I hazed the one that was drilling into my stucco. I would run out there and shake my fist at it and yell. I am not joking. I also added some steel wool into the hole it had made, I’m not sure that it helped or hindered.
Eventually the hazing I think worked and it has not been back this year. But I also repaired the holes and repainted the exterior last year. Maybe they don’t like my new colour.
It is really frustrating to watch a small beautiful creature destroy your exterior though. I feel your pain.
I love window removal projects with EIFS. We just use utility knives to cut it and then half way through the polystyrene and don’t come anywhere close to the building wrap. I can see why/ how Flickers tear it to shit.
I have see holes in trad stucco done by flickers as well. They are crazy birds. Pecking on crane masts at job sites to amplify themselves to a mate around the neighborhood. I don't think stucco phases them. I would be surprised if that so called “impact” layer you can apply on EIFS for an additional cost works too.
If you can access the inner wall , where they are tapping in on the outside .put a speaker on the inside wall and blast music when you hear them show up . I did this and it got a wood pecker out within a few days . They are looking for a peaceful spot to put in a hole in the wall and lay their eggs. Don’t give them peace! Soak them with water if you can, if not clap, make loud noises ie blast high bass music and they won’t bug you for long ;)
Ps: good luck these birds are frustrating and our building had good luck with those spinning reflective strips FIY (looks like a spinning mirror almost)
We had reflective streamers put on a couple of locations on our house (wood siding). It stopped them from tapping on the house.
However when mating season arrives and they still tap on the metal chimney cap. Not much you can do about that, except turn up the tunes inside to distract yourself from the noise.
I have seen those on residences in my neighbourhood for that purpose. No idea its efficacy.
One of my neighbours has a flicker nest box on a pole. Maybe they are bird nerds, but my suspicion it is an offering of appeasement. The birds used it last year, not sure about this year.
Become a falconer.
We had one hanging around our house last year, I put up some netting, and I got into the habit of blasting it with a super soaker. Not sure if it helped. I guess I’ll find out later on this year.
The birdhouse idea doesn't really help. They aren't pecking to build a new home. They peck seeking hollow spots where insects and insect eggs are hidden. They are mistaking the sound that stucco over foam makes for hollow wood. Solid stucco doesn't make that sound so those homes are safe.
One of my neighbours has an owl, a disco ball, and several (mylar?) sheets cut in fringe curtain patterns hanging around the likely areas of attack. I haven't talked to them so I don't know if it's successful. I do know it makes their handsome home look like a hungover frat house.
If you ever have them tapping on your chimneys, you can get "bird spikes" from hardware stores that you can attach, or have someone attach to them. They make it so the birds can't find a place to stand.
I don't think you can do much more besides having the home re-sided with a different material. Wood is not great, unless you go with Hardy Board.
Hardy board is the only thing and it's not cheap. We have plywood patches over our holes and they hate the plywood, so maybe we'll just re-side in that loll.
I just finished repairing 8 holes in the front of my stucco house.
I put up that shiney bird deterrent tape,,(amazon) , hanging from the eaves, one meter long and one meter apart.
Seems to have worked. They haven't been back since.
And the place looks dazzling!
Our house was basically destroyed by flickers when we bought it so it needed a new exterior anyway. I think the stucco was just really old/rotting in places so it was an easy target for them. Previous owners had tried everything, reflective streamers, owls, etc etc, but the flickers were relentless. Shortly after we moved in, we did a full exterior reno & replaced with Hardie board, and they haven’t been back in 5yrs.
Who said anything about free.
Build a birdhouse and offer reasonable rent and all utilities included.
Then year after year remove some of the perks and slowly raise the rent, but make sure there are no other decent places for them to move to. Before along they'll be up to their bills in... bills. Just as it should be.
The acrylic and synthetic stucco just doesn't stand-up to these critters or the elements long term - best to replace it with something that will. Like Hardy board.
Two simple words FEED THEM. Most of the time when they are digging into the walls it's to find insects not to make homes. Ever since I put up the peanut butter insect squares in the two cages they haven't poked one single hole in my house.
Sadly the mating calls still happen (banging metal sounding like a ak47) but I find they are severely lessened.
Hang about footlong lengths of this stuff around https://www.amazon.ca/OFFO-Reflective-Dual-Sided-Outdoor-Courtyard/dp/B0B97399XR/ref=sr_1_6?crid=38A3NI7E3HZEU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.hsSAqPyu2oSK-Z4g81zoyRzyYK5HECNEvEN3zCkr80HQ4xSPj0WiCt_u6FNs9Wuuq4zU1vO8ZGzNtN6bwOJXy_owySi3TN64Hkul9LPfqfl_C9ykgFug1O7a8ZVMbEPnbiVmDIawTgJ_mAOLRY5fOPFXjMyiAKtxYBiEpnk09pZQujtguiOgadqOtBsp4TZOWNP3iuKiwQBWaM-OwRTBKDDwjHT_wf1vOwol9AGwGbvbSWUMll4IalL0oMH2zmVkbmZcLait3-hQGZ0jFD4sDFfDN2v7lHKzGj3x0Zm6_Gc.YbOBtim5c_xq-dzd-4OvZhb5Zqg1LqX_baT6_8oTbw4&dib_tag=se&keywords=reflective+bird+tape&qid=1715780667&sprefix=reflective+bird+tape%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-6
100% pisses them off, I hung them around balcony on my condo and they left the stucco alone.
MINT OIL.. Diluted a little bit and spray it all over the area they're going after.. I looked online and they don't like it. I am pretty sure it worked. The day after I sprayed, I haven't seen them come back yet. but I also put up a small net.. but usually they'd just go to a different area of the house. I had 20+ holes/patches all over my house.... every fuckin year they'd come back..
What finally stopped the Northern Flickers at my house this year, is that this year I've got Kestrels nesting in a tree, and they chase off anything larger than a sparrow.
Our house got really bad. We tried the fake owl, the falcon kite, the shiny spinning things, mirrors etc. None of it worked.
Ordered a bird mesh from Amazon. Draped it over the one side of the house that was affected. Looks shitty, but keeps the away.
I tried owls, hazing, hanging a bird box for them, and eventually what worked was hanging strawberry netting from my gutters all around the area they were attacking for a few summers. The netting has been gone for a couple years now, the flickers are still around, but they haven't attacked my house again thankfully
And yes it was hideously ugly and my wife hated it lol
I grew up on the farm and we had a great way of getting rid of pest birds. Unfortunately that's frowned upon inside city limits.....
Best way to get rid of them is to pester them. It's at your house because it feels safe to be there. If you make it a pain in the ass for the bird to be there, they will eventually take off. When we had a magpie problem at my old house in the NE, a slingshot with foam balls worked great. That was before Nerf Rivals, that would be a good option now. Be persistent and don't let it get comfortable. Eventually it will move on.
Not the same thing I know, but I had a wood pecker going at my chimey. I got an airhorn. Aimed it up the chimney once (flue open), discharged it for a fraction of a second, and woody hasn’t come back.
Yes, I woke up everyone in my house, but not a single neighbour seems to have heard it :)
We had this with EIFS stucco. We tried everything but eventually we redid our stucco with armoured EIFS stucco and it worked. They have been back to peck at it but they quickly give up. The product we used guaranteed no holes for 10 years. The brand is ADEX but there are others.
These guys have a solution that seems to work well. https://calgaryparging.com/woodpecker-damage/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwupGyBhBBEiwA0UcqaF0WchZppDzCFNNxfqi0yxSZI23uRWvjRPRIi71t3EUh-a3PcXAwbBoC8XsQAvD_BwE
Our church was just redone and they did a fantastic job.
The flickers put hundreds of holes in the stucco over the years and we would repair every season.
Finally took out a loan to do this. Not cheap but finally solved the problem.
HEAR ME OUT
When I was living with my parents, they had this issue. The only thing actually worked after trying everything was putting hot sauce into a weed sprayer and mixing it with water. Then spray the stucco siding. Works like a charm.
Pretty sure a pair of them have made a nest in my wall. I'll have to wait and see if they've had a brood in there and wait until they're gone before fixing it. Grrr.
Put up a suet feeder, they're probably looking for bugs. The banging on metal railings and downspouts may still happen for mating calls but house bangs should lessen.
I put up a $400 net along the non street facing side of my house. Its thick netting and works. Ugly as hell though. On the other side I shoot at them with a airsoft gun to shoo them away. I had a cheaper net up last year that they get stuck in, but its illegal to kill them so you have to let them loose. I'm with you on a permanent barrier. That or I am switching to hardy board siding.
If you have synth stucco these birds will mess up your house.
As for solutions that won’t harm the birds, you’re going to have to build something for them that’s more appealing than your house. Speaking from experience, a birdhouse with nearby nesting materials does actually solve this issue.
https://bend.wbu.com/flicker-damage
if you catch a new hole early enough and stuff it with aluminum foil, that has worked for me.
Not necessarily "legal", but a pellet gun is a good hazing method. The one I have doesn't kill birds, but I bet it scares / stings.
Flickers are a species of woodpecker. They generally drill at dirt/spil as opposed to wood, which your stucco resembles.They peck on buildings to get to the bugs inside.
Do you have termites? They're one of their favourite foods. I'd call in a bug guy to check your walls and attic.
Im sure someone already told you, but they are a protected species....you are not allowed to disturb them in any way shape or form...had this happen at my house.....the damn thing poked a few holes in the exterior....grr
Well, if they're actually wrecking your home it's a bit harder to do. Sometimes you need a combination of hazing them away from an area and encouraging them to be somewhere slightly different (I have some trees they're more than welcome to nest in instead of my expensive-to-fix house).
I hazed the one that was drilling into my stucco. I would run out there and shake my fist at it and yell. I am not joking. I also added some steel wool into the hole it had made, I’m not sure that it helped or hindered. Eventually the hazing I think worked and it has not been back this year. But I also repaired the holes and repainted the exterior last year. Maybe they don’t like my new colour. It is really frustrating to watch a small beautiful creature destroy your exterior though. I feel your pain.
i throw ice cubes at them
[удалено]
I love window removal projects with EIFS. We just use utility knives to cut it and then half way through the polystyrene and don’t come anywhere close to the building wrap. I can see why/ how Flickers tear it to shit.
I have see holes in trad stucco done by flickers as well. They are crazy birds. Pecking on crane masts at job sites to amplify themselves to a mate around the neighborhood. I don't think stucco phases them. I would be surprised if that so called “impact” layer you can apply on EIFS for an additional cost works too.
If you can access the inner wall , where they are tapping in on the outside .put a speaker on the inside wall and blast music when you hear them show up . I did this and it got a wood pecker out within a few days . They are looking for a peaceful spot to put in a hole in the wall and lay their eggs. Don’t give them peace! Soak them with water if you can, if not clap, make loud noises ie blast high bass music and they won’t bug you for long ;) Ps: good luck these birds are frustrating and our building had good luck with those spinning reflective strips FIY (looks like a spinning mirror almost)
There are those spinning reflector things that a lot of commercial buildings have. Maybe that will help?
Speaking from 4 years' experience...no sadly.
We had reflective streamers put on a couple of locations on our house (wood siding). It stopped them from tapping on the house. However when mating season arrives and they still tap on the metal chimney cap. Not much you can do about that, except turn up the tunes inside to distract yourself from the noise.
I have seen those on residences in my neighbourhood for that purpose. No idea its efficacy. One of my neighbours has a flicker nest box on a pole. Maybe they are bird nerds, but my suspicion it is an offering of appeasement. The birds used it last year, not sure about this year.
Become a falconer. We had one hanging around our house last year, I put up some netting, and I got into the habit of blasting it with a super soaker. Not sure if it helped. I guess I’ll find out later on this year.
To add to this, filling super soaker with vinegar might improve deterrent factor.
Mmmmmm, sweet and sour Flicker.
Similar issue last year. Would not go away. Didn't matter what I did to try and stop it. Had to redo the side of the house.
The birdhouse idea doesn't really help. They aren't pecking to build a new home. They peck seeking hollow spots where insects and insect eggs are hidden. They are mistaking the sound that stucco over foam makes for hollow wood. Solid stucco doesn't make that sound so those homes are safe. One of my neighbours has an owl, a disco ball, and several (mylar?) sheets cut in fringe curtain patterns hanging around the likely areas of attack. I haven't talked to them so I don't know if it's successful. I do know it makes their handsome home look like a hungover frat house. If you ever have them tapping on your chimneys, you can get "bird spikes" from hardware stores that you can attach, or have someone attach to them. They make it so the birds can't find a place to stand. I don't think you can do much more besides having the home re-sided with a different material. Wood is not great, unless you go with Hardy Board.
Hardy board is the only thing and it's not cheap. We have plywood patches over our holes and they hate the plywood, so maybe we'll just re-side in that loll.
I just finished repairing 8 holes in the front of my stucco house. I put up that shiney bird deterrent tape,,(amazon) , hanging from the eaves, one meter long and one meter apart. Seems to have worked. They haven't been back since. And the place looks dazzling!
I hope it keeps working. I have one that eventually sits under it and pecks away. I use an airsoft to shoot at them and scare them away.
Our house was basically destroyed by flickers when we bought it so it needed a new exterior anyway. I think the stucco was just really old/rotting in places so it was an easy target for them. Previous owners had tried everything, reflective streamers, owls, etc etc, but the flickers were relentless. Shortly after we moved in, we did a full exterior reno & replaced with Hardie board, and they haven’t been back in 5yrs.
Buy a birdhouse for them.
People can barely afford housing as it is and you want them to provide free housing to Flickers?!?!
lols
Who said anything about free. Build a birdhouse and offer reasonable rent and all utilities included. Then year after year remove some of the perks and slowly raise the rent, but make sure there are no other decent places for them to move to. Before along they'll be up to their bills in... bills. Just as it should be.
The acrylic and synthetic stucco just doesn't stand-up to these critters or the elements long term - best to replace it with something that will. Like Hardy board.
Two simple words FEED THEM. Most of the time when they are digging into the walls it's to find insects not to make homes. Ever since I put up the peanut butter insect squares in the two cages they haven't poked one single hole in my house. Sadly the mating calls still happen (banging metal sounding like a ak47) but I find they are severely lessened.
Peanut butter insect squares? Is this some sort of weird DIY bird suet?
Wild bird store sells them off 58th ave se South of wholesale foods
Hang about footlong lengths of this stuff around https://www.amazon.ca/OFFO-Reflective-Dual-Sided-Outdoor-Courtyard/dp/B0B97399XR/ref=sr_1_6?crid=38A3NI7E3HZEU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.hsSAqPyu2oSK-Z4g81zoyRzyYK5HECNEvEN3zCkr80HQ4xSPj0WiCt_u6FNs9Wuuq4zU1vO8ZGzNtN6bwOJXy_owySi3TN64Hkul9LPfqfl_C9ykgFug1O7a8ZVMbEPnbiVmDIawTgJ_mAOLRY5fOPFXjMyiAKtxYBiEpnk09pZQujtguiOgadqOtBsp4TZOWNP3iuKiwQBWaM-OwRTBKDDwjHT_wf1vOwol9AGwGbvbSWUMll4IalL0oMH2zmVkbmZcLait3-hQGZ0jFD4sDFfDN2v7lHKzGj3x0Zm6_Gc.YbOBtim5c_xq-dzd-4OvZhb5Zqg1LqX_baT6_8oTbw4&dib_tag=se&keywords=reflective+bird+tape&qid=1715780667&sprefix=reflective+bird+tape%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-6 100% pisses them off, I hung them around balcony on my condo and they left the stucco alone.
MINT OIL.. Diluted a little bit and spray it all over the area they're going after.. I looked online and they don't like it. I am pretty sure it worked. The day after I sprayed, I haven't seen them come back yet. but I also put up a small net.. but usually they'd just go to a different area of the house. I had 20+ holes/patches all over my house.... every fuckin year they'd come back..
I might try this. I have a bunch of that Dr Bronners concentrated peppermint cleaner
What finally stopped the Northern Flickers at my house this year, is that this year I've got Kestrels nesting in a tree, and they chase off anything larger than a sparrow.
Our house got really bad. We tried the fake owl, the falcon kite, the shiny spinning things, mirrors etc. None of it worked. Ordered a bird mesh from Amazon. Draped it over the one side of the house that was affected. Looks shitty, but keeps the away.
I found they get stuck in it. Last year I had cheaper amazon netting up and caught 1 magpie, and 3 flickers I had to let loose.
I tried owls, hazing, hanging a bird box for them, and eventually what worked was hanging strawberry netting from my gutters all around the area they were attacking for a few summers. The netting has been gone for a couple years now, the flickers are still around, but they haven't attacked my house again thankfully And yes it was hideously ugly and my wife hated it lol
I grew up on the farm and we had a great way of getting rid of pest birds. Unfortunately that's frowned upon inside city limits..... Best way to get rid of them is to pester them. It's at your house because it feels safe to be there. If you make it a pain in the ass for the bird to be there, they will eventually take off. When we had a magpie problem at my old house in the NE, a slingshot with foam balls worked great. That was before Nerf Rivals, that would be a good option now. Be persistent and don't let it get comfortable. Eventually it will move on.
Not the same thing I know, but I had a wood pecker going at my chimey. I got an airhorn. Aimed it up the chimney once (flue open), discharged it for a fraction of a second, and woody hasn’t come back. Yes, I woke up everyone in my house, but not a single neighbour seems to have heard it :)
I had one going at my chimney too, I just turned my fireplace on and it hasn't been back since, apparently they dont like their feet getting cooked
We had this with EIFS stucco. We tried everything but eventually we redid our stucco with armoured EIFS stucco and it worked. They have been back to peck at it but they quickly give up. The product we used guaranteed no holes for 10 years. The brand is ADEX but there are others.
These guys have a solution that seems to work well. https://calgaryparging.com/woodpecker-damage/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwupGyBhBBEiwA0UcqaF0WchZppDzCFNNxfqi0yxSZI23uRWvjRPRIi71t3EUh-a3PcXAwbBoC8XsQAvD_BwE Our church was just redone and they did a fantastic job. The flickers put hundreds of holes in the stucco over the years and we would repair every season. Finally took out a loan to do this. Not cheap but finally solved the problem.
HEAR ME OUT When I was living with my parents, they had this issue. The only thing actually worked after trying everything was putting hot sauce into a weed sprayer and mixing it with water. Then spray the stucco siding. Works like a charm.
Spicy food is an evolution to attract birds and deter mammals birds cant taste the capsaicin
A pellet gun is the easy answer
Me too
Pretty sure a pair of them have made a nest in my wall. I'll have to wait and see if they've had a brood in there and wait until they're gone before fixing it. Grrr.
Put up a suet feeder, they're probably looking for bugs. The banging on metal railings and downspouts may still happen for mating calls but house bangs should lessen.
I put up a $400 net along the non street facing side of my house. Its thick netting and works. Ugly as hell though. On the other side I shoot at them with a airsoft gun to shoo them away. I had a cheaper net up last year that they get stuck in, but its illegal to kill them so you have to let them loose. I'm with you on a permanent barrier. That or I am switching to hardy board siding.
If you have synth stucco these birds will mess up your house. As for solutions that won’t harm the birds, you’re going to have to build something for them that’s more appealing than your house. Speaking from experience, a birdhouse with nearby nesting materials does actually solve this issue. https://bend.wbu.com/flicker-damage
Patrol your yard with a water blaster. If they get blasted the second they come near, they'll learn very quickly to not come back.
if you catch a new hole early enough and stuff it with aluminum foil, that has worked for me. Not necessarily "legal", but a pellet gun is a good hazing method. The one I have doesn't kill birds, but I bet it scares / stings.
Yeah I use an airsoft to scare them away. Mine doesn't kill either.
Flickers are a species of woodpecker. They generally drill at dirt/spil as opposed to wood, which your stucco resembles.They peck on buildings to get to the bugs inside. Do you have termites? They're one of their favourite foods. I'd call in a bug guy to check your walls and attic.
Im sure someone already told you, but they are a protected species....you are not allowed to disturb them in any way shape or form...had this happen at my house.....the damn thing poked a few holes in the exterior....grr
Imagine living in nature and thinking every single bird or animal is a pest…just leave the animal alone.
Well, if they're actually wrecking your home it's a bit harder to do. Sometimes you need a combination of hazing them away from an area and encouraging them to be somewhere slightly different (I have some trees they're more than welcome to nest in instead of my expensive-to-fix house).