Woodpecker Problem

[Katrina]

Not sure this is correct area, if not , my apologies.
Need some advice. We have a pesky woodpecker. Let me explain, Our front of our house has cedar cladding and the corners of the house are wood. Back and sides and chimney are vinyl siding, corners are treated cedar painted brown. Over the last year there is a woodpecker trying to make a nest in the corners of the house and chimney. We've had the wood on the chimney clad in metal flashing and the hole it made on the house was filled with something that was supposed to harden so it couldn't get in. Didn't work so DH put a piece of FLEX seal tape, no more pecker. well yesterday DH and the lawn sprinkler guy were out trying to figure out why some of the system wasn't working and guess what, That Ratafarcken bird has started to make a hole in the corner of the shed.DH just put tape on that hole and has ordered these metal whirly gig things (they look like the old fashioned tin twist icicles for Christmas trees) to put on the eave of the shed. Has anyone ever used them or is there something else we can use to keep that pest away from the house and shed? It's not like we don't have a ton of trees it could nest in, it just likes our house for some reason. It's annoying when it gets going tapping tapping tapping in the night. Who's that rapping on my door LOL. Won't chase it off permanently as they do a great job getting the bugs, just want it to stay off my house. I will be talking to CB about cladding the corners of the house in the metal flashing.

[Sniper-T]

I too have a wood house in the country, that the woodpeckers like... shoot, shovel, and shut up.

There is nothing else that works... I tried everything!

[gm2]

I found a plastic owl and hanging pie plates in the eaves works.

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[Katrina]

Thanks gm, So plastic owl did work for you, that's good to know. Couple of neighbors said it didn't work for them. Hence the dangling tin icicles. Can't use the pie plates as it "looks tacky" per HOA, don't want DH to get in trouble with township, he still works for them. Sniper am in subdivision, they frown on shoot, shovel,etc. again, DH and Township.

[Sniper-T]

lol, understood Kat. I tried the owl thing too, didn't work for me either, nor the pie plates. Didn't want to kill them as they were nice to see, but my house is my house, and it was a last resort.

if you have an air pellet gun, and shoot from inside the house through a window, noise shouldn't be an issue. If you use a spitball rather than a pellet, it will be non-lethal, and a deterrent.

[Domeguy]

DUH...I’m surprised our resident expert Sniper-T hasn’t figured this one out yet! I got 2 words for you...drone and cat... ok, maybe add a few more like paracord, duct tape, little kitty safety helmet, little kitty parachute, little kitty ejection seat...but I think you get the picture. Not more woodpecker!

[Sniper-T]

DUH...I’m surprised our resident expert Sniper-T hasn’t figured this one out yet! I got 2 words for you...drone and cat... ok, maybe add a few more like paracord, duct tape, little kitty safety helmet, little kitty parachute, little kitty ejection seat...but I think you get the picture. Not more woodpecker!

Oh, come on Domey, that's the first thing I tried... You should know better! I am sad to report that my cats didn't like the noise from the drone and attacked the kevlar and graphite blades... I had to call WarAmps. but did have some nice drumsticks.

Plan B was a modified Catapult, but sadly, in the air birds have a distinct advantage. Despite my Sniper-esque aim, and rapid reloading, the end result was Rat-A-Tat-Tat, three perforated helmets, and three lobotomized cats.

On the plus side, they had far less attitude after and were content to lay in bed and drool (kinda like you, Salmon fishing)

They only saving grace to this whole experiment, is that they were made of meat!

Oh, and everyone has kittens to give away to replace them...

Trebuchet, perhaps? with the projectiles covered in oil and lit...

[gm2]

We get the red headed woodpeckers up here. Other species are probably different. It's just what I've found to be effective.

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[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

I'd go with the shoot an shovel..........BB or pellet gun. Go full blown urban sniper so the neighbors won't see him. Get some of that "Gucci flage" camo. Patience is a virtue.

Bottom line, Woody is a pain in the ass and we have that issue here at the new cabin. Managed to get one shot off when he tree himself when I came around the corner. Funny thing tough, these animals at the new place have a serious comm network, was after the groundhog under the barn one day. He was in the open so I figured I would come around the back side of the house to get a clean shot and not be seen by said rodent. Well bout the time I get around the last side of the house, "Woody" lets out a scream, yeah nice fat redhead sittin there. Yup, ground hog gone. This happened more than once, so shoot the bird first before he warns the groundhog, then you can get the original kill you were after.........that is in my case.

[Katrina]

Dome, afraid Ms Chloe is just too old(and too fat) to be buzzing around in a drone.She does do a good job of catching the mice in the house,though. She doesn't eat them, just "breaks" them and brings them to us to "fix". The icicles were waiting for us when we got back. DH has them taped up on the corners of the shed on the aluminum edging right now, they don't look too bad. Just have to figure out how to permanently attach them to the aluminum edging. DH doesn't really want to drill holes in it but it looks like he's going to have to. He's "thinking" about it, he'll figure something out.