Woodpeckers are a genuinely useful bird in a forest — they eat the insects that damage trees. The problem starts when they move onto healthy trees, orchard and vineyard stock, or the walls and cladding of buildings. At that point the aim is not to harm them but to make the property unattractive enough that they go back to the woodland where they do good.
Below are the Flock Free products we recommend for woodpeckers. If you would rather understand the problem before choosing, the full guide continues underneath.
Shop Woodpecker Control Products
Bird Repellent Spray – Ready-to-Use
$21.99
No mixing. The straightforward option for trees and small areas.
Bird Repellent Spray Concentrate – 32oz
$99.00
Mix your own for repeat treatment across several trees.
Bird Repellent Concentrate – 1 gallon
$395.00
Volume concentrate for orchards, vineyards and larger properties.
Flock Free Bird Repellent Kit
$519.00
The repellent supplied as a complete starter kit.
Moby – Portable Hazer
$3,249.00
Part of our wider repellent range for large open sites.
Flock Free Bird Bombs (5 pcs)
$41.99
Scent-repellent pods for small enclosed spaces. Repellent sold separately.
Flock Free Bird Bomb Bundle
$31.99
One Bird Bomb plus a 4 fl oz concentrate to soak it in.
Prices shown as listed at the time of publication. See each product page for current pricing and availability. Shipping restrictions apply to certain Flock Free Bird Repellent products in CT, IN, MD, MT, NM, RI, WI and DC — see the individual product page for current availability and shipping information. Other products on this page are not affected.
Not sure which of these fits your property? Call 732-987-5400 and we will talk it through — or keep reading below.
Continue Reading: How to Control Woodpeckers
Why Woodpeckers Become a Problem
- Damage to healthy trees. Drilling into sound wood weakens the tree and opens it to disease and further insect attack.
- Damage to buildings. Cladding, siding, fascia boards and soffits all get drilled, and the holes then let in water and insects.
- Orchards and vineyards. Repeated damage to productive stock is a direct commercial loss.
- Persistence at a chosen spot. Woodpeckers return to the same tree or the same wall section, so a single repair without deterrence tends to be followed by a fresh hole nearby.
Where Woodpeckers Cause Damage
- Tree trunks and larger limbs, particularly on specimen and orchard trees.
- Timber cladding and siding on houses and outbuildings.
- Fascia boards, soffits and eaves, where the timber is softer and often hollow behind.
- Poles, posts and wooden structures around the property.
Why woodpeckers keep coming back
Two things bring them back: the resource and the habit. If the timber still sounds hollow, or the tree still holds insects, the attraction has not changed. Woodpeckers also work a familiar circuit, so a spot that was productive once gets revisited.
How to Control Woodpeckers
Hand-applied bird repellent is the main method
Our own field guidance is specific about woodpeckers, and it differs from most other species on this site. The main and most effective approach is to apply the Flock Free bird repellent by hand — with sprayers and brushes — directly to the places attracting the birds, including tree trunks themselves. It is a plant-based, non-toxic formulation, exempt under FIFRA 25(b).
Treat the specific trunk sections, boards and surfaces being worked rather than the general area, and re-treat as part of a maintained program rather than once. The Ready-to-Use spray suits a handful of trees or a single elevation; the 32oz concentrate and 1 gallon concentrate suit orchards, vineyards and repeat treatment across a property. The Bird Repellent Kit supplies it as a complete package.
A note on hazers for woodpeckers
Hazers are part of our repellent range and work extremely well on birds that spend a lot of time in flight. Woodpeckers do not — they spend most of their time on trunks and walls, which is why our guidance rates hazers as less effective for this species than direct hand application. If a hazer is already installed for other birds on the same site it will not do any harm, but for a woodpecker problem specifically, treat the surfaces.
Deal with the underlying attraction
If the birds are working a building, look at why. Hollow-sounding cladding, soft or rotting timber and an insect population in the boards all invite repeat drilling. Repairing damaged sections and dealing with an insect problem removes the reason the birds chose that wall.
Bird Bombs — spot treatment for enclosed spaces
Flock Free Bird Bombs are a scent repellent that gives you a long-lasting spot application. Each Bird Bomb is a highly absorbent pod designed to be saturated with Flock Free Bird Repellent, so the treatment stays put instead of needing to be re-sprayed.
Soak the Bird Bomb in the repellent solution — the mix rate is 50% concentrate to 50% water — then place it wherever you need to deter birds. They mount easily with zip ties or any other fastener.
They are designed for small, enclosed spaces: garbage cans, dumpsters, warehouses and small industrial facilities. On a property with woodpecker damage they are best used in the enclosed spaces rather than on the trees themselves — barns, sheds, equipment stores and outbuildings. The Bird Bombs cause irritation that suppresses the birds’ desire to feed and creates a sense of danger in that space.
The 5-pack is supplied on its own and needs Flock Free Bird Repellent separately. The Bird Bomb Bundle includes a single Bird Bomb with a 4 fl oz bottle of concentrate to soak it in.
Choosing the Right Approach
Woodpeckers are one of the more straightforward species to plan for, because the method barely changes: you treat the surfaces they are actually working, by hand, and you keep doing it. What changes is the scale. A few specimen trees or one elevation of a house is a ready-to-use spray job. An orchard, a vineyard or a whole building envelope needs concentrate and a plan for re-treating.
The bigger question is usually why they picked that spot. On a building, hollow-sounding cladding, soft timber or insects in the boards are the reason, and until you fix that you are treating a symptom — repair and deterrence need to happen together, or the fresh repair simply gets drilled next season.
Timing matters too, since nesting changes both what is appropriate and when work should happen. Since 2007, Flock Free has been dealing with orchard, vineyard and structural woodpecker damage — if the damage is recurring or structural, call 732-987-5400 before you order.
Related Bird Control Resources
- Bird Control Tips by Species of the Birds — our guidance across the other species we treat.
- Liquid Products — the bird repellent range.
- Hazers and Sprayers — application equipment.
- Commercial Bird Control Services — for orchards, vineyards and larger properties.
Shop by Bird
Flock Free guidance for the other species we treat: