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From: dand@teklds.UUCP (Daniel Dreiszus)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: Woodpeckers
Message-ID: <1211@teklds.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 31-Oct-85 18:48:22 EST
Article-I.D.: teklds.1211
Posted: Thu Oct 31 18:48:22 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Nov-85 06:25:14 EST
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 24



> attack of woodpeckers on a house is a warning that the wood of the house
> is harboring some insect pests.  Eliminate the insects, and the
> woodpeckers will lose interest.


Well, not necessarily. For the past two summers we have been visited
by a woodpecker that hammers against all of the metal chimneys in
the neighborhood (beginning at pre-dawn -- ting ting ting ting ting 
ting ting ting ting, . . . ting ting ting ting ting ting ting . . . .).
Sounds like a rather light meal to me; sometimes they must peck just to
peck..

Also, we have a cedar-sided cabin in an area rife with woodpeckers and trees
to peck on -- they have actually pecked clear through the siding in spots, 
and there simply aren't any bugs in or on the siding to tempt them.

As an aside, I would also add that the suggestion to off the little pest
with a 22 cal. shot shell is really quite prudent and workable, and I think
that anyone familiar with this low velocity, low mass configuration would 
agree, strange (or dangerous) as it may seem to the uninformed. As with
anything potentially dangerous (fireworks, driving, throwing a baseball)
safety depends on the experience and common sense of the individual.