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Porches & Decks

Woodpecker is eating my wood deck

12 years ago

A woodpecker visited my deck several times today and is drilling it with its beak. Lots of noise and now holes. Is there anything I can do to keep it away? Also, if I stain the deck, will it make it less attractive to the woodpecker? Thanks for any assistance.

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mom270
Original Author

12 years ago

Thanks for the suggestions! The exterminator came today. He said we had carpenter bees which the woodpecker could hear through the wood and go after. He believes the woodpecker got all of the bees, but suggested noisemakers (i.e. windchimes) and also painting a strip of black under the porch railing which we'll try. Hopefully we won't see the woodpecker again!

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Comments (6)

gvgemtp
12 years ago
My understanding of the the dreaded woody woodpecker is they are not eating wood but eating or after insects. Any wood borer hole in your deck?
deckman22
12 years ago
Unless he's on the endangered species list I'd get the BB gun out & pop him one. If you don't want to shoot him give him a couple of close calls that will scare him off.
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ladyinthewoods
12 years ago
YES! Plenty of things to try to keep Woody away!

Place strategically around your home/deck: A plastic owl (check the cheapo store garden dept., around $8 or $9). Lightweight windsox. Cheap aluminum pie pans. A TV kept on that shows through the window. Windchimes. Leave a radio with the volume up, inside but near the deck. Move the owl, windsox, pie pans, and windchimes from place to place so he doesn't get accustomed to them.

Woodpeckers fear the owl, as the owl is its natural predator. They usually don't like things that blow around, are noisy, and (especially) are silvery-shiney. They prefer their space (i.e., no humans) so they often don't care for the bright, changing movements from the television.

Woodpeckers love wood, especially cedar, as well as certain colors, including red.

We tackled our own Woody in just a couple days with the above tactics. (He bored through several treated lumber pieces, decking, railing, roof under-layment, etc.) While they sometimes go after little bugs in the woods, it's not always the case (and wasn't the case with our guy either).

This should work and you'll be witnessing Displacement Theory in action. :)
Good luck!
salmon_slayer
12 years ago
your lucky its "just your deck" they were putting holes in my house!

Deckman has the best solution - unfortunately the #$%^ woodpecker is on the list in my area. Owls did not work, shiny tinsel worked for a short time. Noise helps (but this was a second home and they would show up while we were gone)

we finally got rid of them by painting the house (it was stained redwood) not the best solution for a deck.

get a pellet gun!
lydia1959
12 years ago
All woodpeckers are protected by federal law. It is illegal to shoot them.

Try colorful windsocks. I just bought a bunch at the dollar store and hung them on my deck posts. The movement scares the birds away.

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