[va-bird] Re: woodpecker holes

["Stephen Living" <Stephen.Living@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

While Marlene makes some good points there are other reasons for woodpeckers to 
be drilling, especially at this time of year.  Excavation of winter roost sites 
and inexperienced birds drilling on siding simply because its resonant occur 
commonly.  Allowing the birds to drill won't really have much effect at all on 
the general population of wood boring insects - their numbers in the 
environment are vast.

Replacing the siding might help but egads!! that can easily run into several 
thousands of dollars

Steve

Stephen Living
Virginia Dept. of Game & Inland Fisheries
Wildlife Diversity Division
Watchable Wildlife Biologist
3909 Airline Blvd.
Chesapeake, VA 23321
cell:757.409.2725
fax:757.465.6843
stephen.living@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx






>>> <MARLENECONDON@xxxxxxx> 10/3/2006 2:31 PM >>>
Dear Albert,
     Woodpeckers normally drill where there are insect  larvae or pupae (such 
as carpenter bees) in the wood. I recommend that  people allow the birds to 
get these immature forms of insects, thereby reducing  the populations of the 
insects making use of your wood siding.  Then, of  course, you will need to 
repair the holes.  If you simply try to deter the  birds now, you only increase 
the population of insects around your home that  will  overwinter in your 
siding next year.
      To avoid this situation altogether, you  should replace your wood 
siding with the newer non-wooden varieties of  siding. 
      I hope this helps.
      Marlene
 
 
Marlene A.  Condon (Author, The Nature-Friendly Garden: Creating a Backyard 
Haven for  Plants, Wildlife, and People)
Nature Writer/Photographer/Speaker
Crozet,  VA 22932-2204
email: MARLENECONDON@xxxxxxx

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[va-bird] woodpecker holes

[va-bird] Re: woodpecker holes