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When it comes to preferred wood to peck, woodpeckers love soft siding textile such as cedar. If the siding of your abode happens to exist fabricated of this material and yous live about a wooded area, it volition probably experience woodpecker damage at some point. Luckily, repairing woodpecker damage is a very elementary and straightforward process, and if you follow it upward with preventative steps to deter future wood pecking, you tin be quickly rid of woodpecker damage forever.

  1. 1

    Chisel out the back interior of the holes. Employ a small-scale chisel to slightly enlarge the inside of the hole, and then that the back side is larger than the pigsty opening. This will prevent your repairs from popping out of the siding.[1]

    • If there is annihilation behind the hole to hammer a nail into, yous tin likewise apply a nail to achieve the same outcome. Get out the head of the nail slightly exposed so that your epoxy putty will lock onto it when information technology expands.

  2. 2

    Fill up the siding holes with forest filler. Use a putty pocketknife to force the filler inside the pigsty, making sure to fill up in the pigsty and to completely cover the opening. Scrape away whatever excess with the putty knife when y'all're done and allow it to air dry.[two]

    • Epoxy putty is a unremarkably recommended wood filler for apply in repairing woodpecker damage.[3]
    • Overfill the unabridged pigsty in your siding when applying the filler; it's disquisitional that you leave no void uncovered, and excess putty is easily removed.
    • Brand sure yous make full the holes in your siding on a mean solar day with practiced weather, so the filler has enough time to air dry.

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  3. 3

    Sand the filler down to fifty-fifty level with the undamaged wood. Await until the filler is completely dry, then utilise coarse sandpaper to sand it downwards to fit with the rest of your siding. You should be able to run your fingers over your original and damaged siding and experience only a slight difference between them.[4]

  4. four

    Pigment over the filler to match the undamaged siding. Clear abroad any leftover sanding dust from the wall, then paint over the filled expanse in the same shade as the surrounding cedar.[5]

    • Make sure you do this on a day with sunny conditions, so that the paint dries speedily afterwards you end.

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  1. 1

    Employ a hole saw to cut a round hole over the damage. If the woodpecker hole is 2 inches (5.1 cm) or larger in bore, it will crave a scrap more than work. Cut a circular or square-shaped hole to brand the repair work easier.[6]

    • Be sure to remove wood pieces and detritus from the pigsty you've just created before proceeding.

  2. two

    Fill the hole with foam sealant. [7] With larger holes, you'll need to make sure you add insulation in the back to create a nice weatherproof seal.[8] For best results, use a sprayable foam with minimal expansion.

    • Don't fill up the entire hole with foam; exit about an inch of depth that your patch volition become over.
    • It'due south critical that you add sealant to the hole to avoid the patch yous identify over it from falling into it.

  3. 3

    Cut a patch out of plywood slightly smaller than the hole. The patch volition demand to fit snugly into the pigsty, so cut it only slightly smaller in diameter. Be certain to cut a piece with the right to depth to match the hole.

    • Your patch can too exist made out of ordinary lumber, though plywood is frequently recommended.[9]
    • If the diameter of the patch is also large at offset, use sandpaper to sand it down to an appropriate size.

  4. iv

    Use wood filler to place the patch inside the hole. Place wood filler around the edges of both the patch and the hole, and fit the patch into identify. Scrape off whatever excess wood filler.

    • This can be the aforementioned wood filler used to repair smaller holes.
    • Don't worry if the patch slightly juts out from the hole; this is easily repaired.

  5. 5

    Sand over and paint over the patch to friction match the residuum of the siding. Clear away whatever sanding grit from the wall, then pigment over the filled area in the same shade every bit the surrounding cedar.[x]

    • Make sure you do this on a 24-hour interval with sunny weather, and so that the pigment dries speedily later on you finish.

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  1. 1

    Eliminate any insect infestations in your wood. This is the near important footstep in woodpecker deterrence. Although woodpeckers drill holes in forest for a variety of reasons, they volition exist more likely to exercise so in your home if there is nutrient readily available.[11]

    • To treat a carpenter ant infestation, locate the pismire nest and fill the archway with a dust insecticide to impale all the ants and the egg-laying queen.
    • To get rid of carpenter bees, locate the small holes they've bored into your wood and hang traps direct over them. You tin can also utilize grit insecticide to fill the holes and kill any eggs that have been lain.[12]

  2. ii

    Hang ceramic predators and shiny objects on your structure. Visual deterrents can exist an ever-nowadays means of frightening woodpeckers away from your cedar siding.[thirteen] Hanging ceramic animals and reflective objects on your siding will brand woodpeckers call back a predator is nearby.[14]

    • Prowler owls and hawks with reflective eyes are particularly effective at warding off woodpeckers, as these are their natural predators.
    • Hang aluminum foil or brightly colored strips of plastic forth your siding for a low-cost visual deterrent.

  3. 3

    Fear woodpeckers abroad with loud noises. After being repeatedly greeted with loud, jarring noises, woodpeckers will eventually larn not to drill holes in your siding. Paw-clapping, firing toy pistols, and banging garbage can lids can all be used to affright abroad woodpeckers.

    • If your construction is in an area with neighbors living shut past, consider getting their approving offset earlier using loud noises to deter woodpeckers, or rely solely on visual deterrents.
    • Unless yous're physically available to brand jarring noises near every time the woodpecker shows up, this method will probably not be as effective as using visually frightening objects.

  4. 4

    Use suet or bird feeders to lure woodpeckers away from your structure. You may be able to prevent woodpecker drilling in your cedar siding by offer a tempting alternative at a distance from your structure. Place bird feeders well-nigh trees or other wooden structures to encourage woodpeckers to accept up residence elsewhere.[xv]

    • Though you can use a normal bird feeder, you'll probably have more success using suet, a high-calorie bird food.[16]
    • Every few days, place your feeder further and farther away from your structure, until the woodpeckers end drilling in your siding.[17]
    • Check on your suet every so often and make sure squirrels are not eating from it as well.

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  • Question

    What do you utilize to fill up a woodpecker hole?

    Christopher Lanier

    Christopher Lanier is a handyman and the possessor and operator of Watson & Company Handiworks, a handyman business in Austin, Texas. With over three years of experience, Christopher specializes in outdoor calorie-free installation, article of furniture associates, TV mounting, and window treatment installation. Christopher holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Assistants from the Academy of Texas at Austin. Watson & Visitor Handiworks is rated as a Top Pro past Thumbtack.

    Christopher Lanier

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  • Woodpeckers are protected by federal police force, and so be certain non to harm or kill them through your prevention methods.

  • Woodpeckers can be very persistent and difficult to remove from their selected territories. For the all-time take a chance of preventing further woodpecker drilling in your siding, put your deterrence methods in identify equally soon equally possible subsequently get-go noticing the harm.

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