Woodpecker Removal

Woodpeckers use their strong bills to drill and drum for two purposes:

1. They drill holes to look for food, primarily the bugs and insects that make up the majority of the Northern Flicker’s diet.
2. They drum to mark territory and attract a mate. For this reason, a woodpecker will sometimes drum on metal surfaces as well as the wood parts of a home. This behavior usually happens during the spring mating season.

Woodpecker Prevention

            Keeping woodpeckers or flickers away from your Colorado house isn’t always an easy task,  there is no simple solution to ensuring that your property stays safe from woodpecker damage. However, there are a few steps you can take to reduce your risk.

First, you can reduce the attractiveness of your home by dealing with any insect infestations under your siding. If woodpeckers are finding your house because of a food source, you can remove the food source with a professional exterminator or specialist. 

Second, you can try to scare the woodpeckers away. This is accomplished with either loud noises or visual deterrents. Fake owls or hawks are often the most effective tool to use, but they are no guarantee against a Northern Flicker claiming your home as his own territory. 

Woodpecker Control

            If the above prevention methods aren’t enough to keep the woodpeckers away, it might be time to call a professional wildlife service company. With woodpeckers, there are several legal issues involved as the birds are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Protection Act.

This means that the Northern woodpecker is typically protected from the late spring through most of the summer (the exact dates are set each year by the Colorado Division of Wildlife). Outside of the protection dates, we can use our custom-designed trap to relocate the birds. If you are facing serious woodpecker problems, you can also apply for a depredation permit from the DOW that grants permission to trap during the protected period. 

If you are having a problem with one of these specific species of birds, please check these pages:

• Bird Removal
• Pigeon Removal

Call First Choice Wildlife Services

            Give us a call at 970-460-4044 if you need woodpecker removal control services. We service the areas of Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, and Greeley in the state of Colorado, and we can help you with any problem you have.

The Damage That Woodpeckers Do to Your Home

The woodpecker is an iconic bird, well-known for its unique characteristic of pounding its beak into wooden structures to look for food. While this may be unique, it can also be incredibly annoying and damaging to your home. Since these birds are so unique, it is important to realize that you can remove them humanely. Continue reading to learn about the damage that woodpeckers cause to your home, and also learn how you can go about removing them.

Why Do They Peck Wood?

It might seem very strange that woodpeckers peck wood in the first place. You might wonder what they are doing at all. There are actually a few different reasons that woodpeckers peck wood. The first, most common reason is that they are looking for insects that live in trees. Another reason they carve out holes in wood is to create a nesting site that is perfect for raising their young, as it is sheltered from the weather and other animals. Finally, a common reason you may hear the drumming sound is when male woodpeckers are trying to attract mates by performing their exhibition of “drumming.”

Damages

Despite their beautiful plumage, woodpeckers can take a serious toll on your home and on your trees in your yard. It is very important to realize that the problems they cause to your house are not necessarily the holes they make, as most of the time they are very small in size. It is actually what happens because of those holes that is concerning. Oftentimes, the holes that woodpeckers make in your siding, fascia, soffit, roofing, or door and window frames can be invaded with mold, fungus, or other types of harmful microorganisms. In addition, water may also seep through if the woodpecker made a very deep hole. Water, fungus, and other issues can cause wooden structures to quickly rot, and these building materials can present you with a huge problem in the future. As if the damage they cause to any wooden surfaces is not enough, these birds also can weaken structural lumber, as their boring and hole-making can cause severe structural weakening. In the same way, as with your home’s wooden materials, woodpeckers can actually cause serious damage to trees, and can potentially kill them. 

How to Get Rid of Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers can be very damaging creatures that seem to have no great way to get rid of them. This is generally due to the fact that as birds, these critters are always flying and never afford you the chance to actually remove them. Since this is the case, it is generally recommended to hire a professional wildlife control service, as they generally have decades of experience in removing all kinds of birds and other creatures from homes and properties. Virtually every wildlife removal service will remove woodpeckers humanely and will help you come up with ways to prevent them from coming back in the future as well. 

Benefits

While woodpeckers may cause damage to homes and trees, they are also beneficial to ecosystems as well. Woodpeckers eat large amounts of insects that would otherwise begin to take over and begin killing trees. In fact, many trees would die if it were not for woodpeckers getting the insects out of the tree by eating them. Since these birds are also beneficial, hiring a wildlife removal service is the best way to safely remove these critters for good.

Why Hire First Choice Wildlife Services?

Since woodpeckers are so harmful to your home, give us a call here at First Choice Wildlife Services. We have been proudly servicing much of Colorado for all kinds of nuisance wildlife management, from woodpeckers to rodents, and everything in between. We pride ourselves on humanely removing animals from your home or property with your safety and well-being in mind. Give us a call at First Choice Wildlife Services if you want to permanently rid yourself of your woodpecker problem!

How To Trap A Woodpecker in The Attic

Woodpeckers are colorful and beautiful birds, but their notoriety for pecking can become a severe issue if you’re dealing with an infestation. Most woodpecker species live in forests and woodland habitats. But they can also take advantage of man-made structures like the attic. 

Asides from the noise generated from their pecking, woodpeckers’ pecking activities can weaken the structural integrity of wooden window frames, siding, and roofing. The damage can allow water, mold, and fungus to grow in the wood, accelerating the rotting process. 

First Choice Wildlife Services provides world-class animal removal services, and we help homeowners and business owners get rid of unwanted woodpeckers on their property. In this post, we explore the subtleties involved in trapping woodpeckers. 

Types of Woodpecker Traps

• Birdhouse traps

This simple trap consists of a mouse snap trap placed in a birdhouse. Once the bird enters the trap, the trigger is activated, and it delivers a mighty blow that kills the bird.

• Funnel traps

Funnel traps are specially designed to make it easy for the bird to get inside but impossible to get out. The bird can thereafter be released. 

• Trap cages

In this setup, bait (like almonds, pecans, or walnuts) is used to lure the woodpecker into the cage. Once it enters, the door closes. The bird can thereafter be relocated. 

• Net traps

This method generally uses a spring mechanism (like in a rat’s trap) fixed at the entrance hole. Once the woodpecker is about to enter the cavity, it sets off the trigger, and a net comes down, capturing the bird. 

Is it Good to Trap Woodpeckers?

Woodpeckers in the attic can be annoying. We understand that – thanks to the many frustrations we’ve witnessed our clients go through. But notwithstanding, is it a good idea to trap them?

Unfortunately, it’s not! Here are some reasons trapping woodpeckers is bad:

• They are a protected species

Even though woodpeckers can be a real nuisance, they are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Protection Act. Killing them is illegal in many places. Hence, killing them after trapping them may result in severe fines if you’re caught. 

• Relocating them is inhumane

Maybe you’re planning to relocate the bird once you’ve captured it. Guess what? You might be doing more harm than good. Relocated bird species find it difficult to adapt to new environments, so they struggle to survive and are more likely to die. 

Are There Better Options?

Yes, you bet! Some of the ways we adopt at First Choice Wildlife Services to get rid of woodpeckers from attics include:

• Exclusion

This involves identifying entry holes into the attic. After that, all the holes are sealed off except one. In the last hole, an exclusion device is installed. Once the bird leaves through that hole, it is unable to get back in. Afterward, the exclusion device is removed, and the final spot sealed.

• Bird netting installation

If there are areas around your roof frequented by woodpeckers, a good strategy is to install netting at a reasonable distance from those places. These serve as a physical barrier, making it impossible for them to wreak any damage. 

• Try deterrents

From visual deterrents (like decoys of hawks, owls, and snakes) to ultrasonic deterrents to reflective materials to disorient birds, there are several non-invasive approaches you can try out to keep woodpeckers away. 

Why Trust First Choice Wildlife Services?

Are you dealing with frustrating woodpeckers in your attic? You’re in luck today because we have what it takes to bring your bird infestation issues to an end. Our approach involves a thorough inspection of your property to properly diagnose the problem and design a tailored system that will keep nasty woodpeckers from your attic, home, and property for good.