Homemade Woodpecker Repellent Or Spray Deterrent

When you are disturbed by the incessant drumming of woodpeckers on the siding of your house, it’s time to take action. You may have tried other means of discouraging the birds from taking their meals on the siding of your house, but to no avail. At this point, it is time to try some woodpecker repellent. There is no need to break the bank buying expensive sprays and repellents at the store. There are some concoctions you can mix up at home that are just as effective.



Foodstuff Repellents
Find a nice medium-sized pine cone and fill it with soft cheese and then sprinkle it liberally with cayenne pepper. Hang the pine cone near your house where the woodpecker(s) is doing the damage. When the bird spies the pine cone and is attracted to the cheese, he’ll get a surprise from the cayenne pepper. It shouldn’t take long for Woody to decide to change neighborhoods.

An alternative to the peppered pine cone is to mix water and Tabasco sauce and place in a spray bottle. Spray your house’s siding or the other area where the birds are doing the damage. Generally, once the woodpecker gets a taste of the hot sauce, it will never try to peck in that area again. Another take on the hot sauce spray is this: chop up a couple dozen chili peppers. Fill a plastic container with half a gallon of water and put the chili peppers in the water. Shake it up very well. Set the container in the sun for five days so it ferments. Bring it in the house and add ¼ cup of red or white vinegar and shake well again. Strain, if necessary, and pour into a spray bottle. Spray this mixture all around your house where the woodpeckers are pecking at your siding. You can also spray this mixture other places where birds are damaging things such as plants, trees, or outbuildings.

Other Methods
There are other ways to repel woodpeckers in addition to the spicy sprays or feeders that you can devise at home. You can also hang anything bright and ultra shiny that will move around and frighten the birds away. Strips of aluminum foil can work. Try stringing old CDs you no longer want together to create something like a wind chime or mobile and hang them where the woodpeckers do the damage. A few squirts from a water gun or a hose directed right at the bird will also discourage it from returning.

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