Problems with Wood....

[John Miliunas]

Wood....Pecker, that is! Just wondering if anyone has had to deal with something like this before. We have, what I believe to be, a Woodpecker suffering from an identity crisis. This stupid bird must think he's a tin-bender or something, as he comes to visit, usually a couple times a day, but he sits up on the roof and pecks at the *metal* stack of our gas fireplace! :eek: Very annoying, to say the least, and I don't know what, if any, damage this retarded bird might be doing. Any experiences with such a thing? :confused: :cool:

[Dave Heinlein]

That's a pretty common activity of those birds during courting season. He's letting all the other WP's know that he has the biggest and loudest pecker in town. Every Spring they are on the church steeple next door to me, banging away. I'll bet that with the amplification provided by the bell tower, it can be heard for miles. :rolleyes:

[Dennis Peacock]

Mornin' John....

Yup....I've dealt with that before.....

I was able to solve the problem with a 12 Ga Shotgun and some #4 buckshot! :) Boy was THAT woodpecker ever surprised! :eek:

All I ever found was a "single" feather from that bird....the rest just "disappeared"....for some reason.!!!!!

I wouldn't do that now.....I was a gun totin', shot firin' teenager back then.

[Jim Becker]

I wouldn't do that now......
I'm glad to hear that, Dennis...

[Todd Burch]

.... He's letting all the other WP's know that he has the biggest and loudest pecker in town. ...


Dave - THAT IS FUNNY!!!!

[Dean Baumgartner]

John,
That's pretty common. You should see what a red can do to a downspout.

I think you have 3 options.
1) The Dennis solution (I think some species are protected so be careful on that one)
2) Animal control or Humane Society will often trap and re-locate. (Local NPR had someone talk about this I think from UW-Extension)
3) If you can hang some mesh netting or chicken wire around the stack far enough away to prevent the woodpecker from getting to it.


Dean

[Chris Padilla]

Simple...hang a plastic owl or get a rubber snake and drape it around the area. My eaves on the upper roofline are a mess from woodpecking birds.... :(

[Dave Richards]

John. Since your woodpecker doesn't seem to be interested in pecking wood, why not wrap the stack in wood? That'll sure enuf confuse him. :D

[John Miliunas]

Thanks for the tips, gentelmen! But Richard, I *did* say this is the stack from a *wood-burning* fireplace! It's a propane GAS unit! It was made very CLEAR to me, NOT to use wood with it! :D :cool: