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  • Wildlife

Woodpecker Control & Removal in the Twin Cities

Signs You Have a Woodpecker Problem

Woodpecker damage looks different depending on what’s driving the behavior, but a few signs point to an active problem:
  • Loud, repetitive drumming or pecking sounds on siding, fascia, trim, or gutters, particularly early morning
  • Small, round, shallow holes clustered together (territorial drumming)
  • Larger round holes, often in soft or damaged wood (nesting or roosting cavities)
  • Rows of small, horizontal holes running along siding (foraging for insects)
  • Woodpeckers repeatedly returning to the same spot on your home
  • Wood shavings or debris on the ground beneath damaged areas
If you’re seeing woodpecker holes in your siding or hearing regular drilling on your exterior, the sooner you address it, the less repair work you’ll need later.

Why Is a Woodpecker Damaging My House?

Woodpeckers don’t peck at homes at random. Three behaviors drive almost all residential woodpecker damage, and knowing which one you’re dealing with changes the fix.

Territorial Drumming

Woodpeckers drum on resonant surfaces, including house siding and gutters, to claim territory and attract a mate. This produces small, round, shallow holes grouped in clusters, and it typically slows once spring breeding season passes. Because it’s about sound rather than food, drumming often targets metal gutters, downspouts, and hollow siding that carries noise well.

Nesting and Roosting

Woodpeckers excavate larger, round cavities for nesting and roosting, particularly on homes near wooded areas. Nesting holes typically appear in late April and May. Roosting holes, used for winter shelter, tend to form in late summer and fall. These holes run deeper and cause more structural damage than drumming marks.

Foraging for Insects

Woodpeckers also drill in search of insect larvae living inside your siding, creating small, irregular holes in horizontal rows. Foraging damage often means you have an active insect infestation inside your siding that needs its own treatment, not just a woodpecker problem.

Is It Legal to Get Rid of Woodpeckers?

All woodpecker species are classified as migratory non-game birds and protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It’s illegal to kill, trap, or harm woodpeckers without a federal permit. Effective woodpecker control relies on legal deterrence and exclusion methods instead of lethal control, which is why DIY traps and shooting attempts fail or backfire.

Our Woodpecker Control Process

Step 1 — Inspection & Behavior Identification

We inspect the damage pattern on your home to determine whether you’re dealing with territorial drumming, nesting, roosting, or foraging behavior. This tells us which deterrent strategy will actually work.

Step 2 — Insect Assessment

If foraging is involved, we check for the underlying insect activity drawing woodpeckers to your siding. Treating the insect source is often the fastest way to stop foraging damage for good.

Step 3 — Humane Deterrence & Exclusion

We install legal, non-lethal deterrents suited to your situation: visual deterrents, sound deterrents, and physical exclusion materials that block access to damaged areas without harming the birds.

Step 4 — Repair Guidance & Prevention

We identify the structural repairs needed to prevent recurring damage and build an ongoing prevention plan tailored to your home’s siding material and surrounding tree cover.

Woodpecker Behavior & Facts

  • Woodpeckers eat insects, fruit, acorns, and nuts.
  • Their pointed beak is built to strip bark and extract hiding insects.
  • Zygodactyl feet (two toes forward, two back) let them grip vertical surfaces like siding and tree trunks.
  • Woodpeckers can peck up to 20 times per second.

Common Woodpecker Species in Minnesota

Minnesota homeowners most often deal with these species:
  • Pileated Woodpecker
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Red-Bellied Woodpecker
  • Northern Flicker
  • Red-Headed Woodpecker
  • Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

Our Woodpecker Control Service Packages

Why Homeowners Choose Abra Kadabra for Woodpecker Control

Abra Kadabra has served Twin Cities homeowners since 2002. Here’s what that means for you:
  • Our wildlife specialists are licensed and trained in legal, humane deterrence methods, not general pest technicians handling wildlife on the side.
  • We treat the underlying insect activity that often drives foraging damage, not just the symptom on your siding.
  • Every service we perform is fully warrantied. We stand behind every inspection and deterrent installation.
  • We’re rated 4.8–4.9 stars by hundreds of Twin Cities homeowners and hold a BBB A+ rating. We’re also members of the NPMA and MPMA (Minnesota Pest Management Association).
  • We know which Minnesota woodpecker species are active in your area and when, so deterrents get placed before damage escalates.

Gold Plan

Inspection and behavior identification, plus installation of targeted deterrents at active damage sites. Best for early-stage, single-area woodpecker activity.

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Gold Plan

Silver Plan

Everything in Gold, plus an insect assessment if foraging is present, and a follow-up visit to confirm deterrents are holding.

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Silver Plan

Platinum Plan

Full-property woodpecker control: complete deterrent installation, insect treatment if needed, structural repair guidance, and scheduled seasonal monitoring through breeding and roosting seasons.
Not sure which plan fits your home? Our wildlife specialists will recommend the right service level after a free inspection. Call us or schedule online today.

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Platinum Plan

Frequently Asked Questions About Woodpecker Control

How do I get rid of woodpeckers on my siding?

Getting rid of woodpeckers on siding starts with identifying why they’re drilling: territorial drumming, nesting, or foraging for insects. From there, a combination of visual deterrents, sound deterrents, and physical exclusion materials targeted to the damaged area is the most effective legal approach. If insects are drawing the woodpeckers, treating that infestation is essential to stopping the damage long-term.
Yes. All woodpecker species are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which makes it illegal to kill, trap, or harm them without a federal permit. Homeowners dealing with woodpecker damage need to rely on humane deterrence and exclusion methods instead.
Woodpeckers drum on houses for three main reasons: to establish territory and attract a mate (especially on resonant surfaces like metal gutters), to excavate nesting or roosting cavities, or to forage for insects living in the siding. The pattern and location of the holes typically shows which behavior is driving the damage.
Territorial drumming peaks in early spring before and during breeding season. Nesting holes typically appear in late April and May. Roosting holes, used for winter shelter, tend to form in late summer and fall. Foraging damage can happen any time insects are active in your siding.
Sometimes territorial drumming tapers off once breeding season ends, but nesting, roosting, and foraging damage typically continues or recurs until the underlying cause is addressed. Waiting it out usually means more structural damage.
Cost depends on the extent of the damage, which behavior is driving it, and whether an insect infestation needs treatment alongside deterrence. A free on-site inspection is the most accurate way to get pricing for your home.

Service Areas

Northeast Metro
  • Andover
  • Anoka
  • Arlington
  • Blaine
  • Champlin
  • Circle Pines
  • Columbia Heights
  • Coon Rapids
  • Fridley
  • New Brighton ​
  • Brooklyn Center
  • Brooklyn Park
  • Maple Grove
  • Crystal Bay
  • Deephaven
  • Excelsior
  • Golden Valley
  • Greenwood
  • Hopkins
  • Independence
  • Long Lake
  • Maple Plain
  • Medina
  • Minnetonka
  • Minnetonka Beach
  • Minnetrista
  • Mound
  • Navarre
  • New Hope
  • Orono
  • Plymouth
  • Shorewood
  • Spring Park
  • St. Louis Park
  • Tonka Bay
  • Wayzata
  • Woodland
  • Belle Plaine
  • Biscay
  • Browntown
  • Chanhassen
  • Chaska
  • Cokato
  • Dassel
  • Eden Prairie
  • Edina
  • Glencoe
  • Green Isle
  • Hamburg
  • Hutchinson
  • Lester Prairie
  • Montrose
  • New Germany
  • Plato
  • Shakope
  • Silver Lake
  • St. Bonifacius
  • Stewart
  • Victoria
  • Waconia
  • Watertown
  • Winsted
  • Young America
  • Woodbury

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Get Woodpeckers Off Your Siding — Schedule Your Inspection Today

Woodpecker damage doesn’t fix itself, and DIY deterrents often miss the actual cause. Abra Kadabra’s wildlife specialists will identify what’s driving the activity on your home and put a legal, effective control plan in place. Contact our team today!

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Abra Kadabra Environmental Services is a member of the Better Business Bureau (with an A+ rating), NPMA (National Pest Management Association) and the MPMA (Minnesota Pest Management Association). We take our business and the safety of our clients seriously, striving to improve the lives of our neighbors with efficient, environmentally mindful pest treatments. Visit our Reviews page to see first-hand testimonials and recommendations.
Give us a call to discuss the issue you’re facing. With our years of experience, we’ve likely managed similar episodes many times. We’ll help you find a solution that works for you and your family.

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