Woodpecker Control in Alberta, Calgary

What are those holes showing up on my house!?

What’s that banging noise on my roof vent?

Woodpeckers love to cause damage to the exterior of homes, including siding and fascia, and create a lot of noise. This can be especially problematic for homeowners who have an area that is close to their home or even inside their home, where the noise can be heard. While woodpeckers are a part of nature that we don’t want to harm, you may need to take steps to prevent them from causing damage and being a nuisance.

Types of Woodpeckers in Alberta

There are several types of woodpeckers that can be found in Alberta. These include the Pileated Woodpecker, the Hairy Woodpecker, the Downy Woodpecker, and the Northern Flicker. All of these species are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 and must not be harmed or killed. The most common nuisance in Calgary is the Northern Flicker, pictured above.

Why Do Woodpeckers Peck On Houses?

Woodpeckers may choose to peck on houses for a variety of reasons. These birds may be looking for food, or they may be using their beaks to create holes in wood to make nests. Additionally, woodpeckers may be attracted to homes because they like the sound that comes from pecking on it. Woodpeckers use these sounds to attract mates, especially in the late winter and spring.

Woodpeckers create three types of holes in structures:

• Foraging holes, which may appear as small, deep holes in a line,
• Drumming holes, appearing as many small, shallow holes in a cluster, or
• Excavation holes, appearing as deep, round holes 3 to 5 cm in diameter. These are usually for nesting.

Will Woodpeckers Go Away on Their Own?

Food availability affects whether woodpeckers will return or not. If there is an abundance of food sources near your home, it is likely that you will continue to have woodpecker problems. Additionally, if there are good nesting sites nearby, it is likely that the birds will continue to come back to your home.

If the woodpecker already has eggs or young in your siding, they will be very determined to stay!

Eco-Friendly Woodpecker Control

One way to deter woodpeckers from coming to your home is by using deterrent devices. There are a variety of different deterrent devices that can be used to keep woodpeckers away. These include scarecrows (i.e. fake owls), reflective tape, sound deterrents, and bird spikes. These devices have varying effectiveness. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t! It depends entirely on how determined the woodpecker is to continue pecking at your house. No pest control company can guarantee the woodpeckers will never come back.

What we recommend for controlling woodpeckers is to annoy them as much as possible. Be careful though! They are a protected species and we don’t want to harm them or harass them so much that we disrupt their natural behaviours such as mating or raising their young. The best way to annoy them is with loud noises whenever they are around. Clap your hands, bang metal together, get as close as you can to them and scare them off. Another method is to use a water gun and shoot at the woodpecker every time you see it. These methods both require a lot of labour and persistence. You have to annoy them enough that they know this is not a safe place for them. Get the whole household involved and take shifts!

If you’d like to install deterrent devices (sometimes that’s all you can do!), give us a call. At Grove, we use the most effective devices that last multiple years, not cheap tape or vinyl balloons. This will help ensure you are doing all that you can to prevent expensive damage to your property.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of woodpeckers are in Calgary?

Calgary is home to a few different species of woodpeckers, but there are two main culprits that damage our homes: northern flickers and nuthatches. 

Which is the most common woodpecker?

Northern flickers are the most common woodpecker to damage our homes, they are mostly brown, with beautiful orange, white, and black speckles. 

What is special about woodpeckers?

All woodpeckers are protected species in Canada. They are protected under the Migratory Bird Convention Act, an international treaty designed to protect many different birds that travel between Canada, the USA, and Mexico, though woodpeckers don’t usually migrate too far compared to other birds.

Are woodpeckers good to have around?

All native birds play an important role in our ecosystem. Woodpeckers are great pest controllers, feeding on many wood-destroying insects, ants, spiders, and more. They also create large holes in dead trees which eventually get used as nesting spots for other birds and squirrels.

Where do woodpeckers live in Canada?

Woodpeckers live all over Canada! They naturally nest in old dead trees so they are common in wooded areas; less so in the bald prairie.

What can I do to prevent woodpeckers from damaging my home?

Woodpeckers like to peck at hollow-sounding surfaces, so they love the EIFS stucco siding! It’s not a great siding option in Calgary because of woodpeckers. Switching to Hardie board or vinyl siding will help. Woodpeckers also may be interested in insects around the home. If you have a lot of spiders around, treating for spiders may help. Visual deterrents can also help, but they must be installed properly to be effective. Reach out to Grove Eco-friendly Pest Control for a quote!