 Woodpecker problems are becoming more common as we move further into the suburbs. Even though woodpeckers can be a major nuisance, woodpecker control methods must be humane as these birds are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
The most effective woodpecker control product is to use ¾" bird netting to completely deny access to the woodpeckers target area. This netting is nearly invisible when installed, but it’s not always a practical solution in every situation.
Some humane woodpecker deterrents that can be effective are audio, visual and taste repellents— especially when combined together and applied when the woodpecker problem first arises. Examples of these products would be to combine a taste repellent like woodpecker hole filler, with some visual products like a few bird scare eye balloons and a bird scare octopus or flash tape.
There are now some effective woodpecker taste repellant products on the market and the following group has proven especially effective over the last ten years.
The woodpecker hole filler is an environmentally safe, non-toxic, resin-repair system that is specifically designed to repair damage caused by woodpeckers to wood structures while providing a natural woodpecker deterrent to protect against future drilling. When the woodpecker drills into the hole it is met with a nasty taste and odor, making it undesirable to peck there again. It is best to use the woodpecker hole filler where woodpeckers have drilled to prevent further damage, following up with the woodpecker repellent taste aversion spray over the entire problem area to deter future drilling. Also available is a protective woodpecker paint additive for long-lasting extra protection.
As with any non-permanent bird deterrent, you can increase the effectiveness of a bird taste repellant product by combining it with bird visual deterrents such as scare eye balloons, octopus, bird scare spider or mylar flash tape. These woodpecker scare deterrents give the woodpecker a feeling of being threatened by predators, and when this is combined with an unpleasant tasting drilling site, the problem woodpecker is much less likely to stay in the area. Ready-made woodpecker control kits that include both woodpecker taste repellents and bird scare products are available online to cover whatever size area you need to protect in the right ratio of products to area size.
Another humane bird scare option is a high-tech audio woodpecker deterrent like the Bird Xpeller Pro that can be effective in extreme cases against certain species of woodpeckers. These audio bird control units are programmed with many woodpecker species’ specific distress calls, plus predator attack cries and loud noises like gunshots to startle and frighten the birds. When used with the visual bird control devices above, these sounds give the woodpecker a feeling of being surrounded by predators, and it convinces them to find more desirable surroundings.
Remember, if you are not using a physical deterrent like bird net to protect your structure from woodpeckers, you should combine bird scare products together using at least one taste woodpecker repellent with at least one visual or audio woodpecker repellant.
Follow these simple guidelines and you’ll have that woodpecker winging away in no time! |
