Today I will show you that woodpecker removal doesn’t need to be a difficult task!
When people first encounter a woodpecker problem, they often begin searching for a so-called “woodpecker exterminator.” I hate to break it to you but no such thing exists. A general exterminator will have some basic working knowledge of how to scare woodpeckers away but it certainly isn’t worth paying for!
You are quite capable of removing woodpeckers all on your own!
People are generally under the impression that they will call up a “woodpecker exterminator” and they will either trap and release the bird or just kill it. However, it is illegal to kill woodpeckers as they are federally protected birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. It is also illegal to try and poison woodpeckers or trap woodpeckers under this law.
If you are caught trying to harm a woodpecker in any way, you can face hefty fines and possible prison time. I know that shooting woodpeckers may seem like a tempting solution but it is just not worth it!
The only exception in which you would be lawfully allowed to kill or trap a nuisance woodpecker would be through the use of a special permit. However, it is unmentionably rare that a local authority will issue such a permit, let alone your local exterminator possessing one. Therefore, their method to remove woodpeckers will entail the use of woodpecker deterrents and/or woodpecker repellents. This is all knowledge that you can obtain from this website free of charge!
Use the following steps to deal with your woodpecker problem:
- Understand why the woodpecker is pecking so that you can choose an appropriate woodpecker deterrent for the task!
- Once you know what the woodpecker is after, choose one or more woodpecker deterrents to scare the birds away. The use of these deterrents is a surefire way to eliminate woodpeckers from your property. Choose one of the options below for how to get rid of woodpeckers on:
- When you’ve gotten rid of the woodpeckers, address any damage they may have done. Repair woodpecker damage using the appropriate products for your type of housing material or trees.
- If you’re feeling bold, slowly remove woodpecker deterrents one by one to see if the woodpeckers return. They will normally leave you alone if you’ve been able to lure them elsewhere. However, you may want to keep them up just as an added security measure. This ensures you will never have to repair another woodpecker hole again!
As you can see, woodpecker control is something that is easily attained through the use of woodpecker deterrents. Don’t let a local “woodpecker exterminator” trick you into paying them for a task you can easily do yourself. Use the things you’ve learned here to rid your property of woodpeckers for good!
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to leave comments below!
We live in Glendale Arizona and have ladder-back woodpeckers. In the past they were content to peck at our palm trees, but we had them removed a few years back. It just now became a problem where they are pecking at my siding. Well, we covered the hole he was working on only to find out that he had squeezed inside before we covered it – so now we have an attic woodpecker who’s thumping around up there drilling away at the beams. We can’t scare him out the scuttle hole in the garage (we uncovered the entry hole temporarily) and we’re afraid his wife – who’s been tripping balls outside over his disappearance, will join him in there if we leave it open, instead of him just leaving ….
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!
I thank you for your time!
Cynthia Garcia
Wow! What a unique situation you have going on there! My recommendation would be to plug an Electronic Woodpecker Repellent in and hope it drives him out of the scuttle hole. This should also deter the other woodpecker from entering.
Either way, without a food source, the woodpecker won’t be able to survive. Remember, woodpeckers don’t actually eat the wood for sustenance.
Please report back and let us know if this worked!
We are experiencing woodpecker(s). Just bought a cedar contemporary in the woods. We had a person come to fill the holes from the past and added cayenne pepper into the paste. It seems like that may be working. Still watching. However, now we see major destruction in our trees incidentally surrounding the home on all corners. I was thinking maybe I’d go spray cayenne pepper with water on those trees? Help…
I hope the pepper method works for you. I haven’t personally tried something like that before. What has worked for me are the products listed on the How to Get Rid of Woodpeckers page. I wish you the best of luck!
I agree with your holistic approach to this (i.e. no exterminator) issue of woodpeckers doing damage to your siding. I have vinyl siding and so far I haven’t had any issues with woodpeckers, though I can hear them in the woods near my house.
If I do end up with a problem then I’ll consult your page. Bookmarking for later.
Thanks for the kind words! Yes, hopefully the woodpeckers stay in the woods where they belong!
You’re right about using a holistic approach, there’s no need to bring in an exterminator that is going to do the same things you can do for 1/100th of the price!
If you ever have any questions related to woodpecker removal, please stop by and let me know! I’m always here to help out!