Woodpeckers
Our Woodpecker Solutions
Based upon our inspection and your answers to the questions below, we will determine exactly what bird control method will rid you of your woodpecker problem and implement it quickly and efficiently. We use many different methods of bird control so that we can ensure you are getting exactly the type of control you need. Select the options below if you are interested in learning more about the control methods we use.
We think about what you need when developing a custom plan for your woodpecker problem. We take several factors into consideration, inlcuding:
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How long has the bird problem been going on for?
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How severe is the bird problem?
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How much will it cost to resolve the bird problem?
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How many birds are acceptable (threshold)?
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What type of damage are the birds causing?
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Are the birds creating a health issue?
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Are there any liability issues due to the bird infestation?
Woodpecker Control Professionals
There are many different woodpecker control methods on the market to solve woodpecker problems around your home, trees or other structures. It is critical that you contact a woodpecker control and exclusion professional to ensure that the woodpecker problem is solved correctly and does not create additional pest or bird problems.
There are special birdhouses you can buy and lure the woodpecker away from your home or property and woodpeckers will use these bird houses as their home. You can lure the woodpecker away from your home by providing a better food source for them. In the areas where you want to lure the woodpeckers to, you can use jelly or meal worms to attract them to the new area where the woodpecker house is established. If you have a fallen tree in your yard you can place the new home near it and bait the tree so that they can nest in the spot you provided and still have an area where they can peck without damaging your property.
Woodpeckers and other animals have to find places to nest and hunt for food, as we cut down trees and build homes or businesses in the areas where they live and nest. We have to find a way to help make sure they can eat and nest but not destroy our homes and businesses. With a little thought and some work you can provide them an area where they can live and not damage your property.
Call Aviaway and have us check the holes to see if you have an insect infestation that is providing the birds a food source. Resolve the infestation and then plug the holes with wood putty or foam. But if it is in the spring time check the nest for eggs and hatch lings if they are there you will have to wait until they leave the nest to close the hole. This goes back to the killing of these birds as being illegal.
Once you have your area ready you can try adding the strips of aluminum, to chase them to the area that you want them to move to. By doing this you can help them by discouraging them from the side of your home and help them find the new space you have created.
Whatever method you choose remember animals and humans have to live in the same areas and we as the more intelligent species have to make sure that these animals survive as we remove their feeding and nesting grounds to build more homes and businesses. By providing the birds with a place to live and making sure that they don't destroy your home. You can still enjoy the site of these creatures and the rhythmic sounds of their pecking, as you sip your morning coffee or relax in your yard.
Please be aware that all species of woodpeckers are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Other methods to remedy Woodpecker damage to your property:
Woodpecker Birdhouses
Special birdhouses for woodpeckers can be set up to deter the birds from pecking at another structure to make their own nesting place.
Spray Deterrent
Some applications of protective sprays can deter woodpeckers from a certain area, but are not a long term solution
Aluminum or Plexiglass
Woodpecker holes in various buildings can be covered with aluminum or plexiglass, to prevent further damage to the area.
Food and Water Source Reduction
Food and water sources are the most common reasons for bird problems around a property, so elimination is an important step.
About Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers are members of the Picidae family. Woodpeckers are found worldwide except in Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, Madagascar, and the polar regions. There are about 200 woodpecker species, but only 23 are residents of the United States. Woodpeckers are divided into three subfamilies: Jynginae, Picinae, and Picumninae.
The largest woodpecker is the Imperial Woodpecker which is found in Mexico. The smallest woodpecker is the Brown Creeper which is located in North America. Woodpeckers have strong bills, which they use to peck wood. This is the behavior that often gives them a
Taxonomy
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Common Species:
Piciformes
Picidae
Dryocopus
Pileated woodpecker,
downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker
label of pest bird, as they don't stop at trees, and can peck holes in house siding, decks, garages, and any structure made of wood.
They also have specially adapted feet which help them cling to trees. Woodpeckers use their bills and tongues to catch insects. They also eat fruits and nuts. Woodpeckers are important for controlling insect populations. They also play an essential role in the ecosystems in which they live.
While these intelligent birds should be appreciated in their natural environment, oftentimes they explore beyond where they should and begin to cause problems for homeowners, farmers, and business owners alike. Many times it takes a wide variety of methods and plans to remove crows from unwanted areas, where they can damage crops, spread disease, and cause scores of problems to humans. They are a serious problem for airport areas and other businesses. They congregate in numbers from hundreds to thousands, dropping waste on everything in their path.
Evolutionary Traits
Woodpeckers have been a species since the late Oligocene era, from 26 million years ago to today. They have evolved several unique traits which help them survive. Their strong bills allow them to peck through wood to find insects. Their specially adapted feet help them cling to trees. They also have a thick layer of feathers on their heads which helps protect them from the blows they receive when pecking wood. This is necessary as woodpeckers can peck at wood up to 10,000 times a day.
Woodpeckers' tongues are long enough to wrap around their braincase. The woodpecker can then pull its tongue back into its beak with a great deal of force, allowing the bird to stick the tip of its sensitive tongue into small cracks and crevices to extract insects.
Woodpeckers have zygodactyl feet, meaning two toes point forward and two-point backward. This allows woodpeckers to grip the trunk of a tree when climbing or hanging upside down. The scales on woodpecker feet allow them to cling easily to trees with their claws. The outer toe has a long, curved claw that is used to climb or hang onto tree trunks. The inner toe has a shorter, straighter claw which the woodpecker uses for walking along tree branches.
Woodpeckers also have stiff tail feathers, which they use as a brace when they hammer their beaks into tree trunks.
Diet
The diet of woodpeckers consists mainly of insects, nuts, and berries. They will also eat small reptiles and amphibians. Some woodpeckers will eat carrion. Woodpeckers have a long sticky tongue that they use to catch insects. They also have bristles around their tongues which help them capture insects in crevices and cavities. Woodpeckers store food in their peck holes for later consumption.
Behavioral Traits
Most woodpecker species live in pairs or small groups. They build nests in hollowed-out trees, often hollowing out the tree themselves. Woodpeckers also drum on trunks of trees to communicate with other woodpeckers, claim territory and attract mates. The loud drumming sounds can be heard up to a mile away. Woodpeckers are unique among birds in that they often excavate their own nests. They also frequently reuse old nests. Woodpeckers are monogamous, and both parents help care for the young.
Life Cycle
Reproduction
Most woodpeckers excavate their nests in tree trunks. Some species line the inside of their nest holes with wood chips and pieces of bark. Woodpeckers typically lay between 4 and 7 eggs at a time, depending on the species. Baby woodpeckers tend to stay in the nest for three or four weeks, depending on the woodpecker species.
Nesting Behavior
Woodpeckers typically breed once or twice per year. Most woodpecker species nest inside holes that they excavate into the trunks of trees. Depending on the species of woodpecker, the sizes of the holes vary. Most of the time, woodpeckers prefer to use snags, that are often populated with insects that they use for food as well as the hole they use for shelter. Woodpecker eggs are white and about an inch long. The young are fed through regurgitation (an act in which food is brought back up the esophagus and into the mouth).
Nesting Material
Woodpeckers use various materials to build their nests, including wood chips, pieces of bark, and mud. They are built in hollowed-out trees that the woodpecker carves out themselves. It takes two weeks to a month for a woodpecker to finish hollowing out a tree for a nest.
Egg Description
Size:
Color:
Incubation:
Brood Size:
Frequency:
2 - 2.5 centimeters
Off white
10 - 14 days
3 - 10 eggs
1 - 2 times per year
Maturity & Lifespan
Woodpeckers typically live between 4 and 6 years in the wild. However, some woodpeckers have been known to live up to 20 years in captivity. Like other birds, most woodpeckers die within their first year of life. Of the 4-7 eggs in the brood, likely only one or two woodpeckers will survive their first year.
Woodpeckers usually spend around 30 days in the nest, this varies slightly by species. They still tend to stay in close proximity of their parents for around a month or so before venturing out on their own. At around 1 year of age, they will reach sexual maturity and will seek out a mate.
Woodpecker Distribution in North America
There are 23 native species of woodpeckers residing in North America. of those 23, there are six species that are more widespread and reach populations of up to 15 million in the United States and Canada alone.
Red Bellied Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
The Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, and Downy Woodpecker all reach populations over 10 million, with the Hairy Woodpecker and Northern Flicker at 8-9 million. The Pileated Woodpecker is probably the most well known in appearance, but only has a population of around 2.5 million in North America.
Hover on each species to see their distribution.
Downy Woodpecker
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Why Are Woodpeckers a Problem?
Bird Damage
Woodpeckers are an annoying bird for many people. The sound of constant pecking for weeks at a time can be uncomfortable. They also are liable to drill into your house or property, if they find it a suitable place to make a nest or look for bugs. This can cause property damage and multiply your woodpecker problem if the birds nest and reproduce.
Woodpeckers also pose the risk of spreading disease and parasites. These can be spread through woodpecker droppings, which have the potential to accumulate and damage property, as well as through their nests, which can pose a fire hazard.
How Much Wood Can A Woodpecker Peck
Woodpeckers are true to their namesake, as they can peck wood with a force of over 1,000 g's. They can peck with speeds up to 20 times per second, and enjoy the process throughout the whole day. This can be a major problem for homeowners or any structure near wooded areas where woodpeckers reside. They will peck any wooden structure that they can reach, and make unsightly holes that can be up to a foot in diameter. In most cases, when woodpeckers start pecking on the sides of homes, log cabins, trees, fences, eaves or other types of structures or buildings will occur during spring when woodpecker mating season begins. The pecking that we hear is a woodpeckers’ way of producing a mating call to attract other woodpeckers.
These are very resourceful birds and build nests in trees and in the sides of metal or wooden structures they then make a nest that they use throughout the year. Bore a hole in the side of the house or other structures and sometimes going through outer wall and boring through the sheet rock and into your home. Woodpeckers can even bore a hole into stucco siding! They leave unsightly holes in the wood and can damage young trees to the point they will die. Larger old trees where woodpeckers have foraged look like they were shot with a machine gun. This woodpecker damage to your home or other wooden structures is unsightly and can cause water to build up in the outer sections of your property.
