The Ultimate Guide To Woodpecker Deterrents & Repellents
Birds can cause quite a large number of problems around your garden, especially if you have a large amount of vegetation. Alongside this, they can create a variety of issues around your patio, among a few other areas.
Some of the more common of these include unsightly bird droppings alongside the fact that they can eat many of the seeds that you may have planted around the garden. Depending on the bird, they may rip up some of your smaller plants and dig holes around the yard.
Naturally, this is something that all of us will want to avoid, although we wouldn’t want to use scarecrows or traps. However, this doesn’t mean that you’re out of options, as there’s quite a large number of bird deterrents and repellents on the market.
- Size: 10 Feet.
- Night Use: Yes.
While the choices can be great for many of us, the volume of options could be overwhelming. This will lead to many of us wondering what the best woodpecker deterrents and repellents are, as well as what we should look for when buying them.
There are a few of the products that stand out from the crowd in a variety of ways, with each of them being well-recommended. While the decision could be a personal one, you shouldn’t go wrong by choosing one of the below.
Best Woodpecker Deterrents & Repellents
Image | Product | |
---|---|---|
Best Choice | Bird-X Stainless Steel Bird Spikes Kit
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Also great | De-Bird Scare Tape
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High-Quality | Bird Blinder Repellent Wind Twisting Scare Rods (Set of 5)
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Best Value | Bird B Gone Woodpecker Deterrent Kit
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For Large Areas | ALEKO BN14X300BK Anti Bird Protection Netting Repellant for Garden
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Bird-X Stainless Steel Bird Spikes Kit – Versatile Repellent For Small Areas
Versatility and longevity are factors that many of us will look for when we’re choosing a woodpecker repellent, which is what the Bird-X Stainless Steel Bird Spikes Kit offers. The primary reason for this is that the base used in their construction is quite flexible, so you should be able to use it across uneven surfaces.
This is quite a benefit compared to many other similar products, which can often be quite lacking in this regard. You should also be able to use them almost anywhere else in your garden, not just on the floors, which further enhances its versatility. As such, you should be able to protect nearly every part of your home.
Given the fact that these are made from stainless steel, you shouldn’t have to worry about any corrosion or rusting. This should mean that they’ll be able to offer year-round protection, regardless of what weather they might be placed in.
One of the last major features is that they’re quite long-lasting, which should enhance the year-round protection that you may expect. However, these do have some drawbacks, with one of the largest being that it may not be the most humane way of dealing with woodpeckers.
While this may not be an issue for some people, there are a few other problems, with one of the most notable being that they may be ineffective against some birds. As a result, some might use it in their nest building. They can also be somewhat brittle, so they might not be able to withstand a large amount of wear and tear, which can be a problem for some owners.
Pros
- Flexible base for placing on uneven surfaces.
- Doesn’t corrode or rust.
- Should last much longer than other options.
Cons
- Can be quite brittle.
De-Bird Scare Tape – Recommended Bird Repellent For Large Areas
Many of us will want to choose an option that doesn’t pose a risk to any animals. While there is quite a large number of these to pick from, perhaps the most recommended is the De-Bird Scare Tape, which offers a variety of other benefits.
One that almost all of us will want to take advantage of is that it’s quite easy to install and doesn’t require much maintenance if any. Coupled with this is its customizability, as you’ll be able to cut it up to fit almost anywhere around your home and garden. This should help you to maximize the protection that it offers.
Lastly is that it’s weather-resistant and should withstand a significant amount of wear and tear. However, this doesn’t extend to a large amount of wind, which could prove to have an adverse effect on it.
Alongside this, the reflective quality may not last as long as you might expect, which will severely affect how much of an impact it has. While you’ll still be able to take advantage of the sound that it offers, this can provide much less protection against woodpeckers and other birds than you might want.
Pros:
- Weather-resistant.
- Easy to install and maintain.
- Doesn’t injure any animals when used.
Cons:
- Might not withstand large winds.
Bird Blinder Repellent – High-Quality & Affordable Rods
One of the largest drawbacks of many woodpecker repellents is that many of us could find them unattractive. As a result, we may often have to choose between looks and efficiency, although this isn’t the case with every product. Instead, the Bird Blinder repellent offers quite an appealing look while still scaring many birds away.
Alongside this is a few other benefits, such as the fact that they’re quite easy to install and can be put up almost anywhere. They also shouldn’t need much maintenance to make sure that they’re working properly.
Despite the benefits that they offer, the Bird Binder Repellents do have a few drawbacks. The most obvious of these is that you might need to put up a few of them to have any effect on keeping birds and woodpeckers away. While they’re relatively affordable, some of us might not want to have as many of the products up as might be needed.
They also might not last as long as you would expect, which could mean that you’ll end up replacing them much more often than you might have wanted.
Pros:
- Can double as a decorative feature.
- Quite easy to install.
- Don’t need any maintenance over time.
Cons:
- May not last too long.
- You may need several of them to be effective.
Bird B Gone Woodpecker Deterrent Kit – Best Value For Money
The majority of woodpecker deterrents and repellents typically only offer one method of protection against the birds. However, the Bird B Gone Woodpecker Deterrent Kit brings together a few of them to ensure that there’s as much protection as possible against them, including sound and visuals.
There are quite a few other benefits to this, including the fact that it’s quite versatile when used. The main reason for this is that it’s quite quick and easy to install almost anywhere around your home, which should mean that you can place it where you need it the most.
While the woodpecker repellent is also long-lasting, this could be affected by where you install it. This is because strong winds could make the balloon part of the kit push up against your house and cause it to break. While the rest of the kit will still be effective, this is a problem that the majority of us will want to avoid.
Though you can do so by making sure that it’s well-placed, many of us could find this quite restrictive.
Pros:
- Quick and easy to install.
- Includes a variety of deterrents and repellents.
- Quite long lasting.
Cons:
- Ball could develop a leak.
- May break easily with strong winds.
ALEKO BN14X300BK Anti Bird Protection – Best Netting Repellent Against Birds
Many of us may need to protect a large area against birds, with there being relatively few options to do so with. However, the ALEKO BN14X300BK Anti Bird Protection netting is one of the standout choices for this, as it offers quite a large number of benefits alongside its size.
Perhaps the most notable of these is that it’s versatile enough to be used almost anywhere. The majority of this is driven by its customizability, as you’ll be able to cut it up to fit your needs. As a result, you should find that one product can be used to cover almost all the important areas of your garden.
While this should mean that you’ll have to put a certain amount of time and effort into it, this should be worth the investment. However, this might not be the longest-lasting product to choose from, as it can be ripped quite easily. Though the size of the netting will mean that you’ll have enough left over to replace any damaged parts, it could still be a problem.
Alongside this, it may come loose with a strong breeze, although this may be avoided depending on how you have it attached to any areas. This could mean that you should have to pay extra to have a better way of holding the netting in place.
Pros:
- Covers quite a large area.
- Easily customized to fit your garden.
- Versatile enough to be used almost anywhere.
Cons:
- May not be long lasting.
- Could become loose in the wind.
Best Woodpecker Deterrent – Buyer’s Guide
What To Consider When Buying Woodpecker Deterrents
Many of us may not know where to start when picking one of the products, which could mean that we might find it difficult to choose the best woodpecker deterrents and repellents for our needs. While much of this will be driven by personal preferences, there are a few factors that many of us will want to look at.
Naturally, the most obvious of these might be the price, although this shouldn’t be the first thing that you look at. In many cases, cheaper options could be much less effective, although that doesn’t mean that you’ll have to choose the most expensive option.
Instead, you should look at a few specific factors when making a choice and then determine whether you’re getting value for money. Alongside this, you may want to consider how humane the product is.
While the majority of options on the market are humane, some are much more than others. For example, while spikes can be legal in many places, they mightn’t be something that many of us may be comfortable using. As a result, they could be one of the less-recommended options for many of us.
Outside of this, there are a few other factors that you should consider when doing so, although you might want to put more emphasis on some rather than others.
Simplicity & Effectiveness
If you’re anything like me, then you’ll want a deterrent that’s relatively easy to use. You’ve already got a few bird problems to deal with, so the last thing you’ll want is to spend a few hours setting up a repellent. While the majority of products are quite straightforward, some take much more time and effort than others.
Reflective products, for example, are perhaps the easiest to put up, as you’ll just need to find somewhere to hang them. They also shouldn’t require too much maintenance over time, so you’ll be able to leave them alone to do their job, which is something that might not be said for various other products.
While the majority of these should be quite effective, you may need to compromise on this. The main reason for this is that quite a large number of bird repellents have to balance between simplicity and efficiency, which means that you may have to sacrifice one over the other.
In contrast, netting and other products can be quite effective at making sure that birds don’t get near any of your plants or vegetation. However, they will need quite a large amount of time to set up. This is primarily because you’ll have to spend time unraveling the net, cutting it into the size that you want, and then set it up in your garden.
While this is a large time investment, it’s something that should pay off in the long-term. Despite this, there’s also quite a significant amount of maintenance that may be needed with them. This is because they can be relatively easy to tear, especially if you live in an area that’s quite windy.
Coupled with this is the fact that birds can often get stuck in the netting, which you’ll then have to untangle. As such, this is something that should pay quite a large role in your decision.
After all, the majority of us will want to set up our woodpecker deterrent and forget about it while it does its job. If you don’t pay much attention to this when you’re buying, then you could come home one day to find that the birds have gotten to a lot of your vegetation.
While this could mean that you might have to pay a little more for the bird repellent, it’s something that could prevent a significant amount of damage being done.
How Long Does It Last?
None of us want a woodpecker repellent that we have to replace in a few days or weeks. Unfortunately, this is something that affects quite a large number of products on the market, so you’ll have to pay a significant amount of attention to how long the product will last.
Depending on which type of bird repellent you choose, you should expect it to last a certain amount of time. Steel spikes last perhaps the longest, so you shouldn’t have to worry about replacing them anytime soon, although many of us might want to avoid using these.
As a result, the majority of us will end up choosing between netting, sound deterrents, and reflective surfaces. There can be quite a large difference in how either of these last, with reflective products, typically lasting shorter than their counterparts. This is because the reflective surface can fade much faster than you might have thought.
Once this happens, they’ll no longer be effective. While netting should last much longer than this, it may only be true if it’s left alone, and no birds or other animals tamper with it. As such, sound and light deterrents can often be one of the better-recommended options for longevity.
However, this can often vary significantly depending on the products that you’re comparing. As such, you’ll need to put a certain amount of research into how long certain models will last. Though this will have quite a large impact on how much it will cost, it should save you money in the long-term.
While cheaper options will be much more affordable, you’ll have to replace these quite often, with this cost building up quickly. As such, it’s recommended that you invest in one that will last you as long as possible while still being effective. It’s also worth ensuring that you have a second one on hand for when you do need to replace it, as you’ll avoid having your garden unprotected for too long while you go to replace it.
Maintenance can often play a particular role in how long the woodpecker deterrent lasts. This should mean that you’ll have to pay a large amount of attention to what you need to make sure that it lasts a significant amount of time while protecting your garden.
What Methods You Should Avoid
There is quite a large number of ways that you’ll be able to protect your garden from woodpeckers and other birds. However, this doesn’t mean that all of these ways are ethical. When you’re looking for various methods, you may find yourself coming across products that are quite different from each of the products that we mentioned above.
Despite being relatively effective, these might not be the most humane ways of protecting your garden, so they should be avoided as much as possible. One of the most notable of these is plastic netting. While there are various nets that you can choose, plastic can be one of the less recommended, for several reasons.
The main reason for this is that a variety of birds can get caught in the net and not be able to escape. As a result, they could end up struggling against it and doing harm to themselves, as well as your plants. Naturally, this is something that the majority of us will want to avoid, for obvious reasons.
Hardware screening can also pose similar issues for quite a large number of people, although much of this can depend on the product itself. These can often trap a bird or make them get tangled. Though you’ll want to avoid letting woodpeckers and other birds damaging your garden, this isn’t the most humane way of doing so, which is why they’re better left avoided.
Perhaps the most notable method that you should avoid is using chemicals, which can be included in a soil mixture or sprayed across your garden (repellents like coating spray, hole fillers). While these can be quite effective at protecting your garden, they can pose quite a significant number of risks, especially if you’re growing crops.
In the majority of cases, these shouldn’t pose much of a threat to the birds, as it should simply repel them and make them avoid any seeds that you might have planted. When it begins to cause a problem is if these chemicals seep into your crops or any other plants.
These can cause a variety of health effects for the animals, as well as potential effects for people, especially in the case of crops. As a result, we’d never recommend the use of any chemicals when trying to protect your garden or vegetation against any bird damage.
While many people may say the same about spikes, the majority of birds typically know to avoid these. As a result, they shouldn’t pose much of a threat to the majority of woodpeckers or other animals.
However, it’s recommended that you choose either repellent rods or light and sound deterrents. These should be just as effective as any of the above methods without doing any harm to the animals.
By doing so, you should be able to make sure that your crops are quite safe without having to worry about any potential damage to the animals that may try to get into your garden.
Conclusion
There can be a variety of things you might need to consider when choosing the best woodpecker deterrents and repellents for your needs – getting rid of woodpeckers. While you may put more emphasis on some over others, they should each play a large role in your decision. However, each of the above can be well-recommended options.
If you’re having difficulty choosing between them, then the price can often be one of the deciding factors. Despite this, all of the options have a variety of pros and cons, each of which will have a certain impact on your decision. If there’s one that stands out from the rest for you, then you should try that particular product.
However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t buy another one in the future. Instead, you could test a few of them to see how well they measure against your expectations. Given that the majority of them are quite affordable, you should be able to try out several of them to determine which one is right for your needs.
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