How to Stop Woodpeckers From Pecking Your House

You can find woodpeckers all over the eastern United States, and they can be fun to seek out if you are a bird watcher. However, if you find one pecking at your home, you will find that it not only makes a great deal of noise, but it can also cause quite a bit of damage. To make matters worse, if you don’t find a way to prevent it, the bird may return year after year to do more damage. If you have a woodpecker creating a hole in your home and aren’t sure how to make it stop, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we list several things that you can try to convince these birds to choose another location.

Methods to Stop Woodpeckers From Pecking Your House

1. Shiny Spiral Wind Reflector — Best Method

What seems to particularly bother woodpeckers are shiny things, and they seem to avoid areas that receive many reflections. So, the best way to deter woodpeckers from coming around the house is also one of the easiest and least expensive. Place a shiny wind reflector or several around your home to get rid of the birds. Many people purchase these as lawn ornaments, and you can usually find them at your local dollar store or any department store. The wind spins them, so they are constantly in motion, reflecting light in unpredictable ways and scattering it in all directions. The woodpecker will have a hard time getting used to it and will likely choose another location to peck for food.

2. Covering the Hole

The good news is that woodpeckers only like to peck wood, so the animal might go away if you cover the hole. You might want to consider siding, which can give your home a facelift while permanently eliminating your woodpecker problem. Spackling might help in areas where you can’t put siding, but you’ll need to find something that matches your home. Another problem with simply covering the hole is that the woodpecker might simply start working on another part of your building.

3. Shiny Objects

Woodpeckers do not like reflections or shiny things, and many people find success by placing a mirror or even a few pieces of aluminum foil near the hole. These items can cause the bird to move on and choose another spot. However, since these items are mostly stationary, they are only effective at certain times of the day, when the sunlight hits them correctly. The smart woodpecker might be able to determine that it’s a trick and will no longer be bothered by it. Another problem with this method is that it might require you to climb up high to reach the woodpecker’s favorite place on your home.

4. Netting

If the woodpecker is working on an area of your home under an overhang, you can hang netting to prevent access. In many cases, the bird will move on to another target, and there are different sized nets, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding something the right size. The downside to netting is that it can get expensive, and you will need to climb onto the roof to hang it and take it down. It might also look unsightly, and the bird might simply choose another spot on your home to go to work.

5. Owl Eye Balloons

If there is one thing that woodpeckers hate as much as shiny objects, it’s an owl. Many people find success hanging balloons with large owl eyes on them to scare away the woodpeckers. Balloons can also be effective at keeping ducks off your property, which is especially helpful if you have a swimming pool. The balloons work well hanging from an overhang, and they might convince the woodpecker to move on. However, these birds are good at figuring out these tricks, and the balloons will only work for a few days, so if the woodpecker doesn’t move on quickly, it will likely return to its original spot.

6. Owl Statues

You can place an owl statue near the area that the woodpecker visits. It can be quite effective, but the woodpecker will figure out the trick eventually because it doesn’t move. Some people have had more success by moving around the statue frequently, but that may require dangerous climbing.

7. Sprinklers

Woodpeckers don’t like wet ground, so an easy way to keep one away from your home is to use a sprinkler system to keep the area that they are interested in wet. While it does work well, it might be difficult to reach the woodpecker on a multistory home, and if the bird is persistent, this water use can increase your water bill and can be wasteful.

8. Distress Sounds

One option that many people find success with is an audio distress call that you can purchase. You can likely find distress sounds on YouTube and other online sources for free. Play the sounds on a loud stereo, and they will frighten away the woodpecker quite effectively. The downside to playing these sounds is that they need to be quite loud, which can bother other family members and nearby neighbors. Another thing that you might also experience is the woodpecker returning as soon as the audio stops.

Summary

The shiny spiral wind reflector is the most effective way to prevent woodpeckers from pecking your house. They are inexpensive, look attractive, and don’t make any noise, so you can place several of them around your yard. Even a gentle wind will turn them, causing light to reflect unpredictably in all directions, so the birds won’t get used to it. You won’t need to climb anything or power them with water or electricity, and they work all day without maintenance. The other methods are also effective, but some birds might be able to get around them.

Featured Image Credit: Pixabay