Birds Nesting In Cedar Siding

Woodpeckers are more drawn to redwood and cedar wood types than to composite wood or masonite.

Birds nesting in cedar siding.

I have a handyman coming in a few weeks and would like to have him seal up the hole s but for humanitarian and practical reasons i would like to wait until the babies have left the nest. When people ask me what the best thing they can do to avoid birds pecking holes in cedar siding my answer is get aluminum siding. The birds promptly tore the insulation out and built a nest between the wallboard and plywood. Unfortunately cedar siding seems to get a lot of damage from woodpeckers particularly if the house is adjacent to a wooded area.

For three years now a woodpecker has made holes in our wood siding and other birds sparrows or finches i think have built nests in our walls. These are most likely the beginnings of roosting or nesting holes. It s a real fixer upper to say the least. Often these holes go through the siding and into the insulation.

Use suet or bird feeders to lure woodpeckers away from your structure. If you have problems with birds on the siding of a home or business it s likely one of two common bird problems woodpeckers or swallows. Large holes like you are describing sound like roosting or nesting holes. Holes larger then two inches in diameter may be drilled by the woodpecker into the siding usually between the seam of the two clapboards figure 1.

It s been a great birdbath for me to watch over the years as the roof puddles like crazy making a nice area for everything from cedar waxwings to cooper s hawks to use as a birdbath. You may be able to prevent woodpecker drilling in your cedar siding by offering a tempting alternative at a distance from your structure. In the last few months downy woodpeckers and squirrels have added some holes to the cedar siding of the building. A dead tree is softer to carve out a hole and because wood siding or stucco walls have a hollow sound the flicker and the pygmy nuthatch think it may be a suitable nesting place.

Smaller birds have been known at times to nest in abandoned woodpecker holes. These holes are often placed in corners and can go into the insulation. Woodpeckers will peck holes in wood and stucco to attract mates find or store food or establish a territory. Woodpeckers have been known to peck away at siding and tear out the insulation to make a hole suitable for nesting.

Place bird feeders near trees or other wooden structures to encourage woodpeckers to take up residence elsewhere.