Fall woodpecker damage
Can be maddening for those with natural wood siding
In autumn if a woodpecker starts chiseling away on your siding, chances are it is either foraging for insects or trying to create a roosting cavity to keep it warm through the winter months. If the holes are small and irregular the woodpecker was probably looking for insects. If the hole is circular and an inch or so in diameter, it is being designed to be a roosting hole for the upcoming winter.
There was a study of woodpecker house damage conducted by a trio of Cornell University scientists some twenty years ago that shed light on factors that could increase the probability of attracting woodpeckers to a home. Their conclusion stated:
We found that the susceptibility of houses to woodpecker damage depended most on the type of siding. Grooved plywood siding had the highest proportion of woodpecker damage (73%), followed by shakes (60%), tongue-and- groove and board-and-batten (45%), clapboards (29%), and nonwood (21%).
Stained houses suffered more damage than did painted houses and nonwood houses. We believe that paint helps to fill the small gaps in wooden siding that can harbor insects and greatly reduces infestation by carpenter bees that woodpeckers find so attractive….Stain sealants, especially earth-toned colors, should be avoided on wooden structures found in lightly-wooded to heavily-wooded yards. For existing houses with wood siding in wooded areas, it would be better to paint such structures rather than reapply stain when it is time for exterior maintenance…..The highest probability of damage was observed in stained houses in heavily wooded areas (97%).
And lastly from the report, what I have observed as well:
When we or homeowners observed woodpeckers on house siding, we identified either hairy or downy woodpeckers.
So what to do if you still want to keep wood siding stained in earth-toned colors in a heavily-wooded lot? Well if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em….you could try installing a winter roost box to see if that reduces the problem.
The first winter I purchased this well-made roosting box from Coveside, a downy woodpecker ended up using it all winter. I saw it enter at dusk for many weeks during the winter months and could hear it pecking in the box through my wall. Roosting boxes are designed to hold in the bird’s body heat and protect it from the elements. It contains a couple of horizontal perches and a low entrance hole to keep in the rising warmth in. I placed mine on the side of the house where they drill which happens to face east. It is best to keep it protected from north winds and the higher up you are comfortable putting it, the better. In spring it is best to take it down or block the entrance hole as house wrens will want to nest in it which over time will produce wear and tear on the inside wood and perches. The above mentioned roosting box from Coveside can double as a nesting box in the summer by flipping the entrance door and removing the perch dowels.
It certainly can be maddening if woodpecker decides to use your house for its winter home. They can be persistent and cause damage very quickly. The strongest siding to protect from their damage is probably the fiber cement siding products such as James Hardie. They would have a hard time making a dent in siding that durable.
It does not seem fair that homeowners in heavily-wooded yards with lots of trees and good habitat end up getting woodpecker damage on their house. Reminds me of the old adage “no good deed goes unpunished”.
