Woodpeckers 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.
Why woodpeckers peck on your house:
They drum mostly during spring and 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 are persistent and humans don’t scare them off easily.
How to stop woodpeckers from pecking your house:
There are 3 ways you can stop woodpeckers from making holes in your house:
- Switch exterior materials. You can either replace your entire siding or just the areas they peck. Composite materials tend to work the best.
- 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.
- Fake predators. You can set up fake owls or snakes to scare woodpeckers away. But these are some smart birds. They will figure out the fakes unless you move them around every week or so.
How to repair woodpecker holes in 10 steps:
- Decide if the damaged boards need repairing or replacing
- For replacing, take measurements of the boards you will need to replace
- 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)
- Cut out or remove the boards
- Decide if you are going to use the same material or switch to composite
- Cut the replacement boards to fit
- If the replacement boards are wood, prime the boards on all 6 sides
- Install the boards using the appropriate nails, screws, or glue
- Caulk the new boards
- Paint or stain the new boards