- 1). Address the problem immediately. The longer you allow a woodpecker to hang around, the more difficult it is to get it to leave, because it has formed the habit of drumming there.
- 2). Draw or attach owl eyes to a balloon and hang it in the drumming area. Create or purchase a falcon in flight and attach it. All birds are afraid of falcons. Move the falcon around so the woodpecker won't realize that it's a fake. These are temporary solutions that will be effective only as long as the woodpecker believes they pose a threat.
- 3). Install netting on your siding, leaving 3 inches between the net and the siding to ensure that the woodpecker can't cause damage through the netting. Netting is effective because it is invisible from a distance, and is a long-term solution to controlling woodpeckers.
- 4). Attach a handheld windmill to the woodpecker's drumming site. Ensure that it has reflective vanes and that they move freely.
- 5). Get rid of things that attract woodpeckers, such as insects or dead trees. Use a woodpecker repellent like pentachlorophenol. This substance also protects wood and repels insects. Purchase sticky bird repellents like Roost-no-More or Bird Stop. However, sticky repellents may run in the heat. Use a chemical repellent such as Thiram or Ro-pel.
- 6). Remove the siding where the woodpecker is drumming and place soft material or insulation behind it. This is effective in deadening the sound the woodpecker makes.
- 7). Display several aluminum foil strips 2 to 3 feet above the drumming location. Hang them on strings to sway in the wind so the motion will scare the birds away.
- 8). Make a lot of noise when you hear the woodpecker drumming. Clap loudly, shout or bang on pans and boards. Play very loud music in a window near the woodpecker's location to scare it away.
- 9). Attach a mirror to the siding where the woodpecker drums. Woodpeckers get scared if they see themselves in a mirror and won't hang around.
- 10
Obtain a federal permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to kill or trap the woodpecker if all other methods fail.
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