I hope this isn’t too involved. Over the weekend I heard this whap, whap, whap sound while I was in my house.(In Massachusetts if it makes a difference.) I went outside to investigate and saw this woodpecker peering around the side of a downspout. I scared him off but when I checked where he had been later in the day I found 8 holes in my shingles, each about the diameter of a pencil. So naturally I’m worried that Woody heard or smelled yummy bugs under that shingle and I need to call an exterminator. Is it something I should be worried about or do these birds just punch holes all over the place hoping to get lucky?
Nice site don’t ask, but I see nothing to back up your claim. Woodpeckers are indeed experts at hearing their prey under siding, and since it isn’t spring when they are trying to attract mates with their druming, I would be pretty suspicious of bugs under my siding.
Let’s get right down to it, would you go around wasting your time if you were a woodpecker? I would have to admit that I have banged my head against a wall repeatedly over long-haired blond chicks…but I don’t make a habit of it.
If it were spring, I’d say those marks might indicate drumming behavior, signalling territory and mating intentions. But this time of year, Woody could be making holes for insects or he could be making a roosting hole for the winter. If it is insects, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the insects there are damaging to your house - lots of insects overwinter under shingles, and it’s likely that the woodpecker is attracted to this higher density of food.
You can do a couple of things - attach mylar strips (a couple inches wide and a couple feet long) around the area that the woodpecker is attracted to. If the woodpecker was trying to make a roosting hole, you might want to provide one for it (like a nest box) at the other end of the yard, away from your house. If it seems that Woody is going after insects, try a block of suet away from your house.
Do you see any insects there at all? If you find any, you can take them to your local extension agent for identification.