In this guide, we’ll be discussing woodpecker deterrent devices and methods that work.

Domestic birds are arguably the most loved animals on Earth, actually, more than dogs. This is because they are gracious, but mainly because many of them sing lovely tunes as they fly or perch.

However, there is one bird whose sounds can be very annoying.

These birds are woodpeckers! Their constant tapping sounds can be a real bother, especially if the tree they are tapping on is very close to your bedroom window.

Not to worry, there are woodpecker repellents you can use to drive them away. This is what we will be discussing in this article.

Here is another guide on getting rid of these birds.

Keep reading!

Deterring Woodpeckers

The most distinguishing characteristic of a woodpecker is its knack for pecking on house. But why do they do this?

These birds peck on wooden surfaces in search of food. They eat pretty much any insect, including termites, ants, worms, and other varieties of bugs.

Their activities aren’t limited to trees alone, they will also peck on the outer wooden structures around your home if there is food within. This will cause considerable damage to your home’s exterior and would cost some money in repairs.

There are several means by which you can repel woodpeckers, but harming them is not among your options. This is because woodpeckers are protected, thanks to the vital role they play in the ecosystem.

Their insect feeding habits help rid gardens of destructive insect pests that do severe damage to fruit-producing trees. Nonetheless, the damage they cause to exterior wooden structures cannot be overlooked, hence the need to keep them away.

Woodpecker Deterrent Products & Methods

Luckily, there are several means by which woodpeckers can be repelled without harming them. We will be giving you a few tips on how to do this.

Use Scare Dummies

Small birds are usually afraid of larger predators and would not go anywhere close to where they can be found. You can use this knowledge to your advantage to keep woodpeckers away.

A simple tip here is to place scarecrow dummies on the roof of your home. These dummies could include large rubber snakes or larger birds of prey.

Make sure these dummies are in balloon-like form and are held to your home by a string. After you have inflated the dummy balloons, string them up on your roof and let the wind do the rest.

These dummies will keep moving as long as there is the slightest wind. When the woodpeckers see this, they will think twice about landing on your home and pecking your wooden structure.

Make sure the dummy predators have large colorful eyes and an open mouth. This would be too scary for the woodpeckers and they would stay clear of your home.

You can employ the same tactic if you want to keep them away from your garden.

But why would you want to repel woodpeckers from your garden, aren’t they beneficial? This is a good question.

The reason you may want to use woodpecker deterrents in your garden is that these birds do not only eat the pest insects, they also eat up the beneficial insects as well. Not to mention the damage they can cause to your trees by deforming them with holes.

There are other means by which you can get rid of garden pests.

Get A Real Prey Bird

What’s better than a dummy prey? A real one!

Woodpeckers are medium-sized birds, there are much larger and stronger birds which they are afraid of. This class of birds includes hawks and falcons.

Having a hawk or a falcon around your yard is a sure means by which you can repel woodpeckers.

You can buy one from a licensed pet store and have it keep watch over your home. However, there are factors you have to take into consideration before you keep a prey bird at home.

First of all, you need to provide adequate space for them to live. You cannot keep a bird that large in a confined space. Secondly, you need to make adequate provisions for food and water. Keep in mind that catering to large prey birds is a lot of work.

If you are sure that you can comfortably and consistently take care of their needs, then you can proceed to get one.

Hawks and falcons are very intimidating to smaller birds and they make good security against woodpeckers. Any woodpecker that has the intention of perching on your woodwork and drilling through it would be turned off by the sight of any larger-sized prey bird.

 Use Wind Chimes

Birds, especially the ones that aren’t large do not like feeling threatened. Things that could make them feel insecure include larger prey and loud consistent noise.

Speaking of noise, you can use chimes to keep woodpeckers away from your home. The constant clinging sounds would keep them uneasy and they will feel something is coming to get them with every sound.

You can install wind chimes in your garden to keep the woodpeckers away from your trees or install them around your house to keep them away from your exterior woodwork.

If the peckers do not feel safe around your home or garden, they will rather stay clear and look for food elsewhere.

Use Motion Sensors

Using motion sensors to detect woodpecker activities around your home or garden is another way to keep the birds at bay.

Most sensors have loud alarms that are triggered when motion is detected in targeted areas. Guess who gets scared when they hear loud, sudden noises? Birds!

When the woodpecker perches on your roof or the side of your house, the motion sensor will pick up its movements and trigger a sharp, loud noise that will scare them away.

As we have mentioned before, most birds, especially the smaller-sized species do not like the feeling of being threatened and will fly away in an instant if there is any slight sign of danger, even if it’s just noise.

You can install a sensor/alarm in your roof and in the garden to keep tabs on woodpecker activity.

Be warned though, while this method may be effective in chasing woodpeckers away, it might become an inconvenience to you. This is because the alarm may be triggered by other harmless birds who are just looking to perch and cool off.

If you can deal with the noise, then proceed to install one.

Use An Electronic Owl

Just like hawks and falcons, Owls are also large prey birds that woodpeckers would rather have nothing to do with. Owls have fierce and intimidating looks and make scary noises that scare woodpeckers.

In this case, you wouldn’t need to get a real live owl, there is a much cheaper alternative, and this is an electronic owl.

Electronic owls are pretty much robots that can either be remotely controlled or left on to move for as long as the batteries permit. All you need to do is buy one and place it on an elevated platform around your home and turn it on.

There are several types of electronic owls but they all have similar movements that are meant to drive the woodpeckers away.

Common movements include moving the head from left to right or up and down. Flapping the wings up and down is another sequence most electronic owls have.

Besides their movements, electronic owls also produce sounds to scare the woodpeckers away. These sounds are real live owl noises that have been pre-recorded and installed into the electronic owl.

Woodpeckers understand the sounds of real predators and would fly away when they hear the sound of one.

Install Sprinklers On Your Roof

This may not be the most effective means to repel woodpeckers, but it can produce good results all the same.

We have talked about motion sensors and how when triggered, can produce sounds that will scare woodpeckers away. Using the same motion sensor technology, sprinklers can be triggered when woodpeckers land on the woodwork of your home.

A quick and sudden spray of water will scare the birds off once they perch. The advantage the sprinkler technology has over that of a loud alarm is that it is not noisy. Using this you can be at peace, and repel the woodpeckers at the same time.

Although you have to be prepared to deal with little sprinkles of water on your yard floor now and then, it’s a small price to pay.

Avian Control is a popular example of a woodpecker deterrent spray that works.

Other Means To Keep Woodpeckers From Boring Through Your Woodwork

There are other means to keep woodpeckers away from your home besides repelling them. Remember, harming them can never be among your options!

First, you can remove their food source by keeping the exterior woodwork of your home insect-free. No food, no woodpecker activity.

You can also provide an alternative feeder for them so they will stay clear of your home.

Conclusion

Woodpeckers can be problematic, but must not be harmed in the process of repelling them.

We trust this article on woodpecker repellents has been helpful.

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