Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers look like small to medium-sized birds, ranging from seven to 15 inches long. They have distinct plumage that features black, brown, and white patterns. One of the most prominent features is vivid red markings around their faces. Woodpeckers have short legs with one or two backward-pointing claws, called a zygodactyl foot, which aids in scaling trees and structures.

Woodpeckers have sticky, barbed tongues used to dislodge and grasp insects and other food sources. Their sharp, pointy beaks have three layers: a scaly keratin layer, a layer of porous bones, and a large cavity with inner bones and collagen fibers.

Woodpeckers nest and roost in cavities of hollow or dead trees. The birds are found in deciduous and coniferous forests around the country and usually live near streams or other water sources. Forested swamps, orchards, city parks, and wooded lots are also favored woodpecker nesting sites. Woodpeckers look for dead or rotting wood, which they can use to forage insects. If sections of your home have rot and attract bugs, a woodpecker may try to live there or nearby.

You may want to check your home for insects that attract woodpeckers, including:

• Ants.
• Bees.
• Termites.
• Beetles.
• Wasps.
• Wood roaches.
• Spiders.
• Flies.

Many species are crucial to our ecosystem. Without them, nature would be imbalanced. Without woodpeckers, the insect population could be uncontrollable, damaging homes, crops, gardens, and more. In addition, other animals needing a den for the winter use their nest holes.

Woodpeckers also consume decaying organic matter while excavating for bugs. They drop this matter as they fly, and spreading it helps it decay in other areas. Because of their many benefits, woodpeckers are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Homes that border wooded areas generally endure heightened woodpecker activity. They can quickly move from pecking trees to drumming on buildings’ siding, trim, and eaves. Woodpeckers like to hear the echoes of their drumming or drilling. If they can make it louder by drumming on metal, they will.

Woodpeckers are believed to do this because buildings’ amplification and resonation mimic that of trees. They may even peck your downspouts, gutters, siding, and metal tanks. Drumming and drilling sounds help birds mark their territory, recognize mates during courtship, and alert other birds of danger.

If any part of your home, shed, or outbuilding resembles a tree or is host to food sources, woodpeckers may become active there. The same is true if your yard contains trees that attract woodpeckers.

Woodpeckers damage homes by drilling holes in wood siding. Most damage occurs in the spring and fall when males attempt to attract mates with territorial hammering. Some species of woodpeckers will store food supplies, such as acorns and nuts, in drilled-out areas beneath wood siding and shingles. Sapsucker woodpeckers weaken trees over time with their constant drilling, which prevents trees from receiving nutrients and leaves the affected trees susceptible to harmful insects and diseases.

Woodpeckers’ drilling and drumming activities can leave holes in wood beams and supports, making structures unstable. The holes they make encourage insect infestations. Rainwater seeps into the holes, further deteriorating wood and causing mold to grow. Woodpeckers damage trees, but they can also cause significant harm to your home’s wood and metal structures. They may peck at electrical lines and plumbing when their beaks break through the siding. A break in electrical lines puts your home at risk for fire, and plumbing leaks can lead to flooding and mold growth.

Physical exclusions are the most effective way to repel and prevent woodpeckers from damaging your home. At the same time, you must consider and protect nature and one of nature’s most valuable resources, the woodpecker. Professional woodpecker control and removal offers comprehensive services to cover everything needed to repel and prevent woodpeckers safely and humanely.

Experts at Critter Control provide services like the following:

• Repairing and painting over all woodpecker holes.
• Using visual aids to deter a woodpecker.
• Preventing insects from nesting around the home, as the lack of readily available food sources will force the birds to move on to new locations.
• Covering damaged areas with screens, netting, or predator decoys can also help limit woodpecker damage.

You cannot forcibly remove a woodpecker from your home or property due to their legal protections under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Further, trapping a woodpecker is ineffective, as the birds can fly back to your property after release. Woodpeckers return to the same sites regularly once finding a food source.

If a woodpecker is stuck in your home, wildlife control experts can remove it using the proper gear and permits. Contacting trained wildlife professionals ensures that the removal of woodpeckers is done safely and humanely. While woodpeckers are not known to be disease-carrying species, trying to remove one yourself puts you at risk of being pecked, which can be painful. Critter Control specialists have the tools and experience to carry out woodpecker control removal and implement exclusions that will keep your property free from future woodpecker activity.