Woodpeckers can be beautiful birds, and they play an important role in nature. But that doesn’t mean you should allow them to interfere with your home siding. When they attack your house’s exterior wood surfaces, costly damage can result.
Here’s a quick lesson on what attracts these birds to your property, some tips on how to discourage them from coming back—and how to get a permanent solution that protects your siding for good.
Why Woodpeckers Attack Wood Siding
- Food — Woodpeckers dig into wood to find insects (like termites and carpenter ants) to eat, so your siding (and window frames) can strongly draw their attention. They may also store food items like acorns in the holes they create.
- Mating — These birds also drum on wood surfaces to establish their territory and make noises that attract their mates.
- Nesting — When woodpeckers find a place they can make large holes in, they often use the opportunity to create a nest. And they may return to that nest year after year (even if you repair the damage they do!).
The Problems Created by Woodpecker Damage
As these birds peck into your wood siding, trim, and fascia, they create holes that rain and other moisture can seep into. This leaves siding, windows, and other structural wood surfaces vulnerable to wood rot, unhealthy mold and mildew growth, weakened window frames, costly leaks—and ultimately, failing protection for your home.
How to Keep Woodpeckers Away from Your Siding: 3 Short-Term Tips
Deterring woodpeckers involves a mix of techniques that do one of two things—remove their ability to feed, and remove their ability to establish territory and nest. These methods can help with short-term results.
1. Get Rid of Insect Infestations
When woodpeckers (and other pests) are being drawn to your home exterior, it’s a good bet that you have a lot of insects for them to eat. Consider that a warning sign you may have termites, carpenter ants, or other wood-eating bugs. Call an exterminator for an inspection and have your home treated so the birds won’t have anything to feed on.
2. Trim Back Landscaping from Your Home
It’s all too easy for birds to hop from the branches of trees to your home siding—especially if your landscaping is close to your exterior. Trim away overhanging branches. You might even consider removing trees and bushes if they attract too many pests.
3. Use Bird Repelling Techniques
Woodpeckers dislike strange noises or lights. To startle birds away, add windchimes, shiny spinning décor, and small mirrors in key places around your home. Place a fake owl or hawk nearby. Even aluminum foil can work—though that’s not exactly pretty to look at.
Install Woodpecker Resistant Siding for a Long-Term Solution
There’s only one surefire, lasting way to keep woodpeckers away from your house—and that is to replace wood with unappealing, bird-resistant siding materials. Once woodpeckers realize their drumming doesn’t make noise or form holes, they’ll leave and go somewhere more welcoming to them.
So, if you have cedar siding and woodpeckers keep coming back to plague you, then it’s time to replace it. And choosing James Hardie fiber cement siding is an excellent option that delivers decades of performance.
How Hardie Siding Resists Woodpeckers—and Much More!
- Makeup — Made from a mixture of sand, cellulose, Portland cement, and water, Hardie’s fiber cement formula can’t be eaten by insects—so woodpeckers have no reason to hunt in your siding for food.
- Durability — Because James Hardie designed their siding to last as long as possible, you’re getting a material that doesn’t easily dent, crack, or warp. And that means woodpeckers won’t be able to peck holes in it either.
Plus, when you invest in high-performing Hardie siding, you get all the other benefits that homeowners love so much:
- Gorgeous, fade-resistant color selections
- Stylish designs in vertical, horizontal, trim, and fascia selections
- Non-combustible makeup that lessens damage from flames
- Industry-leading, 30-year, non-prorated, transferable warranty
With the value and peace of mind that James Hardie offers, it’s easy to see why homeowners and homebuyers appreciate it. And that makes it an excellent investment for your property when you’re looking to banish woodpeckers for good.
Beautiful Hardie Siding to Give You Long-Lasting Home Exterior Protection
When you’re ready for a long-term solution to your woodpecker and pest problems, turn to the #1 fiber cement siding in the country—James Hardie. This elegant, strong, eco-friendly replacement siding adds unmistakable curb appeal and value to your Chicago area home. Learn more about what makes this siding so great at resisting damage from woodpeckers.
With the help of our team at Siding & Windows Group, you can keep your property in top shape for decades without worry.
