How To Get Rid Of Woodpeckers In Your Trees

When a woodpecker harms a healthy tree, it could become a severe issue. Due to the tree’s well-being being at risk, it’s best to learn how to get rid of woodpeckers before they destroy your valuable trees.

Bug-eating woodpeckers are less of an issue than sap-eating woodpeckers. Bug eaters typically feed on dead wood, which is why these woodpeckers are less harmless to a tree.

However, sapsucker woodpeckers attack healthy trees’ living wood and frequently go back to the affected tree. These pests are searching for more tree sap in the present hole. Recurring attacks like these could suffocate the whole tree or limbs, eventually causing it to die.

 

Learning How to Get Rid of Woodpeckers: Discouraging Woodpeckers

An easy way to dissuade sap-eating woodpeckers is to wrap cloth or burlap around the place of the woodpecker assault. Also, tree repellent helps in deterring a woodpecker if sprayed on the trees tapped spot. Remember, a woodpecker might pick another nearby tree as a replacement. Sometimes, it might be helpful to sacrifice the damaged tree to stop another healthy tree’s possible loss.

 

Fixing Woodpecker Tree Damage

Swiftly repair woodpecker damage to stop the disease from entering the tree. Here’s a couple of ways of fixing woodpecker damage and avoiding any further damage.

 

Step One – Check the overall health of the tree. Examine the tree has any insect infestation. If you find a bug infestation, classify the insect type and control the bug issue before fixing the woodpecker damage.

 

Step Two – Meticulously clean the tree wounds with water and liquid antibacterial soap. This washing will decrease the pathogens that might have gotten into the tree thanks to the woodpecker. Be careful to wash all the soap out of the wound using clean fresh water. Let the natural air heal the wound. 

 

Step Three – If the woodpecker has made any piece of tree bark to get dislodged and make a hole, tape (duct tape or strapping tape) the bark back on the tree, closing the wound. You must be sure that the bark goes back the same way it came off. Leave the tape on for 90 days until the wound heals. When the gash mends completely, take off the tape. 

 

Step Four – Clean out any giant craters that the woodpecker created with water and soap. Be sure you get rid of any debris. If the hole is vast enough or made in a way that it could fill up with snow or water, drill holes into the cavity, so the water drains. 

In due time, trees heal themselves. Though, it would help if you kept woodpeckers out. Cover the hole with either a window screen or sheet metal to stop pests and woodpeckers. Nail down the piece of material with screws or nails.

 

Step Five – Put aluminum foil on a tree that woodpeckers are destroying to frighten them off. The objective is that the tree receives no more damage.

Call us at Mechanicsburg Tree Service to learn more about eliminating woodpeckers in Mechanicsburg, PA.