Fall is when woodpeckers dig winter roosting holes, and a hollow wall behind siding can look like a dead tree to them. Extension services report that drilling on houses rises at this time of year.
Get My Free Estimate →Woodpeckers drill holes in siding mostly to make a winter roosting cavity, which is why the damage peaks in fall. Less often they are drumming to mark territory, digging for insects, or, if the holes run in neat rows, the bird is a sapsucker.
Whatever the cause, the fix starts the same way. Get the holes repaired properly and quickly, then add harmless deterrents so the next bird does not reopen the spot.
An open hole is more than a cosmetic problem. It lets wind-driven rain into the wall, and freeze-thaw cycles turn a small opening into a bigger one. Buckshot repairs damaged siding of every type through our siding repair service.
Why woodpeckers drill holes in siding
There are four common reasons, and each leaves a different mark. Knowing which one you have tells you how deep the repair needs to go.
Winter roosting holes
Roosting is the most common cause of large holes in houses. University extension services report that drilling on homes rises in fall, when cavity-nesting woodpeckers look for a sheltered hollow for winter nights.
Roosting holes are large, round and deliberate. The bird keeps working the same spot, so a hole that looks shallow can reach the sheathing behind the siding.
Drumming
Drumming is loud, fast, repeated hammering on a surface that rings, used to claim territory. Birds drum on gutters, flashing, chimney caps and hollow trim because those surfaces are loud.
Drumming usually causes chipped paint and dents rather than a deep hole. It is still a sign the bird has chosen your house.
Insects
Extension services report that insects are rarely the main cause of holes in house siding. That matters because it means insect sprays rarely solve the problem, and extension guidance generally advises against them.
The exception is plywood-type panel siding. Birds can dig furrows along seams where insects live between the layers.
Sapsuckers
Neat horizontal rows of small holes usually come from sapsuckers. They drill in lines to reach sap and can work trim and wood siding the same way they work a tree.
Each hole is small, but there are many of them. Every one breaks the paint film and lets moisture into the wood.
How to read the hole pattern
Look at the shape, size and layout of the damage before anything is patched. The pattern tells you whether the damage stops at the siding or reaches the wall behind it.
- Large round holes high on the wall: roosting, so assume it goes deeper than it looks
- Neat horizontal rows of small holes: a sapsucker, shallow but widespread
- Furrows following a panel seam: insect feeding in plywood-type siding
- Hammering on gutters or flashing with little visible hole: drumming
Damage is often concentrated on one quiet side of the house. Roosting holes also tend to sit high on the wall, close to the soffit.
Why fast repair matters
Extension guidance is consistent that holes should be patched promptly. An open hole invites more drilling, and other birds treat it as a sign the wall works.
The bigger risk is behind the siding. Siding sheds rain but is not waterproof, so a hole lets water reach the house wrap and sheathing behind it.
- Wet sheathing can swell, soften and rot before anything shows inside
- Wet insulation dries slowly through a Wisconsin winter
- A finished cavity can attract wasps, mice and other animals
- Each freeze-thaw cycle can widen the damage
If you are also hearing scratching in the attic, read about animals getting into the roof and attic, since entry points often overlap.
Not sure how deep the woodpecker damage goes? Our on-site siding inspection is free, so you can find out whether it is one board or a larger repair before winter sets in.
Free on-site inspection · Family-owned since 1979How siding repair works
A proper repair replaces the damaged material and checks the wall behind it, rather than filling the hole from outside. That is the difference between a repair that disappears and a patch you see every time you pull into the driveway.
Our siding repair team replaces damaged boards and panels and checks the sheathing and moisture behind them. Torn house wrap and soft sheathing get fixed before the siding goes back on.
Wood and cedar siding
Wood siding takes this damage the worst but repairs well, because individual boards can be replaced. The damaged course is cut out and replaced with matching profile, then primed, sealed and finished to blend with the wall.
Matching the profile and exposure is what makes a repair invisible. Our pages on cedar and wood siding and cedar siding upkeep in Wisconsin explain why sound finish also keeps water out.
On a faded wall, new color is usually close rather than perfect at first. Refinishing the whole wall is often the cleanest result.
Plywood-type panel siding
Panel siding is repaired by section rather than by hole. The damaged area is cut back to framing, replaced with matching panel, and flashed and sealed at the joints.
Seams are the weak point on this material. If birds have worked a seam, sealing that joint correctly is part of the fix.
Vinyl, fiber cement and metal siding
These materials are hit less often, usually near a cavity a bird already knows. Vinyl panels unlock and are replaced course by course, fiber cement planks are cut out and replaced, and metal panels are swapped and finished.
No siding material is woodpecker-proof. Repair and deterrents together are what stop repeat damage.
If a bird is using the hole
Check for activity before a hole is sealed. Watch it at dawn and dusk for a few days, and wait until it is empty so no bird is trapped in the wall.
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We'll inspect it, document everything, and tell you honestly what you're looking at, even if the answer is patch it for now. No pressure.
Harmless ways to discourage woodpeckers
Extension services recommend combining several methods and acting quickly. Birds get used to anything that never changes, so move scare devices every few days.
- Patch and cover: a repair, or metal flashing painted to match, removes the hollow spot the bird wants
- Netting: netting hung a few inches off the wall keeps birds away from a damaged side
- Scare devices: reflective streamers and similar devices near the damaged wall, moved regularly
- Quiet the drumming spots: tighten loose gutters and flashing so the surface stops ringing
Leave sprays and harmful methods out of it. The goal is to make your wall less appealing than the trees around it.
When siding replacement makes more sense
Replacement is the better choice when damage is widespread or the siding is already near the end of its life. Patching the same wall year after year rarely blends in.
- Holes across many boards, or on more than one side of the house
- Wood siding that is splitting, cupping or losing finish across the wall
- Soft or rotted sheathing behind the damage
- Panel siding with seam damage in several places
In those cases siding replacement on the affected wall usually looks better and lasts longer. Our siding services cover both paths, and an inspection shows which one you need.
Get the damage checked before the next freeze
Buckshot Exteriors is family-owned, has served homeowners since 1979, and has offices in Madison, Wisconsin and Centerville, Iowa. We repair and replace siding of every type, and our on-site inspection is free.
Call (608) 909-9109 to schedule your free inspection, or send us a message and we will set a time. If you would rather check first, use the hole-pattern guide above to see what you are dealing with.
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