Extension

If you hear what sounds like hammering or drumming coming from your home, it might be the neighborhood woodpecker.

Oklahoma is home to several woodpecker species, most of which go about their business without bothering homeowners. Occasionally, though, one decides the side of your house is a good place to build a nest, search for food or practice its percussion skills.

Two species that can cause problems around homes are the downy woodpecker and northern flicker. Like other woodpeckers, they use powerful beaks to excavate cavities in dead wood for nesting. Unfortunately, they don’t always distinguish between dead wood and wood siding.

Nesting can cause serious damage to the siding. Providing an alternative nesting site, such as a woodpecker nest box, may help. Bird netting around the eaves can prevent access to potential nesting sites.

Woodpeckers may also investigate a house for insects. They’re much more likely to find dinner in old, soft or rotting wood than sound, healthy lumber, so keeping wooden structures in good condition can reduce their interest. A suet feeder can offer them a meal elsewhere.

In spring, male woodpeckers use rapid drumming to attract a mate and announce their territory. The racket can be impressive, but this drumming is relatively weak and rarely causes structural damage. Thankfully, the concert season is usually short.

Woodpeckers aren’t just a springtime story. The yellow-bellied sapsucker spends winter in Oklahoma after migrating south from its summer home farther north.

Sapsuckers have an unusual approach to dining. They drill rows of small holes into tree trunks, including maples, pines and fruit trees. Sap oozing from the holes attracts tiny insects, providing a meal of sap and insects.

Rows of tiny holes can make gardeners nervous, but sapsucker feeding usually causes little serious damage. In most cases, the problem is more cosmetic.

If a sapsucker becomes persistent, homeowners can wrap the trunk with burlap, flashing or netting to discourage feeding. Keep barriers in place during the bird’s active season, generally October through March. They may not win a landscaping award, but they can protect the tree while the sapsucker moves on.

Despite their occasional bad habits, woodpeckers are valuable members of the backyard ecosystem. They help control insects, create cavities used by other wildlife and add a little wild character to the landscape.