One of the most common calls that I receive at the Extension office during the spring months is how to keep woodpeckers from damaging homes and structures.
Woodpeckers cause property damage by drilling holes in wood, synthetic stucco siding and eaves and are an annoyance when hammering or “drumming” on houses. Drumming is most common in the spring during early morning and late afternoon and usually ends by July 1.
Woodpeckers hammer to attract mates, to establish and/or defend a territory, to excavate nesting or roosting sites and to search for insects. Wooden shingles, cedar or redwood siding, metal or plastic gutters, television antennas, chimney caps and light posts are selected as drumming sites because these materials produce loud sounds.
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