Bird netting is the most effective method for stopping woodpecker damage to a building. Unlike visual scare devices or sound deterrents, which woodpeckers ignore within a day or two, properly installed netting creates a physical barrier that reliably keeps them off your siding for years. The key is choosing the right mesh size, the right material, and installing it with enough standoff distance that the birds can’t peck through it.
Why Woodpeckers Target Your House
Understanding the behavior helps you decide where to place netting. Woodpeckers attack homes for three distinct reasons, and the type of damage tells you which one you’re dealing with.
Drumming is territorial. Males tap rapidly on surfaces that resonate loudly to attract mates and claim territory, usually in spring or fall. This produces a fast, reverberating sound and typically causes cosmetic damage rather than deep holes. Drilling is different: woodpeckers bore round holes into siding, eaves, and fascia boards for nesting cavities or winter roost sites. These holes can be several inches deep and may penetrate into wall cavities. Finally, foraging damage looks like long, narrow furrows that follow seams, window frames, or horizontal lines in the wood. This means the bird is chasing carpenter ants, wood-boring bees, or other insects living inside the siding.
If you’re seeing foraging damage, it’s worth investigating whether you have an insect problem in the wood. Netting will stop the woodpecker, but the underlying pest issue may cause its own structural damage over time.
Why Netting Outperforms Other Deterrents
Most alternatives fail because woodpeckers habituate to them quickly. Stationary scare devices like rubber snakes, plastic owl decoys, and predator eye-spot balloons do almost nothing. Birds learn to ignore objects that don’t move or change position, often within one to two days. Reflective devices that incorporate motion perform somewhat better, but they still lose effectiveness over time.
Sound-based deterrents are similarly unreliable. Continuous audio devices get tuned out because the sound plays regardless of the bird’s behavior. Even motion-activated units only extend the perceived threat temporarily. Unless the sound is backed up by a real consequence, woodpeckers eventually ignore it. The only chemical repellent registered for use on woodpeckers (a grape-derived compound called methyl anthranilate) was found in testing to have no deterrent effect on treated wood surfaces.
Metal sheathing or flashing can physically block access, but it sometimes backfires by creating a new resonant drumming surface. Netting avoids this problem because its flexible mesh absorbs sound rather than amplifying it.
Choosing the Right Netting
Mesh size matters most. For woodpecker exclusion, use netting with a mesh size of 3/4 inch or smaller. Virginia Cooperative Extension recommends 5/8 inch or smaller to ensure woodpeckers can’t reach through the openings with their bills. A 3/4-inch mesh is the most widely available commercial size and effectively stops birds of all species, from sparrow-sized up to larger woodpeckers.
For material, you have two main options. Polyethylene netting is the more durable choice for long-term installations. Commercial-grade versions use six strands of twisted and knotted, UV-treated twine with around 40 pounds of burst strength. These nets are flame-resistant, rot-proof, and typically carry a 10-year warranty. Polypropylene garden netting is lighter, cheaper, and comes in 3/4-inch, 1/2-inch, and 1/4-inch mesh sizes, but it generally lacks the same UV protection and doesn’t come with a long-term warranty.
Black netting is standard because it’s the least visible against most siding colors. One homeowner with blue-gray siding reported that black netting installed by a pest control company was barely noticeable from the street and was still functioning eight years later.
How to Install Woodpecker Netting
The single most important installation detail: the netting must hang away from the wall surface. Netting that lies flat against siding will not stop damage because woodpeckers will peck right through the mesh into the wood behind it. You need at least 3 inches of standoff distance between the net and the building.
The standard approach is to fasten the top edge of the netting to the outer edge of the eave, then drape it at an angle toward the building, securing the bottom below the zone where damage has occurred. This creates a sloped barrier that holds the mesh several inches away from the siding at the top and gradually meets the wall lower down. The angled drape means a woodpecker landing on the net has no stable surface to brace against while pecking.
For a multi-story building, you can section the netting vertically. Attach it beneath the eaves and secure it below each damaged zone. Use screws, hooks, or clips rated for exterior use. Make sure there are no gaps at the edges where a bird could slip behind the net, as a woodpecker trapped between netting and siding will cause far more damage than one with open access.
If the damage is concentrated in a small area (a single corner or a strip along a fascia board), you don’t need to net the entire wall. Cover the affected zone plus a generous buffer of a foot or two on each side, since woodpeckers may shift their activity slightly when blocked from a preferred spot.
Repairing Damage Before You Net
Existing holes should be repaired before or shortly after installing netting. Open cavities invite insects, moisture, and further nesting attempts by other animals. Several repair approaches work well depending on the hole size and your siding material.
For small to medium holes in wood siding, auto-body filler (Bondo) or fiberglass-based wood fillers are the most durable option. These products set permanently hard within about 10 minutes, can be sanded smooth, painted over, and drilled if needed. They hold up well in extreme weather. One homeowner reported Bondo patches lasting through years of Minnesota winters without cracking or falling out. Vinyl concrete patch is another option that has shown similar longevity.
If the woodpecker was chasing insects, clear out the nest first. Dust the cavity with an appropriate insecticide, wait for the insects to vacate, then clean out debris with compressed air or a shop vacuum before filling. This prevents insects from migrating to a new spot in the siding. Once filled, sand the surface flush with the surrounding wood, texture it with a wire brush if needed to match the grain, and repaint.
For deep holes that penetrate into wall cavities, spray foam insulation can fill the void behind the siding before you apply a harder surface filler on top. This restores some insulation value and blocks drafts.
Legal Considerations
All woodpecker species in the United States are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. You cannot trap, shoot, or kill woodpeckers without a federal permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and those permits are granted only in specific circumstances with approval from USDA Wildlife Services personnel. Some species carry additional state-level endangered protections.
Exclusion methods like netting are legal without any permit. You’re allowed to physically prevent woodpeckers from accessing your property. This is one more reason netting is the preferred solution: it’s both the most effective deterrent and the one that keeps you on the right side of federal wildlife law.