strange siding damage

[TomC]

Several years ago I made some shutters for the cabin with a pine-tree motif and put them up on the house. just this week, something - a bird or insect presumably - has tried to bore into the house siding (60 year old pine novelty siding) within the pine-tree-shaped cutout feature of the shutters. The holes are 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter and 1/4" to 1/2" deep. they are seen within three different shutter cut-outs, and nowhere else on the house. if it makes a difference, all three locations are on the southeast side of the building.

So - does anyone recognize this type of damage, why would it only be within this feature of my shutters, and most importantly: how do I put a stop to it? thanks for any advice

http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff419/tomctomc/damage2.jpg
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff419/tomctomc/damage1.jpg

[surfnsnow]

looks somewhat like the damage a woodpecker did to my garage

[Lakepilot]

Looks like a woodpecker to me too.

[Winni-Retired]

Same here ... did it to my barn .. just after we painted it red..

[ApS]

http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff419/tomctomc/damage2.jpg

Those marks looks suspiciously like a Red Squirrel's been chewing on your house! When they have nothing else to do, they gnaw at tree limbs and cut down desirable saplings. :mad:

Do those marks appear like a small pair of teeth were dragged across the surface?

I was saving the below photograph for a discussion of Chickadee bird houses; however, the chewing at the bottom of the entry—especially—looks similar to your photo above. Since Red Squirrels have gnawed at the aluminum reinforcement plate—as indicated—I'm not sure I have a preventative for you; however, window screening is the one surface Red Squirrels haven't attempted entry to our cottage.

[TomC]

no sign of chewing - just pecking or boring. if it is indeed a woodpecker, then it must be using the cut-out in the shutter as a perch, explaining why it is happening only in the shutter area. I dont believe i have an insect problem within the house structure, so what the heck is it doing? for those who have had this problem - did it just stop or did you take some action to get rid of the bird? thx

[Rusty]

Those marks looks suspiciously like a Red Squirrel's been chewing on your house! When they have nothing else to do, they gnaw at tree limbs and cut down desirable saplings. :mad:

Do those marks appear like a small pair of teeth were dragged across the surface?

I was saving the below photograph for a discussion of Chickadee bird houses; however, the chewing at the bottom of the entry—especially—looks similar to your photo above. Since Red Squirrels have gnawed at the aluminum reinforcement plate—as indicated—I'm not sure I have a preventative for you; however, window screening is the one surface Red Squirrels haven't attempted entry to our cottage.



Very detailed explanation. Good job.

[Belmont Resident]

Tom the only thing I've heard that causes this is woodpeckers trying to get at bugs, but it does also look like it might be a squirrel trying to carve out a new home.
You may have a bug problem that you do not know about.
Try putting some tabasco sauce on the effected areas and see it it stops.
A squirrel might move on while a woodpecker will just peck at another spot.
Woodpeckers do a lot of damage to healthy trees looking for bugs.
My father in law who lives in VT shoots them on site.

[SIKSUKR]

The problem is you made those shutters look too much like a real tree.Ill go with woodpecker.I had dozens of woodpecker holes in my former cedar siding.There was no perch and no rhyme or reason to where the holes were drilled.