Woodpeckers often break out these core gaps, leaving characteristic, narrow horizontal damage patterns in their search for insects. At the first sign of woodpecker activity on your house, woodpeckers can be scared away by making noises at a nearby window or against the adjacent inside wall. Hang strips of foil, fabric or commercially available bird netting hung from the eaves to deter the birds. Care should be taken not to scare birds away from an active nest. If these scare tactics don't work, create a physical barrier by screening the site with hardware cloth, sheet metal, or nylon bird netting.
Netting is one of the most effective methods of excluding woodpeckers.
If you have a birdfeeder that attracts woodpeckers, you might think removing your feeder will cause the bird to leave. Just the opposite may be true. If you have dead trees in your yard, you might think removing them and the insects they harbor will solve your woodpecker problems. Again, the opposite may be true. Cutting down dead and decaying trees deprives the birds of nesting, drumming and food sites and may force them to take a look at your house.