I would like a way to discourage woodpeckers from pecking my fascia. These are acorn woodpeckers so they are not after bugs, but for a place to hoard acorns for the event of a zombie apocalypse. I’m sure that’s what they are expecting since every crack and many holes in a nearby power pole are completely filled with acorns. They’re not putting them away for winter since it’s winter now and I’m in SoCal. My friend has them too, but he intends to shoot them. In spite of there annoying habits, I’m still fond of them. (Did I mention that they make a lot of noise.) This is on a second story so access is problematic.
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Mike,
You can try this, it worked for us for a while.......
Buy some anti bird reflective tape and electric tape or other tape and/or use old cd’s.
Find some plastic ended pushpins and for cd’s, some monofilament fishing line.
If you hang streamers of the bird tape or individual cd’s strung with the line, you might see success......
Oh, 2nd story? You’ll need a 4-6 ft stick. A one by half works fine. Drill a recessed hole in one end so the plastic end of those pushpins fit in nicely but not tight. Put tape on one end of the 4’ or so bird tape so pushpin won’t tear off. Pushpin that end, place the pin end in the hole you drilled in the stick and with tension on the free end of streamer poke that pin in the bottom of the fascia from an accessible window. Same deal with the cd’s.
Or, plastic owls...... a bit harder to hang.
Edit: one streamer per pin as they get tangled and cling to each other in a breeze.
Or, aluminum fascia which is next on my list after 30 yrs of carpenter bees.........
The owls I have are real (currently the great horned variety), but their schedule does not coincide with the woodpecker's schedule. I used to have barn owls but I haven't seen one in a while. One time at dusk I was waiting for one to appear, when I spotted a bat in the air. The next thing I knew the bat was gone and there was the owl having taken the bat in flight. Amazing.
Some where I've got a roll of silver mylar. Cut into strips it seems like just the thing.
Currently where I live combustable fascia is no longer permitted by the fire code, so people should no longer have this problem.
Thanks.
Well then that stick with the end drilled to rcv the pushpin is you friend.
Now, don’t fall out the window or drop the stick
“[Deleted]”
Amazon sells plastic owls as well as plastic hawks. They also have shiny hanging "woodpecker repellers". Be careful up there.
Good luck. Plastic owls and flashing objects are totally useless. I've tried them all and the only thing that's ever worked was to cover the wood with aluminum or replace it with cement board.