6 Natural Ways to Get rid of Woodpeckers [Homemade Woodpecker Deterrent]

Woodpeckers not only make incredibly annoying sounds, but they can also do some real damage to your house or trees if left uncontrolled.

Usually, these birds stop pecking away at your house once the mating season has begun, but until then, you can use some natural methods to keep away these birds from your property.

It is important to keep in mind that killing birds, including woodpeckers, is illegal in many states, so the best method to keep away these birds is to simply distract them away from your home. Let’s see some of these natural ways that you can use to keep woodpeckers away. 

6 Effective Ways & Homemade Remedies to Get Rid of Woodpeckers Naturally

1. Place shiny objects

Any shiny object will reflect sunlight, which causes woodpeckers to become distracted. You can use shiny tape, a piece of aluminum foil, an old CD, or even a shiny wrapping foil to cover the areas that are being affected by woodpeckers. The birds will stop coming immediately. 

Required Material:

• Any shiny object such as tin foil or wrapping paper.  
• Tape to attach the object. (You may also use reflective tape meant for repelling woodpeckers)

Step by Step Process:

• Woodpeckers like to attack the same areas over and over again, so it is quite easy to identify the area that is being affected by the birds. Put a piece of tinfoil or reflective paper on the area that the woodpecker is pecking away at. 
• You can attach the paper or tinfoil with some reflective tape if necessary. 
• You can also hang other reflective objects such as CDs, small mirrors or reflective decoration items to create more distraction. 
• Usually you will see an instant effect, but if the woodpecker starts to peck away at another part of your house, you can cover that area as well. 

Precautions:

Add some extra precautions to make sure that the woodpecker does not attack a different part of your house. 

2. Bird Spikes

Woodpeckers often live in the same area that they peck at. Bird spikes are a great option for these types of woodpeckers to stop them from roosting. It’s a great solution to keep them away for good.

Bird spikes do not harm the birds but simply make it difficult for them to sit in the area, thus discouraging them from hanging out on your property.

Required Material:

• Bird spikes

Step by Step Process:

• Identify the areas that are being affected by the woodpeckers. Window sills, doors, and rooftops are usually affected. 
• Place the strip of bird spike along those areas. You may have to use screws to fasten them depending upon the type of bird spike. 
• Woodpeckers may still come for a day or two, but once they feel uncomfortable sitting in those areas, they will leave. 

Precautions: 

Bird spikes can also negatively affect other small creatures such as squirrels. If you don’t want them to be affected, you should be cautious of the position of where you’re placing the spikes. 

3. Animal decoys

Woodpeckers are afraid of owls and hawks since they are predators that kill woodpeckers.

However, it is obviously not possible to bring actual owls and hawks into your property to get rid of woodpeckers, but you can always make use of decoys, i.e. fake owls or hawks. If the woodpecker sees an owl, it will not come near at all. 

Required Material:

• Owl or Hawk decoy

Step by Step Process:

• Place two or three owl or hawk decoys on the outside of your house. You could place them in the exact position that the woodpeckers are attacking. 
• You would need to move around these decoys every day or two, otherwise, the woodpeckers would realize that it’s fake. 
• Woodpeckers are afraid of hawks and owls so they would not approach your house as soon as they see the decoys. 

Precaution: 

You need to move around the decoys to make sure that this method is effective, otherwise, the woodpeckers would get used to the statues and attack your house anyway. 

4. Use Mylar balloons

Some people have attained great success by using mylar balloons or commonly known as party balloons. These balloons are filled with helium, and they have a reflective surface, making them an ideal distraction for woodpeckers.

The material of these balloons can withstand extreme weather, so they last quite a few days, and the helium inside keeps them floating. 

Required Material:

• Mylar balloons 
• Helium
• Strings

Step by Step Process:

• Fill up the balloons with helium, and close the opening tightly. 
• Add a string to the balloon and keep it tied to something firm while you inflate the other balloons. 
• Take one balloon at a time and attach them outside your windows and doors. Keep them in areas that get sunshine. You can extend or shorten the string as required. 
• Make sure that they move along with the wind, and also reflect sunlight as much as possible. 
• The movement of the balloons is enough to scare away the woodpeckers, but if they reflect a lot of sunlight, that is also bound to scare them. 

Precautions:

Helium balloons can easily fly away if they are not fastened well enough. Also, they are quite prone to leakage, so make sure to close the opening tightly. 

5. Loud sounds

Any loud sound is sure to deter any birds away, including woodpeckers. Wind chimes are a great option as they produce a sharp sound that makes the woodpeckers afraid to approach your home. You can also use some pie foils attached to strings to create a similar effect. 

Required Material:

• Windchimes
• Pie foil 
• Strings

Step by Step Process:

• You can use a loud wind chime, or you can make your own by attaching pie foils to strings and hanging them together. 
• Place your windchime or pie foil outside your doors and windows, and wherever you may have a woodpecker problem. 
• The wind would help move the chimes or the pie foils to create a loud sharp noise that will scare away the woodpeckers. 
• In case there is no wind, and you see a woodpecker, you can manually shake the chimes or pie foils to create a loud noise to scare them away. 

Precaution: 

Make sure to place the chimes or pie foils in a place where wind can flow freely, otherwise, it will not make the sounds. 

6. Homemade Woodpecker Deterrent Spray

Any strong smell can drive away woodpeckers, however, unlike other animals, birds do not depend upon their sense of smell as often, so it may not be very effective as a long-term solution.

You can use peppermint oil to create a homemade spray that you can then use for driving away woodpeckers. 

Required Material:

• Peppermint essential oil 
• Water
• Spray bottle
• Witch hazel 

Step by Step Process:

• Mix ½ cup water with ½ cup witch hazel. 
• Transfer the mix to a spray bottle. Add 50-60 drops of peppermint essential oil into the mixture. 
• Shake the mixture well and you’re ready to use it. 
• Whenever you see a woodpecker attack your house, spray this mixture near them to scare them away. The smell will deter them and keep them away for a while. 
• After a few times of doing this, they will not come back at all. 

Precaution:

This method will keep away the birds only if you repeatedly spray them with it, otherwise, they may come back and simply attack a different part of your house. 

3 Natural Ways to Prevent Woodpeckers

1. Use bird netting

Bird netting is typically used for protecting fruit trees and gardens, but it can also be used to protect your house or fence, or anywhere else that woodpeckers may be affecting.

Bird netting is stronger and more resistant than other types of nets, so make sure to use the right kind for the best results.

You can do it yourself or contact a professional company to do it for you, but overall, bird netting can prevent any type of woodpecker damage and it’s a great solution.

2. Fill in any holes or gaps in your house

Any gaps or holes on the outside of your house could be a potential attraction for woodpeckers. They would peck away at the hole or crack to find insects inside or to simply attract a mate.

Filling in these holes and gaps will ensure that the woodpecker does not find a place to peck away at. 

3. Remove any insects from your home

If your house has any type of insect infestation such as ants, bugs, etc, then it could be why woodpeckers are attracted to your home.

They feed off of these insects and if they can easily find them in your house, they are very likely to attack your house for food.

Removing insects from your home will ensure that there is no food source for the woodpeckers, hence it will keep them away. 

Final Comments:

Woodpeckers are annoying birds, there is no doubt about that, but keeping them out of your house may be quite a hassle. But still, then, you can use plenty of different options to help the situation. And if everything fails, you can always call a professional exterminator.

We hope that the natural ways to get rid of woodpeckers are helpful to you, and we hope that you can finally get rid of these noisy birds!