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Old 08-25-2012, 02:02 PM   #1
TomC
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Default strange siding damage

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


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Old 08-25-2012, 03:55 PM   #2
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looks somewhat like the damage a woodpecker did to my garage
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Old 08-25-2012, 04:35 PM   #3
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Looks like a woodpecker to me too.
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Old 08-25-2012, 07:24 PM   #4
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Same here ... did it to my barn .. just after we painted it red..
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Old 08-25-2012, 07:38 PM   #5
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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.

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.
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Old 08-26-2012, 03:27 AM   #6
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Default thanks for the replies

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
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Old 08-26-2012, 05:56 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Acres per Second View Post
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.

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.
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Old 08-26-2012, 06:38 AM   #8
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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.
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Old 08-28-2012, 07:35 AM   #9
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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.
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