After doing some removal and inspection, it seems as though there's all
kinds of coccoons and crap living underneath this siding. Especially in
places where the siding meets the trim. After some more investigation it
seems that this "masonite" siding is flawed and there was actually a class
action suit against them for damage to the wood underneath - unfortunately
i've missed the opportunity to collect on the settlement. For the time
being, I'll let the woodpeckers peck away, since when I redo all the siding
next year any damage they do will be replaced anyway. Thanks for the input.

"Proch" wrote in message
. ..
Not the first year that this has happened, but this woodpecker comes and
makes big holes in the trim on the corners of my house.

A lot of historical posts suggest that the woodpecker knows that there are
insects beneath the wood, yet my inspection of the carnage suggests none.
Also, I don't know how the woodpecker would know there were insects under
there. Plus, why would he be looking for them up high (way close to the
roof) as opposed to near the ground where carpenter ants would likely be -
i'm not an insect expert, but at the same time, I don't see ants or
anything around the house and I've been here for 8+ years.

I don't like the idea of shooting the *******, but this is damage that I
have to address. Sooner or later i'm going to have to risk my ass to get
up on a ladder and repair the damage. People suggest using shiny objects
or paint to deter them, although I'm skeptical that this is a fix that
needs to be repeated with some frequency.

Is shooting it the best option? Are these some endangered species? I'd
imagine they're not like mosquitos where as many as you whack, there's an
infinite supply waiting to take it's place...