While most birds fly south when cold weather rolls around, some woodpecker species actually hunker down for the winter. Unfortunately, this is bad news for you and your siding as these birds are known to make holes in homes across the state. In fact, Minnesota’s Downy Woodpecker is particularly attracted to fiber-based siding products, and they are known to start building their roost holes during the later parts of fall.
When woodpeckers build their winter homes in your siding, they can cause a number of problems. For you, as the homeowner, it could mean a loss in the performance of your siding and some untimely repairs. For the birds, patching up their nests could cost them their homes. You can save yourself and the woodpeckers the trouble by sticking to some of these tips.
Why Do Woodpeckers Drill or Drum?
Woodpeckers are attracted to siding materials that make loud noises. They use these loud noises to attract mates and to scare out the hiding insects that are part of their diet. This makes wood and wood composite boards extremely attractive for these birds. Vinyl and metal siding, while more durable against woodpecker drilling, can still attract these birds because of the loud noises they tend to produce.
What Can You Do?
The best way to avoid this annual problem is to choose the right material for your siding system. You want to avoid vinyl, cedar clapboards, cedar shakes and shingles for your siding. This discourages woodpeckers from trying to build their nests in your home.
What Material Should You Use?
Talk to your siding contractors about using fiber cement siding for your next replacement project. Fiber cement sounds dull when drilled or drummed, which is why woodpeckers don’t prefer building their nests in fiber cement siding. When these birds attempt to do so, which happens rarely, fiber cement is also strong enough to withstand any of the damage they might try to cause.
At Twin Cities Siding and Roofing, we offer high-quality James Hardie® fiber cement siding that is attractive to humans, but not woodpeckers. Give us a call at 651-571-9557, or fill out our contact form to request a free estimate today. We serve homeowners in Minneapolis as well as other neighboring communities.
