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	Woodpecker Holes in Houses

What to do if you have a woodpecker making a hole in your house.

Woodpeckers do occasionally make holes in houses. It is an annoying and difficult problem to solve, in part because we do not know why the birds are doing this. It may be that they hear something which sounds like an insect in the walls, or it may be a young bird choosing an inappropriate place to make a cavity for the winter. There is no evidence to suggest that there are actually insects present in the walls of the house. The behavior is most often observed in the fall and does not usually continue into the winter or spring.

In dealing with the problem, remember that woodpeckers are protected by both state and federal laws, and it is illegal to kill them. First, try discouraging them by chasing them away whenever you find them on the house. Shout at it or try squirting it with a hose. Then try to make the drilling site less accessible by covering the affected area with something such as a sheet of plastic which the woodpeckers cannot cling to, heavy plywood, or hardware cloth. The idea is to discourage them during the fall season when the behavior is most common. If this is not successful or practical, contact the Wildlife Services office of the US Department of Agriculture. They deal with problems in which a bird or animal is actually causing property damage. The number for their Concord office is 223-6832.

Unfortunately, there is no spray or paint that will discourage drilling woodpeckers; stuffed or plastic owls and rubber snakes are usually ineffective. So remember: barriers and discouragement are your best defenses.

Good luck and do not hesitate to use your own creativity to come up with possible woodpecker deterrents. It's always worth a try.