Acorn woodpeckers turning treehouse into a storehouse

DEAR JOAN >> We are surrounded by 200-year- old oak trees. The trees are dropping acorns everywhere, by the thousands right now, and the acorn woodpeckers who live here year-round are in a frenzy picking them up, and stuffing them in storage holes they’ve drilled for the winter.

The problem is they’re choosing the space between the board and battens that make up our treehouse’s siding. We’ve had this problem in years past, and as a result, we’ve replaced siding on our house, a cottage and another treehouse, with concrete board that causes the birds to flinch and fly when they try to drill into it.

So what can we do to discourage the woodpeckers and avoid thousands more dollars for more siding?

As it is, the present wood siding is a mass of holes stretching the length of the boards, each hole harboring several acorns. The action is constant — a cacophony of drilling all day by a flock of six or so. Of course, a pellet gun is out of the question.

— Sue Cristallo, Los Gatos DEAR SUE >> I’m relieved to know that you have not yet seriously considered a pellet gun. How about a cannon? Just kidding. We don’t want to harm the birds or blow a hole in the treehouse.

Short of raking up all the acorns as they fall or getting rid of the oaks — two things that would be considered “end of the rope” actions — there are many devices on the market to frighten the woodpeckers away.

Experts recommend using objects that move in the wind, generate noise or confuse the birds. You can find motion-activated large, hairy spiders that will drop down and wiggle their legs when a woodpecker approaches. You might need to get a few to cover the area.

Shiny objects that move with the wind are good, too. You can buy ones specially made as bird deterrents, or make your own with old CDs. Scare balloons also can be helpful. Companies sell ones with a huge eye on it, which can frighten the woodpeckers — and freak me out a little — as they bob in the wind.

Hawk mobiles — the dangly, hawk silhouette ones, not cars for hawks — can also work, as can recorded sounds of predator birds, although you’ll hear those cries, too.

The main problem with all these solutions is that your woodpeckers are established residents and believe they have as much right to your yard as you do. Birds that have been at it as long as these have won’t leave easily, nor will they want to abandon their food supply. You may drive yourself nuts trying to drive them away, and consider the cost of new siding well worth it.

Having a place for them to go as an alternative to using your treehouse as a granary could be important. Providing them with a tree stump, a large section of an old tree, or another wooden structure slapped together, could do the trick. If they don’t feel safe using the treehouse, they might turn to the next available option.

Unfortunately, that means the rat-a-tat-tat will continue. Sorry I don’t have better options for you, but you know what they say — if you can’t beat them, join them. Have you ever considered taking up the drums?