Garden

[fthunt]

Funny - and I've heard they like shiny things - like gutters & downspouts.   Truth is somewhere in there..........LOL

[drizzellla]

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@fthunt wrote:

Yes, suet cakes peanut butter flavor.   I keep them out all winter and 3 sizes of Woodpeckers work those all day long.   "Woody" the big one planted himself up on chimney top and banged away. once.......sounded like a jackhammer.  What a racket & never happened before nor since.

I have lots of dead Ash trees and they work them too.

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We also put peanut suet cakes out for the woodpeckers. Plus the woodpeckers like the Fruit and Berry bird seed we put out for the finches.

Our trees are in good shape and don't have bugs, that we are aware of, so they have stayed away from our trees.

[PickyPicky3]

Lots of good ideas here, but none that would work for me. Trim is painted and I see no sign of infestation. I can't imagine leaving at least 10 CDs up year round. I don't want to feed them (I'm in a townhouse community with a tiny yard.) 

I did learn that males like to peck on metal to find a mate. The louder the better.

I read about people adding poison to their trim paint. That's a no.

I guess it's repair, observe, repeat.

[Mom2Dogs]

We had a woodpecker damage the cedar siding on our back porch....after we fixed the damage I hung a metal pie plate int he area to scare the bird away...it worked and so far has not come back.

[SeaMaiden]

We have lots of flickers and wood peckers....always attacking our wood siding(SEATTLE AREA) we replaced the wood siding with a composite siding and no more damage.  Nothing stopping them until we replaced the siding.

[KatieB]

I thought they pecked on dead trees.  And live in dead trees.

[RedTop]

A woodpecker knows where and what to peck for his food sources, but he also establishes primary pecking places to establish his territory and look for a mate.  

This is why they often peck on metal surfaces which produce a louder sound that can be heard farther.  

[Snoopp]

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@On It wrote:

@PickyPicky3 Our pest control company told us to hang CD discs along the eves of the house where they were pecking. They don't like the reflections from the discs so they leave. 

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I bought the reflective tape and tied it to trees on the side of the house where the woodpecker goes.  It has kept him (mostly) off my siding and he's gone to my neighbor's house.  

I also use the big ball you blow up and hang from a tree.  It's supposed to scare them away...it has eyes on it.