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#1
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Woodpeckers?
My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. -- If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough |
#2
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Woodpeckers?
Mark & Juanita wrote:
My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. If you patch, they seem to want to go back to the same spot to peck. I had them go through a gable end of cedar siding. I stapled 1/8" hardware cloth on the inside and plastered the holes with Rock Hard. They almost broke their peckers trying to get through that. Also, someone must have shot one with an air rifle, and the rest left. Tis was in Washington State. I had another that woke me up every morning pecking on the top of a metal tennis court light in Arizona. A Harris Hawk showed up one day, and the pecker was gone... |
#3
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Woodpeckers?
A friend used compact disks (CD's) hung on string or monofilament with
some success. Just blank ones that have not been labelled works fine. Hang them from the drip edge of the roof. When the disks fell down, the birds came back. On Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:13:45 -0700, Mark & Juanita wrote: My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. |
#4
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Woodpeckers?
Doug Winterburn wrote:
Mark & Juanita wrote: My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. If you patch, they seem to want to go back to the same spot to peck. I had them go through a gable end of cedar siding. I stapled 1/8" hardware cloth on the inside and plastered the holes with Rock Hard. They almost broke their peckers trying to get through that. Also, someone must have shot one with an air rifle, and the rest left. Tis was in Washington State. Thanks Doug, I'll give that a try for the repairs. Don't think I can make arrangements to schedule a hawk, so I'll have to try something else to get them to move on. -- If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough |
#5
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Woodpeckers?
Tom Kendrick wrote:
A friend used compact disks (CD's) hung on string or monofilament with some success. Just blank ones that have not been labelled works fine. Hang them from the drip edge of the roof. When the disks fell down, the birds came back. Tom, Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try that on the part of the shop where they are attacking under the gable. On Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:13:45 -0700, Mark & Juanita wrote: My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. -- If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough |
#6
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Woodpeckers?
"Mark & Juanita" wrote Thanks Doug, I'll give that a try for the repairs. Don't think I can make arrangements to schedule a hawk, so I'll have to try something else to get them to move on. Maybe if you get some big wings, wave them about and make threatening chirping noises... |
#7
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Woodpeckers?
Now that I think about it, I was talking to a tree removal expert (urban
logger). He said that woodpeckers just love dead trees. He often leaves a trunk and a couple branches jusr for the woodpeckers. He has even brought a dead tree to another location and mounted it on a solid platform, just for the birds. I don't know if they will leave your garage for a dead tree though. But it is an interesting idea. |
#8
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Woodpeckers?
"Mark & Juanita" wrote in message ... My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. -- I had a problem with a flicker, and this worked: http://www.bird-x.com/irritape-p-15.html not cheap, nor is anything that this company sells, and may not be any more effective than the CD idea. They do sell a lot of other options, too. Here in OR, it's illegal to shoot flickers or woodpeckers. Best of luck, Kerry If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough |
#9
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Woodpeckers?
Lee Michaels wrote:
"Mark & Juanita" wrote Thanks Doug, I'll give that a try for the repairs. Don't think I can make arrangements to schedule a hawk, so I'll have to try something else to get them to move on. Maybe if you get some big wings, wave them about and make threatening chirping noises... Eee-erp? Or was that before your time? -- -- --John to email, dial "usenet" and validate (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net) |
#10
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Woodpeckers?
"Mark & Juanita" wrote in message
... My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. -- Woodpeckers don't peck for no reason. They come back to places where tasty bugs live. Have you sprayed the siding with insecticide? otherwise - Have you tried rubber toy snakes and/or owl decoys? Fake owls need a movable head or even motorized wings. Stationary ones get ignored eventually. Yellow glass eyes help. Farm supply stores often carry them. Also - http://www.shopwiki.com/search/Owl+Decoy Some places also sell hawk decoys. Axel |
#11
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Woodpeckers?
Axel Grease wrote:
"Mark & Juanita" wrote in message ... My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. -- Woodpeckers don't peck for no reason. They come back to places where tasty bugs live. Have you sprayed the siding with insecticide? I think it is also for a mating call or something. When I was young we had one rat-a-tatting on our tin roof for days . Nothing tasty there. otherwise - Have you tried rubber toy snakes and/or owl decoys? Fake owls need a movable head or even motorized wings. Stationary ones get ignored eventually. Yellow glass eyes help. Farm supply stores often carry them. Also - http://www.shopwiki.com/search/Owl+Decoy Some places also sell hawk decoys. Axel -- Gerald Ross Cochran, GA Social Security: World's biggest Ponzi Scheme. |
#12
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Woodpeckers?
On Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:13:45 -0700, Mark & Juanita
wrote: My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. Heed the noisy warning. Woodpeckers have detected insect activity behind that siding. It's not the woodpeckers you need to worry about. When you fix the real problem, they will go elsewhere to find food. |
#13
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Woodpeckers?
Mark & Juanita wrote in
: My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. As mentioned, the pecking is eiher to find food or to demonstrate that he is/has the biggest pecker around. Sort of like the 18-year old cruising around town in his convertible with the bass turned up WAY high ... I don't know whether a recording of a woodpecker pecking would chase him away, but that may make the problem worse too. -- Best regards Han email address is invalid |
#14
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Woodpeckers?
Mark & Juanita wrote:
My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. You did not say if there is one or several holes. I solved my woodpecker problem as follows I went into the antic one day and saw a big bird in a hole in the end of the antic. I tried to cover it with metal, and the birds made another hole below it. I though of all sorts of solutions; I liked the guillotine idea but my wife said NO. I was out in the garage and saw the cat cage. It was made of wire mesh and the end opened to put the cat in. I took the cage into the antic and placed it so both holes were in the opening of the cat cage. Thinking that would only keep them from the antic, I then added a cookie sheet with about a quarter inch of motor oil in it. To complete the solution, I added mothballs to the oil. The woodpeckers never returned, but I did have a problem explaining it to the painters when I had the house painted. |
#15
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Woodpeckers?
"Axel Grease" wrote in message ns... "Mark & Juanita" wrote in message ... My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. -- Woodpeckers don't peck for no reason. They come back to places where tasty bugs live. Have you sprayed the siding with insecticide? otherwise - Have you tried rubber toy snakes and/or owl decoys? Fake owls need a movable head or even motorized wings. Stationary ones get ignored eventually. Yellow glass eyes help. Farm supply stores often carry them. Also - http://www.shopwiki.com/search/Owl+Decoy Some places also sell hawk decoys. Axel They aren't necessarily *finding* bugs. They are searching for bugs as they tap likely place which sound like there may be bugs there. (symantics) For instance, My T1-11 siding is perforated everywhere there is a void in the plywood. Not a flame, Axel. Just a note from my particular experience. Why they keep returning to certain places is a mystery to me. |
#16
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Woodpeckers?
Have a look at: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/wp_about/
Cornell University has a lot of information about birds of all kinds. Walter. Keith nuttle wrote: Mark & Juanita wrote: My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. You did not say if there is one or several holes. I solved my woodpecker problem as follows I went into the antic one day and saw a big bird in a hole in the end of the antic. I tried to cover it with metal, and the birds made another hole below it. I though of all sorts of solutions; I liked the guillotine idea but my wife said NO. I was out in the garage and saw the cat cage. It was made of wire mesh and the end opened to put the cat in. I took the cage into the antic and placed it so both holes were in the opening of the cat cage. Thinking that would only keep them from the antic, I then added a cookie sheet with about a quarter inch of motor oil in it. To complete the solution, I added mothballs to the oil. The woodpeckers never returned, but I did have a problem explaining it to the painters when I had the house painted. |
#17
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Woodpeckers?
On Jan 12, 6:31 am, "C & E" wrote:
"Axel Grease" wrote in message ns... "Mark & Juanita" wrote in message ... My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. -- Woodpeckers don't peck for no reason. They come back to places where tasty bugs live. Have you sprayed the siding with insecticide? otherwise - Have you tried rubber toy snakes and/or owl decoys? Fake owls need a movable head or even motorized wings. Stationary ones get ignored eventually. Yellow glass eyes help. Farm supply stores often carry them. Also -http://www.shopwiki.com/search/Owl+Decoy Some places also sell hawk decoys. Axel They aren't necessarily *finding* bugs. They are searching for bugs as they tap likely place which sound like there may be bugs there. (symantics) For instance, My T1-11 siding is perforated everywhere there is a void in the plywood. Not a flame, Axel. Just a note from my particular experience. Why they keep returning to certain places is a mystery to me. You're absolutely right. They'll find the voids in the plywood siding and tap away, bugs or no bugs. Tom |
#18
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Woodpeckers?
On Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:13:45 -0700, Mark & Juanita wrote:
My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. Find a log full of bugs and put it near your neighbor's house? mac Please remove splinters before emailing |
#19
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Woodpeckers?
Han wrote:
As mentioned, the pecking is eiher to find food or to demonstrate that he is/has the biggest pecker around. Sort of like the 18-year old cruising around town in his convertible with the bass turned up WAY high ... About the same sized brains, as well. -- -MIKE- "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life" --Elvin Jones (1927-2004) -- http://mikedrums.com ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply |
#20
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Woodpeckers?
"mac davis" wrote in message Find a log full of bugs and put it near your neighbor's house? G You're bad! Got some neighbours that you don't get along with Mac? |
#21
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Woodpeckers?
Mark & Juanita wrote:
My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. *disclaimer: I am a bird lover, tree lover, animal lover, etc.* When I moved into this house I had to repair two holes made by woodpeckers. Within a month I caught one trying to make another hole. He did not survive the experience. -- Gerald Ross Cochran, GA Social Security: World's biggest Ponzi Scheme. |
#22
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Woodpeckers?
On Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:13:45 -0700, Mark & Juanita
wrote: My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. You might try feeding them something besides your shop. Pecker like just about any suet feeder and anything that will hold large sunflower seeds or peanuts. We have a couple of wire tube feeders that we fill with mostly sunflower seeds and peanuts. We get three different kinds of peckers on them (not at the same time) and they never bother the house. These feeders tubes are made of galvanized welded wire with about 1/4" x 1/4" square holes about 18" long and bent into about a 3" tube. There is a block of 2x wood at the top and bottom with a 3" hole saw hole drilled about 3/4" deep into one side of each block. The wire tube is tied together in the middle and the top and bottom inserted into the slot made by the hole saw. A piece of cable runs through the bottom block through the middle of the tube and through the top block far enough for a hanging hoop to made at the top and far enough so the pieces slide apart for filling. Very simple but the peckers sure like it. It might be worth a shot. Mike O. |
#23
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Woodpeckers?
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#24
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Woodpeckers?
"Mark & Juanita" wrote in message ... My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. -- If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough I had this exact problem. I called the Audobon society and it has happened enough that they connected me to a recording. The recording suggested either hanging CD's near where the Woodpeckers did their damage or to put aluminum foil on a 12" pizza cardboard and draw a pair of eyes and a mouth with a marker on the aluminum foil. Not wanting my house to look like a joke I chose the CDs and I have not had a problem since. I had two areas where the woodpeckers did their damage so I hung two cds in each area. The CDs were attached to each other in that CD number one hung from a string attached to the house and CD number two hung from a string attached to CD number 1. I assume the sun or light flashing off of the rotating CDs is what scared them away. Given how may CDs are lying around my house, the cost was $0. |
#25
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Woodpeckers?
On Jan 11, 11:13*pm, Mark & Juanita wrote:
* My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. * This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. *Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. *My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. *I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. * Any experience or ideas would be welcome. * -- If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough In Jacksonville, Fl. where I live the pileated woodpeckers (think large woody the woodpecker size) can break hunks of cedar fascia (rough cut 2x4 and 2x6) and siding off looking for something to eat. I remember the 1st time I came home and found pieces of wood 2' long laying on the ground and thinking kids must of been playing with (sharp pointed) make believe swords. When my neighbor told me what really happened I couldn't believe it until I went home and looked up overhead and saw the damage. Now to the point, The woodpeckers are drilling for carpenter bees (large black and yellow bumble bees). The carpenter bees burrow holes up into the center of the wood about 1/4" round and then they turn and drill 8-10" into the length of the cedar. Every spring when the larvae hatches the woodpeckers can hear them because they eat their way out of the tunnels filled with whatever mom packed for them to eat.The woodpeckers just bust pieces of wood off until they get to their meal. Since the carpenter bees return to the scene of the crime year after year it gets worse not better. We tried all sorts of poisons and none of them worked. We tried some stuff that was guaranteed to kill the hatchlings because you stick a nozzle in each tunnel opening (100's of them and not easy to get to either. Lots under gutters.) and spray this goop in there and when the hatchlings eat their way through it they will die. WRONG! Didn't work. The next to best thing we did was stationed bad mitton rackets at every exterior door. When the moms come to lay eggs you kill as many as you can for about a 2 week period. Then when the eggs hatch and the bees come out you can kill some more with the rackets until they disappear to wherever they go to plot their revenge for you next spring. The rackets really did cut down on the numbers of bees and it was good therapy to smash 4 or 5 of them every time you went outside. I especially liked it when pieces of the bees were stuck in the racket. (Not PC but what else can I say but the truth.) We finally replaced all of the fascia boards that were so riddled with holes when we had our shingles replaced. We actually replaced the shingles sooner than we needed to just to get rid of the bee problem. We timed it to remove the boards after the larvae had been laid. (Almost) All of the trim was replaced with treated lumber stained reddish brown to match the cedar. I say almost because in spring some bees returned. They were supposed to be hauled off to the dump with the larvae still buried in the wood but I found out the following spring that the roofing company didn't replace two of the fascia boards. When I talked to the contractor he remembered that out of all of the fascia boards they removed there were 2 that weren't riddled with holes to bad so he flipped them over and used them again. I felt like supergluing a woodpecker to his head. In the end he did r & r those fascia boards for me. Damn what a story! I wish I didn't know this story. Robb Smith |
#26
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Woodpeckers?
"Knotbob" wrote In Jacksonville, Fl. where I live the pileated woodpeckers (think large woody the woodpecker size) can break hunks of cedar fascia (rough cut 2x4 and 2x6) and siding off looking for something to eat. I remember the 1st time I came home and found pieces of wood 2' long laying on the ground and thinking kids must of been playing with (sharp pointed) make believe swords. When my neighbor told me what really happened I couldn't believe it until I went home and looked up overhead and saw the damage. Now to the point, The woodpeckers are drilling for carpenter bees (large black and yellow bumble bees). The carpenter bees burrow holes up into the center of the wood about 1/4" round and then they turn and drill 8-10" into the length of the cedar. Every spring when the larvae hatches the woodpeckers can hear them because they eat their way out of the tunnels filled with whatever mom packed for them to eat.The woodpeckers just bust pieces of wood off until they get to their meal. Since the carpenter bees return to the scene of the crime year after year it gets worse not better. We tried all sorts of poisons and none of them worked. We tried some stuff that was guaranteed to kill the hatchlings because you stick a nozzle in each tunnel opening (100's of them and not easy to get to either. Lots under gutters.) and spray this goop in there and when the hatchlings eat their way through it they will die. WRONG! Didn't work. The next to best thing we did was stationed bad mitton rackets at every exterior door. When the moms come to lay eggs you kill as many as you can for about a 2 week period. Then when the eggs hatch and the bees come out you can kill some more with the rackets until they disappear to wherever they go to plot their revenge for you next spring. The rackets really did cut down on the numbers of bees and it was good therapy to smash 4 or 5 of them every time you went outside. I especially liked it when pieces of the bees were stuck in the racket. (Not PC but what else can I say but the truth.) We finally replaced all of the fascia boards that were so riddled with holes when we had our shingles replaced. We actually replaced the shingles sooner than we needed to just to get rid of the bee problem. We timed it to remove the boards after the larvae had been laid. (Almost) All of the trim was replaced with treated lumber stained reddish brown to match the cedar. I say almost because in spring some bees returned. They were supposed to be hauled off to the dump with the larvae still buried in the wood but I found out the following spring that the roofing company didn't replace two of the fascia boards. When I talked to the contractor he remembered that out of all of the fascia boards they removed there were 2 that weren't riddled with holes to bad so he flipped them over and used them again. I felt like supergluing a woodpecker to his head. In the end he did r & r those fascia boards for me. Damn what a story! I wish I didn't know this story. Robb Smith ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Which explains the popularity of plastic and cement based fascia boards now. Particularly in warm climates. Anything an insect can eat into is a candidate for some kind of subsitute that the bugs don't like. These non wood items don't rot either. |
#27
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Woodpeckers? Slightly diferent
Lee Michaels wrote:
"Knotbob" wrote In Jacksonville, Fl. where I live the pileated woodpeckers (think large woody the woodpecker size) can break hunks of cedar fascia (rough cut 2x4 and 2x6) and siding off looking for something to eat. I remember the 1st time I came home and found pieces of wood 2' long laying on the ground and thinking kids must of been playing with (sharp pointed) make believe swords. When my neighbor told me what really happened I couldn't believe it until I went home and looked up overhead and saw the damage. Now to the point, The woodpeckers are drilling for carpenter bees (large black and yellow bumble bees). The carpenter bees burrow holes up into the center of the wood about 1/4" round and then they turn and drill 8-10" into the length of the cedar. Every spring when the larvae hatches the woodpeckers can hear them because they eat their way out of the tunnels filled with whatever mom packed for them to eat.The woodpeckers just bust pieces of wood off until they get to their meal. Since the carpenter bees return to the scene of the crime year after year it gets worse not better. We tried all sorts of poisons and none of them worked. We tried some stuff that was guaranteed to kill the hatchlings because you stick a nozzle in each tunnel opening (100's of them and not easy to get to either. Lots under gutters.) and spray this goop in there and when the hatchlings eat their way through it they will die. WRONG! Didn't work. The next to best thing we did was stationed bad mitton rackets at every exterior door. When the moms come to lay eggs you kill as many as you can for about a 2 week period. Then when the eggs hatch and the bees come out you can kill some more with the rackets until they disappear to wherever they go to plot their revenge for you next spring. The rackets really did cut down on the numbers of bees and it was good therapy to smash 4 or 5 of them every time you went outside. I especially liked it when pieces of the bees were stuck in the racket. (Not PC but what else can I say but the truth.) We finally replaced all of the fascia boards that were so riddled with holes when we had our shingles replaced. We actually replaced the shingles sooner than we needed to just to get rid of the bee problem. We timed it to remove the boards after the larvae had been laid. (Almost) All of the trim was replaced with treated lumber stained reddish brown to match the cedar. I say almost because in spring some bees returned. They were supposed to be hauled off to the dump with the larvae still buried in the wood but I found out the following spring that the roofing company didn't replace two of the fascia boards. When I talked to the contractor he remembered that out of all of the fascia boards they removed there were 2 that weren't riddled with holes to bad so he flipped them over and used them again. I felt like supergluing a woodpecker to his head. In the end he did r & r those fascia boards for me. Damn what a story! I wish I didn't know this story. Robb Smith ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Which explains the popularity of plastic and cement based fascia boards now. Particularly in warm climates. Anything an insect can eat into is a candidate for some kind of subsitute that the bugs don't like. These non wood items don't rot either. Several years ago I was on the Girl Scout Council when they were redoing the Scout Camp. We finalized all of the contracts and started to work, when the State got involved and told us we must do an environmental survey. The State found we had Red Cockaded woodpeckers nesting on the site and they were endangered. They told us how sensitive these birds were and how the birds had to be protected from excess noise while nesting. They gave us a long list of the things we could do and the times of day we could do it. We complied, after all the bird was on the endangered species list. We told the contractors the conditions, and the job was completed, the state was happy, the contractors were happy, we were happy, and the girls had the renovated camp. Later that summer, we got the news that there was a new nesting colony of red Cockaded woodpeckers on the site. At that point we realized we had forgotten to tell everyone about the state requirements for nesting woodpeckers. Not knowing the the requirements, the Red Cockaded woodpeckers decided that a perfect place for a new nesting colony was in the tree outside of the camp dining room where hundreds of little girls ate their daily meals. |
#28
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Woodpeckers?
Axel Grease wrote:
"Mark & Juanita" wrote in message ... My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. -- Woodpeckers don't peck for no reason. They come back to places where tasty bugs live. In this case, they are pecking away for no reason. This is particle board siding, there are no bugs inside or out. Some of this is the pecking to attract a mate by making loud noises. Have you sprayed the siding with insecticide? otherwise - Have you tried rubber toy snakes and/or owl decoys? Fake owls need a movable head or even motorized wings. Stationary ones get ignored eventually. Yellow glass eyes help. Farm supply stores often carry them. Also - http://www.shopwiki.com/search/Owl+Decoy Some places also sell hawk decoys. I'll have to look for an owl with moveable head, they certainly aren't intimidated by the stationary one. I won't keep rubber snakes about -- we've got too many of the real ones and I don't want anyone to become complacent. Axel -- If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough |
#29
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Woodpeckers?
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#30
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Woodpeckers?
Keith nuttle wrote:
Mark & Juanita wrote: My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. You did not say if there is one or several holes. Unfortunately, lots of holes, they are using the molding board along the base of the trusses as a rest and pecking along the length of the shed. They are doing similar things on my storage shed door and using the vertical corner molding on another part of the shed. There are numerous woodpeckers (it looks like about 1/2 dozen woodpeckers are involved in this destruction). I need to start looking at good filler material to repair the damage, but I need to get rid of the pests first. -- If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough |
#31
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Woodpeckers?
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#32
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Woodpeckers?
"C & E" wrote in message ... "Axel Grease" wrote in message ns... "Mark & Juanita" wrote in message ... My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. -- Woodpeckers don't peck for no reason. They come back to places where tasty bugs live. Have you sprayed the siding with insecticide? otherwise - Have you tried rubber toy snakes and/or owl decoys? Fake owls need a movable head or even motorized wings. Stationary ones get ignored eventually. Yellow glass eyes help. Farm supply stores often carry them. Also - http://www.shopwiki.com/search/Owl+Decoy Some places also sell hawk decoys. Axel They aren't necessarily *finding* bugs. They are searching for bugs as they tap likely place which sound like there may be bugs there. (symantics) For instance, My T1-11 siding is perforated everywhere there is a void in the plywood. Not a flame, Axel. Just a note from my particular experience. Why they keep returning to certain places is a mystery to me. Not read as a flame.. no problem. It might help if we knew what kind of woodpeckers are at work drilling on their shop. Around here, we get everything from the huge Piliated woodpeckers to cute little Downys. In 50+ years in the hardwoods of the frozen North , I have never noticed woodpeckers drilling deeply unless hungry. Up here, they must eat a lot to stay warm and alive. Luring mates usually has other forms of behaviour... nest making high up in trees, dances, or shallow drumming on hollow limbs high up in trees... which resonate much better than T-111 siding. Maybe Mark and Juanita don't have enough big trees with dead limbs as an alternative for the local birds. As for Gerald Ross, whose woodpeckers were banging on a tin roof... we do get some birds doing odd things here too. Robins and Chickadees often fight with their reflections in windows or even chrome vehicle bumpers... ducks occasionally fly straight into picture windows too. But I always figure those are exceptionally dumb individuals, or birds with bad eyesight. Axel |
#33
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Woodpeckers?
Mark & Juanita wrote:
In this case, they are pecking away for no reason. This is particle board siding, there are no bugs inside or out. Some of this is the pecking to attract a mate by making loud noises. That doesn't sound like a non-reason - humans do a lot of less than reasonable things to attract mates... Have you considered building a woodpecker/flicker drum for then to hammer on? :-) -- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/ |
#34
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Woodpeckers?
Axel Grease wrote:
"C & E" wrote in message ... "Axel Grease" wrote in message ns... "Mark & Juanita" wrote in message ... My shop has become a target for woodpeckers and I'm fighting having them burrowing holes in the siding. This isn't just a small inconvenience, it is becoming a major damage issue. Has anybody found something (besides shooting them -- not wanting to try that method to start) to get rid of them. My folks found the following: http://www.kabatape.com but it's mighty spendy. I suppose I could try real electrical fencing to accomplish the same thing by running the hot and a ground wire in close proximity. Any experience or ideas would be welcome. -- Woodpeckers don't peck for no reason. They come back to places where tasty bugs live. Have you sprayed the siding with insecticide? otherwise - Have you tried rubber toy snakes and/or owl decoys? Fake owls need a movable head or even motorized wings. Stationary ones get ignored eventually. Yellow glass eyes help. Farm supply stores often carry them. Also - http://www.shopwiki.com/search/Owl+Decoy Some places also sell hawk decoys. Axel They aren't necessarily *finding* bugs. They are searching for bugs as they tap likely place which sound like there may be bugs there. (symantics) For instance, My T1-11 siding is perforated everywhere there is a void in the plywood. Not a flame, Axel. Just a note from my particular experience. Why they keep returning to certain places is a mystery to me. Not read as a flame.. no problem. It might help if we knew what kind of woodpeckers are at work drilling on their shop. I've got to research the species, but these are native to the Sonoran desert. Around here, we get everything from the huge Piliated woodpeckers to cute little Downys. In 50+ years in the hardwoods of the frozen North , I have never noticed woodpeckers drilling deeply unless hungry. Up here, they must eat a lot to stay warm and alive. Luring mates usually has other forms of behaviour... nest making high up in trees, dances, or shallow drumming on hollow limbs high up in trees... which resonate much better than T-111 siding. Maybe Mark and Juanita don't have enough big trees with dead limbs as an alternative for the local birds. Yep. Not a lot of dead trees and branches, even in our desert (definitely more lush than the Chihuahuan desert or Mojave, but buildings and yards are more attractive to the birds. As for Gerald Ross, whose woodpeckers were banging on a tin roof... we do get some birds doing odd things here too. Robins and Chickadees often fight with their reflections in windows or even chrome vehicle bumpers... ducks occasionally fly straight into picture windows too. But I always figure those are exceptionally dumb individuals, or birds with bad eyesight. Ours do that consistently during the spring and early summer. Axel -- If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough |
#35
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Woodpeckers?
Morris Dovey wrote:
Mark & Juanita wrote: In this case, they are pecking away for no reason. This is particle board siding, there are no bugs inside or out. Some of this is the pecking to attract a mate by making loud noises. That doesn't sound like a non-reason - humans do a lot of less than reasonable things to attract mates... Have you considered building a woodpecker/flicker drum for then to hammer on? :-) Got any plans? -- If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough |
#36
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Woodpeckers?
Mark & Juanita wrote:
Morris Dovey wrote: Mark & Juanita wrote: In this case, they are pecking away for no reason. This is particle board siding, there are no bugs inside or out. Some of this is the pecking to attract a mate by making loud noises. That doesn't sound like a non-reason - humans do a lot of less than reasonable things to attract mates... Have you considered building a woodpecker/flicker drum for them to hammer on? :-) Got any plans? I'm willing to give it a try - but I'd bet that anyone with instrument (for sound board) and/or speaker enclosure experience would be able to do a lot better job. Hmm - I haven't played with SketchUp for a week or so. Could be interesting... -- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/ |
#37
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Woodpeckers?
Mark & Juanita wrote:
Got any plans? I gave it a shot. 'PeckerDrum drawing posted to ABPW. -- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/ |
#38
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Woodpeckers?
"Morris Dovey" wrote I gave it a shot. 'PeckerDrum drawing posted to ABPW. PeckerDrum?? Sounds painful. |
#39
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Woodpeckers?
Lee Michaels wrote:
"Morris Dovey" wrote I gave it a shot. 'PeckerDrum drawing posted to ABPW. PeckerDrum?? Sounds painful. Everyone beats to a different drummer. ;-) -- Froz... |
#40
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Woodpeckers?
Lee Michaels wrote:
"Morris Dovey" wrote I gave it a shot. 'PeckerDrum drawing posted to ABPW. PeckerDrum?? Sounds painful. Personal problem. If it sounds painful, you probably shouldn't. :-] -- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/ |
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