Things Needed
Tip
A woodpecker industriously pounding away on your yield tree or wood structure may very well be a blessing in camouflage . The bird has just called to your care the fact that destructive wood - damaging plague are living in it .
Warning
If a peckerwood manages to create a swelled enough hole in your tree diagram or a wood structure , it may determine that it ’s an excellent roosting or nesting localisation . It ’s illegal to commove many varieties of nesting woodpeckers .
Woodpeckers , including sapsucker and flicker , are wide lot throughout the United States . The most vernacular specie are the downy peckerwood ( P. pubescens ) , the hairy woodpecker ( Picoides villous ) , and the yellow - bellied sapsucker ( Sphyrapicus varius ) . Sapsuckers are likely to wreak the most havoc on the forest of your yield tree because seraphic tree sap is the first and biggest item on the menu . Other specie are on the prowl for boring insects and chuck , but often prefer tree diagram that we do n’t cultivate for fruit . However , most woodpeckers also enjoy your berries , fruit , nuts and seeds . The good news is that while in almost all cases it ’s illegal to harm , injure , poisonous substance or kill these tool , you sure as shooting do n’t have to put up with harm to your property .
Diagnose
Step 1
analyze the barque of healthy fruit tree diagram bole and tree branch from former February through June , when woodpeckers breed and establish nesting territories . sapsucker practise parallel rows of hole spaced closely together , and extract sap with recollective clapper . They typically choose a few favorite trees , leaving indistinguishable nearby specimens unaffected . stay on pecking can enlarge the holes , and sizable bark darn can be chipped away . Severe flack of trunks or large limbs can down the tree .
Step 2
Step 3
Check develop fruits for deep hole indicative of woodpecker damage . Watch the foliation for frequent skirt visitations . Even woodpeckers that do n’t prefer the wood of these tree will drop by for tasty fruit meals .
Exclude
spread over the tree ’s canopy completely with ¾- inch charge plate or nylon mesh bird netting to protect evolve fruit . Envelope all the foliage and stop up the ends of the net around the luggage compartment with wire or string . Do n’t leave any gaps that woodpeckers might wriggle through .
gird the trunk with a sheet of the bird netting , and bequeath 4 to 6 inches between the meshwork and the barque so the birds ca n’t turn over through it to attack the tree . seize it to a few offshoot with twine or wire and secure the bottom to the ground with stakes or pegs .
Construct a metallic element roadblock around the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ’s luggage compartment if veiling does n’t work or is n’t practical to apply . Effective materials include ¼-inch hardware textile and aluminium flashing .
Step 4
wrapper injured Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree proboscis with multiple stratum of plastic engagement , computer hardware material or burlap to protect them from further sapsucker price . observe that sapsuckers are particularly persistent about access favour fruit trees . When successfully excluded , these birds will straight off try out other fruit tree .
Frighten, Annoy, Distract
Affix visual physical object which can frighten woodpeckers to feign country of your fruit trees . confiscate them broadly speaking with wire or twine so that breeze can move them easily . Aluminum pie tins , strips of transparency or brilliantly color credit card reflect and move , and have all been used with varying measures of winner .
Annoy and fright woodpeckers repeatedly and persistently with loud noises . have a go at it on alloy cans and lid , loud hand - clapping and discharging plaything cap guns can harass the bird enough to send them in hunting of more peaceful surroundings .
engage the assistance of your dog . When you hear the woodpecker , take the wienerwurst with you and call his attending to the bird . Direct a noisy , angry fuss at the bird , and the Canis familiaris will charm on immediately even if the woodpecker flies away for the minute . Dogs can be extremely territorial and will gladly torment an invading pecker once they know what you want .
Apply sticky repellents to affected expanse of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . asperse it around wherever sapsuckers are dine on limbs and tree trunk . Products such as 4 - The - Birds , Tanglefoot and Roost - No - More do n’t really stick the chick to the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . They just sense tacky to the bird ’s feet , and wild avians instinctively dislike anything that may hang onto them .
Step 5
Offer the pecker alternatives to distract them from your fruit Tree . locate the alternatives well away from the trees they ’ve been feed on . Many mintage screw suet feeders , and some will even visit wench feeders stocked with seeds . Provide nest boxful appropriate to the pest mintage . Nesting woodpeckers will defend their territories and drive others aside .
