My paint is in good condition, but I do have carpenter bees, ugh. They also *love* my PT pine fencing. Anyway, the chimney is certainly it's own issue with the cavity inside that just has to call out to those woodpeckers! I am also trying to think if there's any way to put something behind the new cement-board, to make it even less hollow sounding if they try to peck on it. Something to deaden the sound.

marita, I have never heard of a bird pecking a hole into a flower pot. I wonder if it was gathering materials for its nest. Do not think it would have been a Bluebird. What you could do is to add one of the clear plastic drip pans to the pot for awhile to discourage any further pecking. Here is a link that might be useful:

1) do something about the bugs that the woodpeckers are going after. They don't make holes for the sake of making holes, there are critters in there that look like breakfast to Mr. Woodpecker. They don't make a hole if they are just drumming to announce their presence. 2) On my barn, which has been infested with winter moths under the shingles, I discourage the woodpeckers by sliding a piece of aluminum between the shingles to cover the hole, tacking it in place with a small SS nail. Hit it with a dab of red paint and it is not very noticeable. Getting the building weather tight and re-painting seems to have made it less hospitable to the moths. In one area I discovered a serious carpenter ant farm thanks to the woodpecker's attention, so it's not all bad.

Extension offices need to follow pretty strict rules on what can be recommended. So, their recommendations need to be based on some well-trusted source like university research. See the link for the four university (Cornell, Utah State, Clemson and Nebraska) fact sheet on control. This looks like what I've seen in the past in printed form for us. An extension office which does not have to deal often with this problem could probably safely use the material linked for clients who inquired. Note that the rat traps are really a scare measure, and we've never seen a bird trapped. The action of the trap does seem to be an effective deterrent. Flickers are a very significant pest in our area. They lead to very expensive house damage, and open the way for many other pests to enter, as well as allowing rain and snow to come in. Telephone poles and similar structures are damaged regularly. They are not deterred by glittering materials or noise makers. I have stood and thrown sticks at them, and it takes a lot of effort to get them to even move away from a hole. I can stand and spray water at them and they just look at me. Tangletrap is indeed effective in deterring damage, and does not harm the bird. There really are not other effective methods that impact the birds less. Roosting boxes are strongly discouraged here; there are already many roosting sites, and boxes are thought to just encourage a greater population density. Renais Here is a link that might be useful: Flicker control