Of you in misery with me not the woodpeckers company.
Why do woodpeckers peck on gutters.
If a woodpecker is slowly moving around your roof or siding and pecking in different locations over time then it is possible that the woodpecker is eating bugs from your siding.
The types of metal they love to use will include chimney caps metal siding and rain gutters.
This behavior tends to be most prevalent during the spring but it can continue year round.
The options are limited and for the most part all non lethal.
If you review our woodpecker control article you ll learn that woodpeckers will commonly use anything metal to sound.
So to answer your question.
Although a woodpecker s ability to peck into trees when in search of food is well known many species drill into wood where no insects exist.
While the woodpecker is damaging your siding it s not the woodpecker s fault.
However woodpeckers don t just peck on trees or wood just for a good meal.
I m sorry for your disturbance but i do like the company.
For predators a loud drumming sound is often enough to discourage them from targeting the woodpecker.
The sound can after all be heard from hundreds of yards away.
However there s another motion similar to pecking that woodpeckers also regularly perform.
The yellow bellied sapsucker for example loves to peck holes in ornamental trees which can cause damage and open trees up for diseases and mold problems.
It s true that this is one of the main reasons these birds exhibit this curious behavior.
What can you do.
No the bird food is not causing them to.
The sound the woodpeckers are creating is used to mark territory and communicate with other birds of their species.
And you re suddenly woken up by the noise of a woodpecker pecking away on the side your house.
As well as using the pecking motion as a means of finding vital food sources woodpeckers also peck at trees to create a nesting site.
This is referred to as drumming.
Quoting from an article on woodpeckers from penn state extension.
Perhaps you were under the impression that woodpeckers only pounded their beaks into trees in order to get at the bugs underneath the outer layer of bark.
What can you do really.
We have lots of trees but this woodpecker likes the gutters.
Woodpeckers excavate rotting wood to find food.
One of which is to defend its territory.
There are other reasons why woodpeckerspeck on things.
We have birdfeeders around but this woodpecker likes the gutters.
At least it s not a daily occurance more like 3 times a week.
This behavior known as drumming is a rhythmic pecking sequence.
They eat the bugs inside.
If you notice woodpecker damage to your trees and you are wondering how to deter woodpeckers from ruining your landscaping consider wrapping them in affordable burlap bags.