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Woodpecker Overview

Last Updated: February 05, 2008 Related resource areas: Wildlife Damage Management


Woodpeckers | Woodpecker Overview | Woodpecker Damage Assessment | Woodpecker Damage Management | Woodpecker Resources | Woodpecker Acknowledgments | ICWDM | Wildlife Species Information


Red-headed woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus (left); downy woodpecker, Picoides pubescens (right).
Red-headed woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus (left); downy woodpecker, Picoides pubescens (right).


Woodpeckers at times cause damage to buildings with wood siding, especially cedar and redwood (Evans et al. 1983). The birds peck holes to locate insects, store acorns, or establish nest sites. They also damage utility poles. Sapsuckers attack trees to feed on the sap, bark tissues, and insects attracted to the sap. This feeding can sometimes kill the tree or degrade the quality of wood for commercial purposes (Ostry and Nicholls 1976). Woodpeckers occasionally annoy homeowners by knocking on metal rain gutters and stove pipes to proclaim their territories.

Contents

Summary of Damage Prevention and Control Methods

Exclusion

Netting.

Metal barriers.

Frightening

Visual. Sound.

Repellents

Olfactory. Taste. Tactile.

Toxicants

None are registered.

Trapping

Rat snap trap.

Shooting

Effective where shooting can be conducted safely. Permits are required.

Other Methods

Suet as alternative food. Nest boxes as alternative cavities. Insecticides for indirect control.


Woodpeckers | Woodpecker Overview | Woodpecker Damage Assessment | Woodpecker Damage Management | Woodpecker Resources | Woodpecker Acknowledgments | ICWDM | Wildlife Species Information


More information

birds, wdm overview

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