siding can also be attractive to woodpeckers as potential nest sites. At times, woodpeckers will create multiple "nesting holes" in the same structure. This may be due to the woodpecker finding that the cavity is not suitable for nesting. Or, starlings may have displaced them from this nest site.

Typically, in early spring, woodpecker activity dramatically increases. Woodpeckers are territorial and often will peck in rapid succession (drumming) on surfaces that enhance this sound. In a forested area, the selected "drumming" site may be a large dead tree. In a residential neighborhood, this may be a gutter or simply the side of a home. Quite often residents don’t think waking up at the first hint of daylight every day is as exciting as the woodpeckers do and the confrontation between the woodpecker and property owner begins.

CO NTROL STRATEGIES. Whenever you receive a woodpecker call you should first obtain as much information about the situation as possible. Some questions to ask include:

• What type of activity are you seeing or hearing?

• When and how long has this activity been going on?

• What type of construction is the structure?

• How long have you owned the structure?

• Has this activity ever occurred before?

• Have you tried any type of control measures? If so, what were the results?

Once I have completed my initial interview by phone I will either offer general advice by phone or schedule an on-site inspection to evaluate the site for those folks interested in pursuing our help. I typically will charge for our initial inspection and, from the beginning, clearly state that there are a number of potential control strategies that can be used in dealing with woodpeckers. I also clearly state that we typically find working with woodpecker concerns challenging and could be facing a situation where it may be difficult to guarantee immediate success. I also make it clear that we will charge for services rendered based upon the time spent on site and our level of needed involvement in addressing the concern.

Once you are on site, you need to determine why the critters are there. Is it drumming, nesting and/or feeding activity that is causing concern? Always keep in mind that the sooner you correctly react to any type of woodpecker activity at a site the greater your chances of success.

Repelling. The following are several different types of repellency options:

Visual. One of the first strategies that is often employed in attempts to rid structures of woodpecker activity is the use of visual deterrents. These may include such things as pie pans, pixie wheels, wind chimes, windsocks, Mylar® flash tape, "scare eye"-type balloons and a variety of owl and hawk decoys. At times, when these repellant devices are installed at the start of woodpecker activity, there may be success in moving the woodpeckers away from the structure. Typically going in with several visual repellent devices will increase your odds of success.

Auditory. There are several commercially available recordings that will produce woodpecker distress sounds. I personally have not used any of these recordings, however, their manufacturers claim success in effectively moving woodpeckers from structures. You may want to investigate some of these devices to use as a part of your woodpecker repellent program. Once again, the likelihood of effectively repelling woodpeckers from a structure is greater when incorporating several repellant devices or techniques at the same time.

Tactile. There are several sticky-type repellant products available on the market that have woodpeckers listed on their label. There are several concerns that come to mind when using these products, which include possible staining of siding surfaces, dealing with a product that may "run" or streak after initial application and possible damage to the plumage of woodpeckers that may not be acceptable in the "public’s eye."

Taste Aversion. There are also several liquid "feeding aversion" products on the market that have woodpeckers on their label. I personally have limited experience using these products. I would strongly suggest that you contact the manufacturers of these products prior to their use for referrals, copies of any published, nonbiased scientific evaluations that have taken place and specific "pointers" for the use of that product. There has been a significant amount of research surrounding the use of chemical treatment of wooden telephone poles with varying degrees of success. Remember not to over promise results when using products that you have limited experience using.

EXCLUSION. When woodpeckers are drumming on specific areas of a structure, such as a gutter, or they are feeding on carpenter bee larvae or creating nesting holes, you may want to consider the possible need to physically exclude them from that area. In the case of drumming on gutters, sometimes simply installing a covering over the site of activity, such as burlap wrapped over a section of gutter, may be sufficient in moving the bird(s) away from the site. In other extreme cases, the use of structural bird netting may be considered. Keep in mind that bird exclusion netting should be suspended a minimum of several inches off of the surface to prevent woodpeckers from landing on the netting and pecking through to the siding. A third exclusion possibility can take place using wire or Kevlar® line stretched across specific sites where woodpecker activity has taken place.

REMOVAL OF FOOD SOURCE. When carpenter bee activity is present and woodpeckers have started feeding on the larvae, it may be too late to implement a successful carpenter bee treatment program that will work in moving woodpeckers away from a location where this food source is present. If a structure has had a history of both woodpecker and carpenter bee activity, you might suggest preventively treating these sites early in the spring in order to reduce the likelihood of woodpecker feeding activity later in the year. It also may be necessary to consider physical exclusion procedures in order to eliminate woodpecker access to these sites by using a netting product.

REMOVAL. If all of your activities up to this point have not been successful in moving the offending woodpecker(s) from the area of concern, then it may be time to consider physical removal. The options for removal include trapping, shooting and the use of mist netting. Since woodpeckers are federally protected, a permit for all types of removal efforts should first be obtained from the United States Department of Fish and Wildlife Service. A copy of the permit application with directions for obtaining a permit can be obtained from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Web site at http://permits.fws.gov/.

If trapping an offending woodpecker is deemed necessary, then extended pan rat snap traps can often be used effectively. Traps can be mounted to vertical surfaces adjacent to where woodpecker activity is taking place and baited with suet or other suitable feeding attractants. If baited, the traps should be hung with the pan extending downward.

Another trapping technique involves cutting off approximately ½ inch of the wood from the end of the snap trap on the trigger end and securing the trap directly below the hole that is being used by the woodpecker. By "shortening" the trap the pan will actually extend beyond the length of the trap and be contacted by the bird when it attempts to land directly beneath the hole. In all cases using snap traps I feel that painting the traps the color of the siding will enhance the odds of success. If shooting is considered a viable option for woodpecker removal you should always keep safe and obey the laws in your area that regulate the discharge of firearms — these are your two top priorities.

A third option for woodpecker removal is the use of mist netting to capture woodpeckers as they attempt to fly by or land on surfaces adjacent to the area(s) of concern on a structure. The use of these nets should be considered as a non-lethal alternative to trapping and/or shooting. Mist netting should be attended by technicians while in place so that birds that are captured can be recovered as soon as possible. You should also investigate the need for any additional permits that may be applicable in the area of the country where you live for the use of mist netting.

CONCLUSION. If you are up for the challenge, then successfully addressing woodpecker concerns may be a service that you consider offering. In evaluating sites where woodpeckers are causing concern you should first obtain as much information as possible from the potential customer, as well as from an on-site evaluation. You should then develop a plan of action for more aggressive control measures, if needed. You should strive to educate the customer about why the woodpeckers are causing a problem and how you will implement programming to correct the concern. Always avoid "over promising" the effectiveness of your services to prevent customer dissatisfaction in the event that your initial efforts are not a total success. By keeping these points in mind you should be better prepared to respond to customer requests for help with problem woodpeckers.

The author is owner of McNeely Pest Control, Winston-Salem, N.C. He can be reached at smcneely@giemedia.com.

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My First (Poorly Executed) Attempt at Woodpecker Trapping

Back about 20 years ago we had an existing residential pest control customer who had woodpeckers damaging his home. The home was a two-story, wood-sided contemporary that had at least several dozen nest holes pecked in the siding. The homeowners had rubber snakes hanging out the windows, pie pans hanging from the gutters and several owl decoys on the roof. Apparently these devices had proven ineffective in repelling the woodpeckers from the structure. After a little discussion with the residents I found that the problem had been going on for several years and this was the year they were going to "put an end to it." Being the over-confident individual that I was at the time, I took on the job and assisted the homeowners in obtaining a depredation permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. With the permit in hand and armed with a dozen rat snap traps I went out and started setting traps under the holes that I could reach. (I didn’t have access to part of the structure due to height.) I figured that all I would need to do would be to set the rat traps under the holes and the woodpeckers would eventually land on them. After several disappointing days with no results I decided that I should paint the traps the same color as the house so that they would "blend in." After several more days with no results I decided that I should bait the traps and see if I could catch any that way. I chose crickets that I tied onto the pans with thread. (Several of which were carefully left alive.) And by now I’m sure you know the outcome...a bunch of man-hours were put into the job with literally no positive results for that customer and I was embarrassed to even charge them for the "service" I had attempted.

The positive outcome from this experience was that I realized that I didn’t know squat about catching woodpeckers. I also promised myself that if I ever took on another woodpecker job I would be better prepared to effectively deal with the situation.

At this home I did most everything wrong with the exception of deciding to paint the traps the color of the home. My first mistake was to over promise my service. I didn’t have enough knowledge before I started a job that I truly wasn’t qualified to take on. I didn’t consider any other techniques of exclusion or repelling the birds from the structure. I didn’t know what species of woodpecker was causing the damage and I did not observe what kind of activity was taking place. I also didn’t use the right type of snap trap (a standard treadle trigger vs. an expanded type trigger) and I didn’t obtain complete access to all areas of the home that needed coverage. When I tried baiting I used a bait that was not attractive to woodpeckers. I also made the decision that it was doubtful that we could make any money dealing with woodpeckers and it would be best not to deal with them in the future.

For the next few years I essentially gave out the standard advice and avoided getting involved with woodpecker calls and any woodpecker jobs. As my woodpecker failure continued to "haunt me" I took on the resolve that I would figure out how to effectively deal with these critters. I began to read as much as I could about woodpeckers, became familiar with the species present in our area and their behaviors, talked with other folks in our industry that had experience in dealing with woodpeckers and once again began providing customer assistance in dealing with woodpecker concerns.

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A FAILED ATTEMPT AT SAVING A DECK

About the time that I was starting to feel slightly better about dealing with woodpeckers (about 15 years ago), I received a call during the summer from a lady whose deck was being destroyed by woodpeckers. When I got out to the home I found that she had a number of carpenter bee holes in the deck and the woodpeckers were coming in and pecking out the larvae. I thought that treating the holes with insecticide might be of some benefit in killing the carpenter bee larvae. I also thought that this would be the ultimate time to implement a multifaceted approach that would solve her problem. This time I told the customer that I would like to try several techniques to solve her problem but I could not guarantee the results. I first went around with an insecticide dust and treated all of the carpenter bee holes. (This was ineffective since the dust would not reach the developing carpenter bee larvae that were partitioned off in the galleries.) I then hung up a number of pie pans to try and visually scare off the woodpeckers. My secret weapon was going to be one of the new feeding deterrent products that had woodpeckers listed on the label as one of the animals it would repel. At that time I learned that if you sprayed a feeding repellant overhead and upwind that it didn’t take much to find out how nasty tasting the stuff really was!

I was determined to stay after the woodpeckers until they left. Within a few weeks the woodpecker damage stopped and the customer was relieved that they were gone. In actuality my efforts had little effect on the woodpeckers leaving. They left because they had eventually eaten all of the carpenter bee larvae that were present in the deck. In this particular situation, literally covering the wooden deck with exclusion netting hung out away from the areas of carpenter bee larvae infestation, may have been the best approach to have taken. It may have been possible to have effectively repelled the woodpeckers from the site if the homeowner had noticed the damage when it first began and the woodpeckers had not identified this area as a feeding site. I also should have suggested filling the existing carpenter bee holes with a wood filler over the winter to lessen the likelihood of carpenter bee presence the following year. I should have made the recommendation to have a preventive carpenter bee treatment program the next spring and have the homeowner consider painting the deck as an alternative to a preventive carpenter bee treatment program using insecticide.