How to Prevent Woodpeckers From Damaging … to Prevent Woodpeckers From Damaging Buildings How to...

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How to Prevent Woodpeckers From Damaging Buildings How to Prevent Woodpeckers From Damaging Buildings United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Technology & Development Program 7100 Engineering July 2000 0071-2847-MTDC United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Technology & Development Program 7100 Engineering 2300 Recreation July 2000 0071-2847-MTDC

Transcript of How to Prevent Woodpeckers From Damaging … to Prevent Woodpeckers From Damaging Buildings How to...

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How to PreventWoodpeckersFrom DamagingBuildings

How to PreventWoodpeckersFrom DamagingBuildings

United StatesDepartment ofAgriculture

Forest Service

Technology &DevelopmentProgram

7100 EngineeringJuly 20000071-2847-MTDC

United StatesDepartment ofAgriculture

Forest Service

Technology &DevelopmentProgram

7100 Engineering2300 RecreationJuly 20000071-2847-MTDC

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The Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture, has developed this information for the guidance of its employees, itscontractors, and its cooperating Federal and State agencies, and is not responsible for the interpretation or use of this information by anyoneexcept its own employees. The use of trade, firm, or corporation names in this publication is for the information and convenience of thereader, and does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of any product or service to the exclusion of others that may be suitable.The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, nationalor igin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply toall programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print,audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, writeUSDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

ImprovingFirefighterSafety in theWildland-UrbanIntermix

How to PreventWoodpeckersFrom DamagingBuildings

Tony JasumbackProject Leader

Lisa BateWildlife Biologist

Steve OravetzProgram Leader

USDA Forest ServiceTechnology and Development ProgramMissoula, Montana

8E82L52—Woodpeckers

July 2000

How to PreventWoodpeckersFrom DamagingBuildings

How to PreventWoodpeckersFrom DamagingBuildings

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Table of Contents

Introduction ______________________________________ 1

Nesting __________________________________________ 2Solving Problems Related to Nesting ________________________ 3

Feeding _________________________________________ 5Solving Problems Related to Feeding _______________________ 5

Drumming _______________________________________ 6Solving Problems Related to Drumming _____________________ 6

Other Possible Solutions ___________________________ 6

Repairing Damage Caused by Woodpeckers___________ 7

References_______________________________________ 8

Appendix A—Drawings for a Northern Flicker Nest Box __________9

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Introduction

WW oodpeckers damage Forest Service facilities in urban areas as well as those in

remote settings. The damage can berelatively large holes used for nestingcavities, small cone-shaped holes thewoodpeckers make as they search forinsects, or paint chipped off bywoodpeckers drumming on the sides of

buildings. Most damage to buildingsseems to be near the eaves, especially inplaces where woodpeckers can get afoothold. Woodpeckers do not limit theiractivities to wood buildings. One spaceshuttle mission was delayed whileworkers repaired damage to foaminsulation on the shuttle’s external fueltanks.

Help! Woodpecker on a Rampage

This is a last, desperate appeal for succor from any knowledgeable authority, excluding the Missoula Police Departmentor the Fire Department, who, while dealing on a daily basis with criminals, nuisances and felonious destroyers of woodenbuildings, may have the expertise to deal with the villain who has wrecked property and disturbed the quasi-ruralatmosphere of peace and quietude that characterizes our mid-Rattlesnake Elysium.

I refer of course to the big, fat, demented woodpecker who has for the last month or so made it his business to hack 6-inch holes in my cedar siding and the inch-thick underlying Thermax which I had never before considered to be a sourceof tasty insectiferous nutrition, being distinctly non-organic….

Will no one rid me of this meddlesome woodpecker?

More to the point, can someone tell me how to patch Thermax and vertical-channel cedar siding? HELP!

Excerpts from a letter to the editor of the Missoulian in Missoula, MT.

No one seems to know for sure whywoodpeckers damage buildings. Somesuggestions include:• A shortage of natural nesting sites• Feeding on insect larvae in the siding• Drumming to attract a mate or mark aterritory• Just for the fun of it.

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Nesting

Figure 1—Damage caused when woodpeckers drill holes for a nest.

W territorial. The ones you provide ahome for will drive others of the samespecies away.

Making a hole in sound wood takes a lotof energy. Most woodpeckers prefersnags and trees whose centers havebeen softened or decayed by heartrot.Heartrot is a caused by different types offungi that come into contact with theheartwood of a live tree. Heartwood is

the older, darker, central wood in a tree.Heartrot does not kill the tree, butsoftens, or hollows out, the center. Thelonger a tree lives, the higher the chancethat it will contract heartrot. This may beone reason woodpeckers prefer to nestin large trees and snags. Younger trees,which are generally smaller, may nothave lived long enough to developheartrot. Decay in sapwood can alsoprovide a suitable nest site if the tree hasa thick layer of sapwood. Sapwood is thenewly formed, lighter wood between theheartwood and the bark.

What makes a tree with heartrot suitablefor nesting birds? Trees and snags withheartrot usually have sound sapwood.This provides an ideal situation fornesting and roosting cavity-nesters. Thesapwood provides insulation from theweather and protection from predators.The decayed heartwood makes it easierto excavate the nest cavity. Buildingsfunction like nest trees, providing a hard,protective shell on the outside, whilethey are hollow on the inside.

Woodpeckers are not the only speciesthat benefit from suitable nesting snagsand trees. Woodpeckers are primarycavity nesters, which means that theycreate nest and roost sites forthemselves and many other species.Secondary cavity-nesting birds, such asbluebirds, Wood Ducks, and swallows,cannot excavate their own cavities. Theydepend on woodpeckers to do this workfor them. Many mammals such as pinemarten, raccoon, and black bears, usehollow trees as den sites. Smallmammals may benefit from the work ofwoodpeckers.

Nearly all woodpeckers and cavity-nesting birds eat insects. Research hasshown that in areas where their numbersare strong, cavity-nesting birds canprevent or slow down local outbreaks ofinsect pests. Insect control by cavity-nesting birds can help protect valuabletimber resources. Cavity-nesting birdscan benefit farmers by controlling insectpests such as grasshoppers and certainbeetles. They may also help controlmosquitoes. A single swallow or bat,

W hen woodpeckers decide to use a building for a nest site, they usually have a reason.

Most woodpeckers need large snags ortrees in which to build their nests. If theycan’t find them, they will use homes,buildings (Figure 1), or even telephonepoles as substitutes. The best way toprevent woodpeckers from creating nestholes in buildings is to provide suitablenest trees nearby. Woodpeckers are

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both secondary cavity nesters, can eatup to 1,000 mosquitoes a day. Sowoodpeckers can make homes forcavity nesters that can help you cleanup the neighborhood.

Solving ProblemsRelated to Nesting

Long-Term Solutions

To select suitable snags forwoodpeckers, choose the largestdiameter and tallest snags that are setback a safe distance from buildings. Ifthe only snags or trees with decayhappen to be near buildings orwalkways, consider topping them to 20feet or less. A 10-foot-tall snag won’tpresent much of a safety risk and maybe used by several cavity nesters(Figure 2).

To select suitable trees for nesting, lookfor large trees that have a broken top.This often indicates heartrot. Labelingthese trees with a “Wildlife Tree” sign willhelp inform visitors of the benefits ofthese dead and dying trees.

In areas without snags, managersshould create nest trees. Severalmethods can be used. Snags can becreated by topping a tree with a chainsaw or girdling the tree up high. Girdlingthe base of a tree is not recommendedbecause these trees tend to fall overquickly. Perhaps the best way to createsuitable nest trees is to inoculate livetrees with decay fungi. This can be doneby drilling a small hole in the tree trunkand inserting a dowel infected with liveheartrot fungi. Trees infected withheartrot can be used for many years bynesting woodpeckers and other species.Check with local foresters or wildlifebiologists to determine which treespecies are the best to retain as wildlifetrees.

In areas where it may be years beforesuitable nest trees and snags can be

provided, managers should try todiscourage woodpeckers from usingbuildings for nesting and provide a nestbox they can use.

Immediate Solutions

The best way to prevent furtherwoodpecker damage to the eaves of abuilding is to erect netting 2 to 3 inchesfrom the side of the buildingrecommends Dan Casey, a biologist for

the American Bird Conservancy inKalispell, MT. A mesh of 3/4 inch isgenerally recommended, according toRex E. Marsh (Woodpeckers, 1994). Atleast 3 inches of space should be leftbetween the netting and the damagedbuilding so that birds cannot causedamage through the mesh. The nettingcan also be attached to the overhangingeaves and angled back to the sidingbelow the damaged area and securedtaut but not overly tight (Figure 3). Besure to secure the netting so that the

Figure 2—A woodpecker excavated a nest in this tree, which had been topped to provide ananchor for a cable car crossing on a river in Montana.

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Figure 4—Northern Flickers are one of the species ofwoodpeckers most likely to damage buildings (photo used bypermission of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, photographer J.R.Woodward).

Nest box forNorthern Flicker(Appendix A).

Figure 3—Plastic netting attached to a building from the outside edges of the eave and angledback to the wood siding. Insert shows one method of attachment using hooks and woodendowels (used with permission from Woodpeckers, 1994, Rex E. Marsh).

birds have no way to get behind it. Ifinstalled property, the netting is barelyvisible from a distance. If the birds moveto another area of the dwelling, that areatoo will need to be netted.

Netting is becoming increasingly popularas a solution to woodpecker problemsbecause it consistently gives desiredresults.

Northern Flickers are the woodpeckerspecies most likely to try to nest in abuilding. If Northern Flickers (Figure 4)begin damaging a building to excavate anest cavity, sometimes they will use anest box mounted over the damagedarea. The nest box should be sized anddesigned for the species of woodpeckerthat is causing the damage(Appendix A). All nestboxes should bemade so that apanel can be lifted toclean out the box.This will allow you toremove undesirablespecies such as theEuropean Starlingand the HouseSparrow, bothintroduced species.Aggressivestarlings canchase even largewoodpeckersaway.

Kas Dumroese, a research associatewith the University of Idaho’s ForestResearch Nursery, suggests that nestboxes for Northern Flickers should beconstructed of 2 by 8’s, one wide, onedeep, with a 3-inch hole about 3 inchesfrom the top. Total depth of the nest boxshould be about 18 inches. Adding woodchips or shavings to the bottom canencourage nesting.

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WFeeding

W oodpeckers may be attracted to buildings to feed on insect larvae. Voids in a building’s

siding provide excellent insect nesting

Figure 6—Woodpeckers leave rows of cone-shaped holes when they feed on insect larvae inwood siding.

Figure 5—When growth rings separate from the rest of the wood, insects can enter a building’ssiding. Woodpeckers damage the siding when they feed on the insects.

sites and hiding places. This isespecially true of plywood siding. Thesiding has routed groves that exposevoids in the plywood layers, making

them a natural nesting site for insects.Lap siding that is not nailed down tightlycan provide voids for insects. Also asflat-grained boards (sawed tangent to thegrowth rings) age and dry, the growthrings tend to separate from the rest ofthe wood, providing an opening forinsects (Figure 5). Damage causedwhen woodpeckers feed on insect larvaecan usually be identified by rows ofcone-shaped holes (Figure 6) and ismore common in plywood siding or nearthe edge of lap siding.

Solving ProblemsRelated to FeedingInsect nests can sometimes bedestroyed by using a long stiff wire topoke through the voids in the plywood.After the larvae have been killed, theentry should be caulked shut. Repair thedamage and make the repair look likethe rest of the building.

Typically, woodpeckers will not spendenergy looking for insects in a soundbuilding. The way to prevent foragingwoodpeckers from damaging buildings isto protect the wood from insects.Regularly protecting the wood with asealer will discourage most insects.

Roofs made from wooden shakes orshingles can be replaced with tin. Metalroofs will eliminate nesting and hidingplaces for insects. They will also helpprotect the building from fire.

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Drumming

DD rumming is probably more of a nuisance than a source of potential damage.

Woodpeckers drum to defend theirterritories or attract mates. Wood siding,rain gutters, down spouts, or other metalsurfaces on a building provide idealdrumming surfaces for woodpeckers.Little can be done to reduce the loudsound produced as woodpeckers drumon these surfaces.

Solving ProblemsRelated toDrumming

One solution may be to construct analternate drumming site away fromresidences. A drum can be made byusing two overlapping boards. Securethe end of one board to the tree. Cover

the end of the other board with sheetmetal. Another possibility would be tosecure a metal cylinder, such as a gutterdownspout, to a tree.

MMany devices are available to scare birds away. They include hawk silhouettes,

pinwheels, mirrors, reflective ribbon, andreflective holographic ribbon. Most ofthese are highly visible reflectivedevices that move with the wind. Anyone of these devices may work some of

the time, but none work all of the time.The sooner these devices are tried afterdetecting the problem, the better thechances of success.

Some sound devices play recorded birddistress cries or the cry of hawks.Others produce ultrasonic sound wavesthat people cannot hear. Managers may

buy some time by using scare tactics,but these methods usually only work forshort periods of time until the bird hasgrown accustomed to them.

See the References section for otherresources that may help you solve yourproblems.

Other Possible Solutions

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TT o repair a hole, cover it from the inside by securing a board to the siding. Cut a plug the same size

as the hole from the same material asthe siding. Make sure it is the samethickness. Secure the plug to the boardbehind the hole. Fill the gap around theplug and any adjacent damage withcaulk. Finish the repair to match theexisting siding.

If there is no access to the back side ofthe hole, or if looks are a consideration,use techniques similar to those usedwhen patching drywall. Reshape the holeinto a rectangle with the desireddimensions and cut it out using a

Repairing Damage Caused by Woodpeckers

keyhole or reciprocating saw. Caution:Electrical wiring or plumbing may beunder the board. Secure two cleats tothe siding inside the opening, oneopposite the other, so the plug cannotslip through. Cut the plug from a piece ofsiding that matches the grain, texture,and thickness of the siding, oriented sothe grain matches the grain around thehole. Cut the plug to the samedimensions as the hole, allowing for thesaw kerf on each side. Secure the plugto the cleats, caulk any gaps around theedges, and finish the repair to match theexisting siding.

Another approach would be to saw twoopposite sides of the opening on a bevel

when reshaping the hole. The plug wouldbe cut to match the bevel. These bevelswould provide the surface the plug wouldbe secured to. Fill small, cone-shapedholes with caulk. Texture and finish therepair to match the existing siding.

If damage is extensive, the siding mayhave to be replaced or covered with amore durable product such as sidingmade from steel, aluminum, or plastic.These materials are generally moreresistant to damage. If new constructionis planned near an area withwoodpecker problems, one of thesematerials should be considered, ratherthan rough-sawed plywood or otherwooden siding.

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Adler, Bill, Jr. 1992. Outwitting Critters.New York: The Lyons Press. 256 p.

American Plywood Association. 1980.Woodpecker damage to wood. Form No.E480. Tacoma, WA: American PlywoodAssociation.

Beebe, Spencer B. 1974. Relationshipsbetween insectivorous hole-nesting birdsand forest management. New Haven:Yale University School of Forestry andEnvironmental Studies. 49 p.

Bull, Evelyn L.; Partridge, Arthur D. 1986.Methods of killing trees for use by cavitynesters. Wildlife Society Bulletin 14:142–146.

Bull, E.L.; Parks, Catherine G.;Torgersen, Torolf R. 1997. Trees and logsimportant to wildlife in the interiorColumbia River Basin. Gen. Tech. Rep.PNW-GTR-391. Portland, OR: U.S.Department of Agriculture, ForestService, Pacific Northwest ResearchStation. 55 p.

Conner, Richard N.; Hooper, Robert G.;Crawford, Hewlette S.; Mosby, Henry S.1975. Woodpecker nesting habitat in cutand uncut woodlands in Virginia. Journalof Wildlife Management 39 (1): 144–150.

Conner, Richard N.; Miller, Orson K.,Jr.; Adkisson, Curtis S. 1976.Woodpecker dependence on treesinfected by fungal heart rots. WilsonBulletin 88 (4): 575–581.

Conner, Richard N. 1978. Snagmanagement for cavity nesting birds. In:Proceedings of the workshop:management of southern forests fornongame birds. Gen. Tech. Rep. SE-14.U.S. Department of Agriculture, ForestService: 120–128.

Conner, Richard N.; Dickson, J.G.;Williamson, J.H. 1983. Potentialwoodpecker nest trees through artificialinoculation of heart rots. In: Proceedingsof the symposium: snag habitatmanagement. Gen. Tech. Rep.-RM-99.U.S. Department of Agriculture, ForestService, Rocky Mountain ResearchStation: 68–72.

Craven, Scott. 1997. Controllingwoodpecker damage. Bull. No. G3117.Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of NaturalResources.

Lewis, Jeffrey C. 1998. Creating snagsand wildlife tree trees in commercialforest lands. Western Journal of AppliedForestry 13 (3): 97–101.

Marsh, Rex E. 1994. Woodpeckers. In:Prevention and control of wildlifedamage. Lincoln, NE: CooperativeExtension Division, Institute ofAgriculture and Natural Resources,University of Nebraska. E-139–E-145

Miller, E.; Miller, D.R. 1980. Snag use bybirds. In: DeGraaf, R.M. (tech. ed.).Proceedings of the workshop:

management for nongame birds. Gen.Tech. Rep. INT-86. U.S. Department ofAgriculture, Forest Service,Intermountain Research Station: 337–356.

Moore, A.D. 1945. Winter night habits ofbirds. Wilson Bulletin 57: 253–260.

Otvos, Imre S. 1979. The effects ofinsectivorous bird activities in forestecosystems: an evaluation. In: The roleof insectivorous birds in forestecosystems. New York: AcademicPress, Inc.: 341–374.

Parks, Catherine G.; Bull, Evelyn L.; Filip,Gregory M. 1996. Using artificiallyinoculated decay fungi to create wildlifehabitat. In Bradford, Peter; Manning,Todd; l’Anson, Bill, eds. Wildlife tree/stand-level biodiversity workshopproceedings; 1995 October 17-18;Victoria, BC. Victoria, BC: BritishColumbia Environment: 87–89.

Stokes, Donald W.; Stokes, Lillian. 1990.The complete birdhouse book: the easyguide to attracting birds. New York: Little,Brown, and Company. 95 p.

Thomas, Jack W.; Anderson, Ralph G.;Maser, Chris.; Bull, Evelyn L.Snags.1979. In: Wildlife habitats inmanaged forests—the Blue Mountains ofOregon and Washington. Agric. Handb.553. Washington, DC: U.S. Departmentof Agriculture: 60–77.

References

Nest Boxeshttp://www.nestbox.comhttp://www.bcpl.lib.md.us/~tross/by/house.html

Scare Devices/Barriers/Repellentshttp://www.bird-x.comhttp://www.birdbarrier.comhttp://www.vsf24.com

General Information on Woodpeckershttp://www.msue.msu.edu/genesee/natres/woodpeck.htmhttp://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/iiin/woodpeck.htmlhttp://www.bcpl.lib.md.us/~tross/by/byprob.htmlhttp://www.colostate.edu/depts/CoopExt/PUBS/NATRES/06516.htmlhttp://hammock.ifas.ufl.edu/txt/fairs/17040http://ag.arizona.edu/pito/pdf/apjul98a.pdfhttp://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/mod03/01701333.html

World Wide Web Homepages

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Appendix A—Drawings for a Northern Flicker Nest Box

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Bottom

Front

Front

Side

Side

Front Side

Floor

Back

Bottom of floor

9 1 /

2"

2" x

8"

x 10

'

22 3

/ 8"

23 5

/ 8"

4 1 /

2"22

"14

"33

1/ 2

"

11"

33 1

/ 2"

22"

22 3

/ 8"

23 5

/ 8"

14"

10

3" dia.

4 1/2"

1"1"

o

10o

Bottom of front& sides

Floor

Back

Screws

Top

B

ack

Fro

nt

Sid

eS

ide

Top

Top

Tack1" wide leather strap

Northern FlickerNest Box

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About the Authors…

Tony Jasumback, now retired, was a Senior Project Engineer working on projects in the Forest Health Protection,Engineering, Fire and Aviation, and Reforestation and Nurseries Programs. He received a Bachelor of Science degree inmechanical engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla in 1961. He joined the Forest Service in 1963, working forthe Architecture Department in the Northern Region (R1) and later for the Colville National Forest in road design. He came toMTDC in 1965 as a design and test engineer, retiring in 2000.

Lisa Bate is a cooperative Research Associate with the University of Idaho and the Forest Service’s Pacific NorthwestResearch Station, living in Kalispell, MT. She received a master’s degree in wildlife resources from the University of Idaho atMoscow in 1995. She has been working with woodpeckers and their habitat since 1992.

Steve Oravetz graduated from the University of Washington in Civil Engineering and is a licensed Professional CivilEngineer. He began his career on the Wenatchee National Forest in 1980. He became Chief Engineer for the NortheasternResearch Station in 1993. In 1996, he became Engineering Program Leader at MTDC.

Library Card

Jasumback, Tony; Bate, Lisa; Oravetz, Steve. 1999. How to prevent woodpeckers from damagingbuildings. Rep. 0071-2847-MTDC. Missoula, MT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,Missoula Technology and Development Center. 10 p.

Describes techniques that can be used to try to reduce the damage woodpeckers cause toForest Service facilities. Discusses ways in which facilities managers can provide snags thatwoodpeckers can use for nesting, reducing their need to use buildings for nest sites. Anappendix contains plans for a Northern Flicker nest box. Another appendix includes a print of a1994 report addressing damage caused by woodpeckers.

Keywords: bird control, bird repellents, bird scarers, buildings, facilities, maintenance, nestboxes

Additional single copies of this document may be ordered from:

USDA Forest ServiceMissoula Technology and Development Center5785 Hwy. 10 WestMissoula, MT 59808-9361Phone: 406–329–3900FAX: 406–329–3719Internet: [email protected]

For further technical information, please contact Steve Oravetz at the address above.

Phone: 406–329–1037Fax: 406–329–3719Internet: [email protected] Notes: Steve Oravetz/WO/USDAFS

An electronic copy of this document is available on the Forest Service’s FSWeb Intranet at:

http://fsweb.mtdc.wo.fs.fed.us