Chimney problem (house, maintenance, woodpecker)

[visprar]

Who can help fix these holes in my chimney....looks like a bird or something is making these holes..

[Zippyman]

Looks like Gila Woodpecker damage...

I'd try some "attack spiders"

Woodpecker Deterrent - Birds-Away Attack Spider® (http://www.birds-away.com/index.html - broken link)

You're not the first this has happened to - evil woodpeckers have even been known to damage the Space Shuttle..

STS-70 KSC-95PC-0768 - Woodpecker damage to STS-70 External Tank

[AZJoeD]

Yep, woodpeckers. They are trying to nest.

I fought them for years. Tried aluminum foil, it worked for a while. Tried hanging a wind chime, they sat on the wind chime. Tried a garden hose, I got tired. They finally found somewhere else to nest.

You might try mounting a wind vane (something with a propeller kind of thing) on the chimney, maybe the movement will scare them away.

Maybe put up a bird house where they can nest to keep them off your chimney.

I think they are protected, so do not harm them.

[waltcolorado]

We have a visiting woodpecker in Denver who pecks away at some metal flashing on the house. It makes a lot of noise in the house and despite never punching a hole, this guy keeps coming back to the same spot.

I’ve heard that they do this to make a racket - attract mates. Apparently the females find it romantic that a male will smack his head against a piece of metal over and over (just repeating what I heard.. could be wrong)

[pbenjamin]

We had woodpecker problems at a previous home in the valley. The attack spider actually worked but it required a lot of maintenance (changing batteries, etc.) that was a pain, requiring climbing on the roof (2 story house).

Another thing that worked that was much simpler was a tape-like roll of metallic streamers I bought. It was silver on one side and red on the other. You tack some streamers on the chimney and the woodpeckers stay away.

Both of these things were available at a do-it-yourself pest control store.

[khuntrevor]

What about one of those electronic devices that scares away rats. Plug it in, and it gives off a sound that makes them uncomfortable. Perhaps a portrait of "Nappy"-- that would stop a train in its tracks.

http://www.shopwiki.com/Sunbeam%C2%AE-Pest-Repellers