birds digging into wood siding???

13 years ago

I have a round painted wood faux gable vent on the side of the house, strictly decorative but matches the rest of the street. Something has dug out some large holes into it a few times now. Didn't go all the way through to find aluminum siding behind it and I haven't seem anything attack it but what else could it be but birds.

I will replace this sad looking thing with a new one but before they chop that up, any ideas how to prevent this? Should I paint it with something that would repell woodpeckers or similar?

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Comments (5)

brickeyee
13 years ago
Woodpeckers go after insects in the wood, and if they do not hear anything moving they will not bother.

Check the wood very carefully for carpenter ants and termites (far above ground likely Formosan dry wood termites).
jaansu
Original Author
13 years ago
It's 20 ft up and mounted on siding, a tough place for termites to reach. But I did take a look the first few times I tried to patch it. Not real wood, some sort of wood dust glue composite, the cheapest thing Toll Bros could find I guess.

Maybe I'll try to patch it once more before buying a new one and watch it too be attacked. Eventually it will be all caulk and unattractive to wildlife.
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thedesigningwoman
13 years ago
Hello jaansu. Is it possible that squirrels are trying to eat your paint? I have had problems with them in the past. Even though they are cute - they are invasive little critters that find the most ingenuous ways to be destructive. For some reason they enjoy certain types of paint that have a "sweet" smell and taste. Once they find something they "like," they will continue to eat it Ã¯Â¿Â½ in your case stopping at the aluminum siding behind it.

There are terrible tasting repellants that can be sprayed over the affected areas. These are commercially available or can be made with a "recipe" of hot peppers, cayenne, or paprika. (There are some repellant recipes online.) Please test an inconspicuous part of your wood first so you can see what the repellant will do to the paint.

Best wishes and please keep us posted.
brickeyee
13 years ago
"It's 20 ft up and mounted on siding, a tough place for termites to reach."

Not dry wood termites (AKA 'Formosan termites') and they are already in the US in the south.

They are still only in a limited range in the US, but they are here.
Reported from 11 states including: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
homebound
13 years ago
Look closely to see if it's due to pecking or gnawing. If gnawing (squirrels), I would add some capsaicin to the new coat of paint. Give them a treat.

(I've never done this before, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express.)