3 Ways To Stop Woodpecker Pecking And How To Fix The Holes

This Is How People In Ann Arbor Stop Woodpeckers From Pecking And How We Repair Woodpecker Damage

Woodpecker drumming on your home may be one of the most annoying sounds in the world. We want to help you make it stop or at least minimize it.

In this post, you can find out why they peck, how to stop it, and how we repair the holes.

It’s Drumming Me Crazy!

“Ugh I mean it’s DRIVING me crazy,” complains Jason.

Sarah sighs. “Tell me about it,” -she says as she massages her temples- “We have to find out how to stop woodpeckers from pecking cedar siding. Then we need to learn how to repair woodpecker holes.”

Now it’s Jason’s turn to sigh. “Stopping them will be hard, as will repairing their holes. Most carpenters won’t because it’s such a small job. We’ll need a carpentry service that’ll do these small paint and repairs.”

Sarah frowns, shaking her head. “I’m sure we can find solutions to both problems on Google.” She takes her phone out of her pocket and starts searching Google.

Here’s what she finds and shares with Jason:

Why Woodpeckers Peck On Your House

via GIPHY

They drum mostly during spring on metal or wood surfaces that create an echo. It can happen multiple times a day for months at a time. They live in the same area year-round.

They’re persistent and humans don’t scare them off easily.

How To Stop Woodpeckers From Pecking Your House

There are 4 ways you can try to stop woodpeckers from making holes in your house:

1. Switch exterior materials. You can either replace your entire siding or just the areas they peck. Composite materials like Hardie plank siding tend to work best.

For the 14-plus years I’ve lived in our current house I’ve replaced the same corner boards three times. I also hear them pecking at the metal chimney cap. They are creatures of habit and very persistent. – Todd Tribble

2. Hang up reflective materials. Reflective tape can get woodpeckers to stop pecking your house. You nail the tape to the exterior of your home. It moves with the wind and reflects sunlight which helps keep woodpeckers away. You’ll need to replace it once it breaks off.

3. Fake predators. You can set up fake owls or snakes to scare woodpeckers away. But these are some smart birds. They’ll figure out the fakes unless you move them around every week or so.

How To Repair Woodpecker Holes In 10 Steps

This is how to fix woodpecker holes in a house the Tribble Painting way:

1. Decide if the damaged boards need repairing or replacing
2. For replacing, take measurements of the boards you will need to replace
3. For repairing, determine based on the size of the hole if you will caulk (small holes), patch with wood epoxy (medium holes), or replace (large holes)
4. Cut out or remove the boards
5. Decide if you’re going to use the same material or switch to composite
6. Cut the replacement boards to fit
7. If the replacement boards are wood, prime the boards on all six sides
8. Install the boards using the appropriate nails, screws, or glue
9. Caulk the new boards
10. Paint or stain the new boards

You May Also Like To Know

“Now we just need to decide which course of action we want to take,” says Sarah. Jason nods. “Well, while we discuss it, why don’t we see if any posts on this blog can help us make a decision,” he suggests.

• Exterior painting costs
• How we paint exterior wood siding