Top 5 Best Woodpecker Deterrents (**2020 Review**)

Of all the Woodpecker deterrents we researched and reviewed, our top pick goes to Talstar Pro.

Why?

Killing the woodpecker's food source is the best, long-term strategy to deter them from coming near your house and yard.

The bugs that woodpeckers eat are also known for damaging your trees and the wood in your house.  Not only are you discouraging woodpeckers, you're killing wood destroying insects at the same time.

Check out the rest of the guide to help you remove these pests once and for all.

​Talstar Pro is a Bifenthrin-based insecticide that was originally formulated to kill termites. It's a man-made version of pyrethrin, a naturally occurring pesticide found in chrysanthemum flowers.

It is labeled by the EPA to kill a wide variety of insects, including the ones woodpeckers like to drill for in the trees.

It comes in a 32-ounce bottle of concentrate that has to be diluted with water to achieve the correct ratio for use. You'll need to mix one ounce of the concentrate with a gallon of water each time you use it, so the bottle will make 32-gallons of what is called the finished product

The bottle has a built-in measuring cup (the bottle is called a tilt-n-pour) for ease of use. Fill your 1-gallon hand sprayer about halfway with water then measure in an ounce of concentrate. 

Swirl it around a bit then finish filling the sprayer to the one-gallon mark. Put the cap, with the built-in pump on it, on the sprayer and tighten
it, then shake vigorously for at least a minute.

Pump up the pressure and you're ready to spray. Dial the tip until you achieve a fine spray, just above a mist. Spray the entire surface of the trees where the woodpeckers are hammering, spray your entire roof and any siding the woodpeckers are attacking.

This is a long-term strategy that works quite well, but it will not return instant results. It will take the woodpeckers a while to realize there's nothing to eat at your place.

This comes in a 1-gallon container, already premixed and ready to use. Empty it into your 1-gallon hand sprayer and you're ready to start spraying. 

It can be used in nearly any weather and on almost any outdoor
surface. You can spray it on trees, shrubs, vines, shingles, siding, and more. It's non-toxic and non-lethal.​

​You may need several gallons if you are working on a larger area.

It leaves a sticky residue behind when it “dries”. When woodpeckers land on it they feel the stickiness and want to get away from it.

Although it's technically a repellent, they have to come into physical contact with it in order for it to work which is why we're listing here under deterrents.

Another reason to list it as a deterrent is that it discourages woodpeckers rather than compelling them to leave. Some will stay in spite of it.

Woodpeckers are social birds, however, so the more of them that leave, the more of their companions that will leave to go with them. All things being equal, it's quite effective.

It's a clear gel that leaves behind a thick, sticky residue that creates uncomfortable sensations when woodpeckers land on it.

It lasts for a long time so it's easy to apply and maintain. The non-toxic formula won't cause staining on buildings and won't harm any animals that come in contact with it.​

This petroleum-based clear formula can be used in any weather on ledges, window sills, beams, tree trunks, tree branches and limbs, rafters, etc. It can be applied in straight or wavy lines to cover the surface you're protecting (wavy lines are the best) and is nearly invisible once applied.

It does have a tendency to melt in hot weather so you may have to re-apply it more frequently in the summer months than during the rest of the year, and each tube only covers about 30-32 linear feet. ​

This battery-operated “attack” spider is sound activated. When it detects a noise from a woodpecker it drops down on a string so it appears to be attacking them. It also makes sounds, further startling them into leaving.

Once they're gone, it climbs back up the string to its “ambush” position and waits for another triggering sound.​

It's fairly easy to install but it's a bit too sensitive to sounds. A car door slamming 50-feet away will trigger it.

Consequently, it will drain the batteries very quickly and you'll need to think ahead about how you'll get it down from wherever you hang it to change them.

Birds are easily started by sound and movement, especially if it's close by and appears to be attacking them, so this is a great idea, it just needs a bit of tweaking to make it better.

This is a black net with 1/2" mesh. It is 14-feet wide and comes in a 200-foot long roll. While you probably don't want to drape your house with bird netting, wrapping it around the tree trunks and branches shouldn't cause much of a problem.

It needs to be suspended at least a couple inches away from the surface it is protecting. You might need to hire someone to wrap the netting around the trees for you or buy some ladders. Either way, it's going to cost more than just the price of the netting.

When woodpeckers land on it they can't get a firm grip on the wood through the net. Without that firm footing, they can't peck at the wood. The swaying motion of the net simply won't let them do it. They'll quickly become frustrated and leave.

Netting is especially useful if a flock of woodpeckers has already established themselves in the trees around your house. They feel like it's their territory now, so it will take some very stern measures to drive them away.

Wrapping a net around your trees is a radical maneuver but it will work. But it is going to take some work to make it work, and it will be rather unsightly while the netting is in place.