Why do pileated woodpeckers peck holes in house siding, and is there a practical way to discourage them?
House siding offers woodpeckers a sheltered cavity ideal for initiating courtship behavior or territorial defense (flickers are notorious for drumming on drainpipes and chimney flues at dawn). The birds frequently mistake the buzzing of electrical wires and appliances for a colony of wood-boring insects or ants – a major part of a pileated woodpecker’s diet. Placing wire, foil, sheet metal, or fencing over pitted siding may discourage pileated woodpeckers from pecking holes. Some homeowners have successfully deterred them using owl decoys, rubber snakes, loud noises, motion detectors, or by simply spraying the birds with a hose. In extreme cases, wildlife officials will “remove” a problem bird at the homeowner’s request.
