MRS. CLEAN wrote:
RicodJour wrote:
cybercat wrote:
A woodpecker has hammered through the wood siding on the east side of our
house--in the back--wayyy up where we need a longer ladder than we have to
reach the hole. He was made a perfect round "birdhouse" hole. It took him a
lonnngg time, like a few seasons. (He shows up usually when I am not at home
...so I forgot about him for a long time, and what was a few bare wood spots
became a good-sized hole.) This house once had termites, so I am not unhappy
about having a woodpecker around, but not altogether happy about the hole in
the house either.

If it's only one hole, it's a nest. If they're poking holes all over
the house, you have a hidden food source.

At some point the woodpeckers (there's no such thing as one), will
start advertising for mates. This usually consists of drumming. If
you want to hear a god awful racket, check out an advertising
woodpecker drumming on an aluminum downspout. This is a common problem
and it gets on peoples' nerves very quickly. If you think woodpecker
drumming is cute, I guarantee that your neighbor won't like _your_ cute
woodpecker's antics.

There are several ways to get rid of woodpeckers that are not harmful
to the pecker. Some people use a plastic owl or other bird of prey to
scare away the woodpecker. There are also noise activated plastic
spiders, big ones, that climb up and down a wire in response to the
noise. This is very effective in stopping the drumming - at least
until the pecker finds another location nearby.

Start with the owl.

R

It's pretty important that no one know you "got rid" of the woodpecker.

You might end up in jail.

I only suggested non-harmful ways, so I'm not sure why you're getting
your knickers in a twist. The suggestion of jail time suggests you
believe that all woodpeckers are protected.

The red-cockaded and ivory-billed are the only two woodpecker species
protected under the Endangered Species Act. Considering that the
ivory-billed was thought to be extinct until only a short time ago it's
probably safe to assume the pecker in question is not one. The
red-cockaded woodpecker excavates nests in living trees (only
woodpecker species to do so) and lives in social groups. It's not one
of those either.

If you were referring to the Migratory Bird Conservation Act or the
Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, there are indeed a wider variety of
woodpeckers that fall under their protection. As I am not suggesting
the OP hunt them, take eggs (if any), disturb the nest, or start a
black market trade in the single woodpecker they've seen, those laws
don't apply.

R