I have a strange and expensive problem. Pileated woodpeckers are destroying my house. I'm in north Georgia in the Blue Ridge mountains, and the house is constructed with stained wood siding - looks like a log cabin. Apparently, the woodpeckers look for holes in the wood caused by carpenter bees, then proceed to destroy that area looking for larvae. And when I say destroy, they did over $10k in damage to an exterior wooden beam above the porch (it supports the edge of the roof and needs to be replaced. This particular beam is an 8x6, and in some areas they have penetrated almost completely through the beam (thankfully its not structural).

So my response to date - this occurred last year as well - is to to get the cabin sprayed for carpenter bees. The effect of this is minimal as the bees seem to still find places to drill. Next, I put up a fake owl and a falcon to scare them off. Lastly, I hung sparkling streamer looking things that besides not being that effective, really looks stupid. The plastic predatory birds seemed to work for a bit, but the woodpeckers no longer care. I've even moved them around with little effect.

So I was thinking of making some motion triggered system that would play sounds of predatory birds or other loud noises. It's a weekend place for both me and my neighbors so occasional noise isn't a big issue. Just wanted to see if anyone else here had a creative solution (and unfortunately a shotgun is not creative where I'm situated).

Open to any ideas or suggestions.

Thanks

We have a lot of Gulls, being close to Lake Michigan, so some property owners install wires across areas where they might land. I have also seen stiff wire arranged like a multi-pointed star, attached to the building- neither would seen to be a good landing spot.

WRT fake Owls- I went past a boat dealer that had one and saw a Hawk sitting on its head.

I found a link for keeping woodpeckers away but I don't think it would work for Pileated- those effers probably don't care about much.

We have woodpecker issues where I am as well and they're illegal to shoot. One of my customers bought a device that does exactly what you were asking. It picks up motion and plays the calls of predatory birds. Solved their problem in less than a week.

The fake owls and stuff worked for a couple days before the woodpeckers realized they were fake.

We have woodpecker issues where I am as well and they're illegal to shoot. One of my customers bought a device that does exactly what you were asking. It picks up motion and plays the calls of predatory birds. Solved their problem in less than a week.

The fake owls and stuff worked for a couple days before the woodpeckers realized they were fake.

[Link: urbannaturestore.ca]

Not exactly what they got but the idea is the same

There's got to be an ornithology department at some college in your state, where someone would have an idea what to do. And look for people who get rid of pest animals. None of us, probably, are nasty enough and knowledgeable enough to know what to do.

Woodpeckers only peck holes when there are bugs. They can hear the bugs inside the wood. Get rid of the bugs and you’ll get rid of the woodpeckers.

Now that opens up a whole different problem. I have seen a log cabin sprayed from top to bottom with pesticide. But in most states now, that’s illegal.

It's the circle of life, Bub.

Posit: Nobody wants a forest that's just all the downed trees of the last ten thousand years.

Part of the solution is that bugs eat downed trees. Also, woodpeckers eat bugs, enlarging the holes in the downed trees and making it easier for the trees to be recycled into soil.

Bugs also eat trees that have been downed but that people think are useful as something other than bug fodder. This doesn't make them not be bug fodder, however.

Got news for you Ernie, it's not just trees, and wood houses, Woodpeckers will try to eat aluminum gutters too.

But then again, maybe we have the elusive Metalpecker?

Was going to suggest this. It's how we control wildlife around here...

Google

How to Get Rid of Woodpeckers on My House
Use pieces of aluminum flashing to cover any holes that are created by a woodpecker. ...
Use an automatic sprinkler with motion activation to wet the side of your home. ...
Place owl effigies around your property. ...


Hang pieces of reflective tape from the side of your home.

I've seen this done, can't say if it works or not.

The house I moved in to last year has cedar siding in poor condition on the sides facing south. I'm planning on residing the house in Dryvit and was concerned about wood peckers attacking that as well (they will).

We have an ample wood pecker population judging by the constant hammering in the woods around us but I've been looking for signs of them on our house since we moved in and there are none.

Fortunately, we also have an ample population of Owl's and the wood peckers seem to shy away from operating in open spaces on the houses in our neighborhood.

Outside cats with food on the porch???

Hawk?

do what half the restaurants in florida do... fishing line strung up in a grid ... keeps the birds out