Our large two-story house in Western Washington needs a new coat of
outdoor paint. Today we noticed that the wood siding has quite a few
roundish holes, which are quite noticeable. Having heard woodpeckers
pecking away before, I am assuming that those are woodpecker holes. Do
painting companies usually caulk any holes before they paint the outside
of a house? Or does the home owner have to do it? Thanks for any
advice/suggestions.

I had somewhat similar problems a few years ago, but it was some sort
of bee. I dosed the holes with spray insectiside first, then caulked
them with latex caulk. I wonder what insects the woodpeckers were
after??? I'd solve that problem first..

tenplay wrote:
Our large two-story house in Western Washington needs a new coat of
outdoor paint. Today we noticed that the wood siding has quite a few
roundish holes, which are quite noticeable. Having heard woodpeckers
pecking away before, I am assuming that those are woodpecker holes. Do
painting companies usually caulk any holes before they paint the outside
of a house? Or does the home owner have to do it? Thanks for any
advice/suggestions.

They might be carpenter bee holes, we have a bunch of them here (or
had). I'll spray bug spray in there then seal it up. When I had my
house painted the guy asked me if I wanted them sealed up. Before he
started the job he did spray some bug stuff into each hole.

Woodpeckers. *sigh* I love 'em. I don't like when they decide my house
is a playground. Lase summer we had one that (I thought) was tearing
the house up. One morning I was outside and heard the familiar "tap tap
tap". I look up and he's beating on the gutter, NOT on the house. This
happened for several weeks until he found a mate (and something better
to do). This spring another one was back, he was tapping on the chimney
cap. According to someone I talked to here he said they drum on the
metal to attract the attention of the opposite sex.

"cas" wrote in message
They might be carpenter bee holes,
snip
Woodpeckers. *sigh* I love 'em. I don't like when they decide my house
is a playground.snip

Before we bought our present house, I was taking a walk-around with the
previous owner, an intersting old guy in his 80's. I noticed that there was
a badminton racket leaning near the door of every out building. After
seeing enough of them, I had to ask. He used them for the carpenter bees
for the very reason you mention. The bees get into the siding of the barn,
shed, etc., then the woodpeckers tear the place up trying to get at them.
Whenever he would see one of the bees, he's try and dispatch it with the
badminton racket. FWIW, I tried it a few times, & they're not as easy to
hit as it looks.

Joe F.

"tenplay" wrote in message
. ..
Our large two-story house in Western Washington needs a new coat of
outdoor paint. Today we noticed that the wood siding has quite a few
roundish holes, which are quite noticeable. Having heard woodpeckers
pecking away before, I am assuming that those are woodpecker holes. Do
painting companies usually caulk any holes before they paint the outside
of a house? Or does the home owner have to do it? Thanks for any
advice/suggestions.

Just a note of interest. Out house is sided with T1-11 and the w.peckers
find the inevitable voides between the plys and assume it's an insect
infestaton. We have their holes in 4' wide rows here and there.

On 2 Jul 2006 06:52:00 -0700, "cas" wrote:


They might be carpenter bee holes, we have a bunch of them here (or
had). I'll spray bug spray in there then seal it up. When I had my
house painted the guy asked me if I wanted them sealed up. Before he
started the job he did spray some bug stuff into each hole.

I read somewhere to use moth balls, but I read it after I had used
posion and wood putty. I've been good for several years, but I think
I have one hole now (although the bee is gone.

Woodpeckers. ... Lase summer we had one that (I thought) was tearing
the house up. One morning I was outside and heard the familiar "tap tap
tap". I look up and he's beating on the gutter, NOT on the house. This
happened for several weeks until he found a mate (and something better
to do). This spring another one was back, he was tapping on the chimney
cap. According to someone I talked to here he said they drum on the
metal to attract the attention of the opposite sex.

This shows how smart yours are, because rapping on a gutter or chimney
cap is going to be a lot louder than a tree or a piece of siding.