Controlling nuisance woodpeckers (2011)

Abstract

More than 200 species of woodpeckers exist, about 45 species live in the United States, and depending on the season, seven species can be found in Missouri. Woodpeckers nest and roost in holes or cavities in trees, which they usually excavate themselves. The woodpecker's preferred habitat is a mature forest with standing dead trees, snags or older living trees with dead limbs, though several species have adapted to habitats found in urban and suburban residential areas with mature trees. Many people like to watch woodpeckers and try to attract them to their home landscapes. Although watching and feeding woodpeckers throughout the year can be enjoyable, woodpeckers can cause extensive damage to buildings and houses in urban as well as rural areas. Most people experiencing woodpecker damage live in or within half a mile of a wooded area containing large hardwood trees. As more people and housing developments move into wooded areas, woodpecker damage problems will likely increase.