WATCH: They’re on the hunt for a mate and a home, but these pesky woodpeckers are costing a seniors’ community a lot of money. Jill Croteau reports.
CALGARY – In a charming village just east of Calgary, one sound is interrupting the peaceful isolation: The drumming of the Northern Flicker woodpecker is an expensive pest frustrating many in the seniors’ community.
“If I was to knock on the pole—bang, bang, bang…you get that rattling,” said Harley Sanders, who lives in Prince of Peace Village.
“It drives you crazy sometimes.”
But the steady hammering isn’t the only problem; the birds are boring holes in the homes. The estimated cost of repairs to the seniors’ condo complex is around $15,000.
“Every year it seems to be getting worse. For the past five or six years, they keep coming back,” he said.
Some neighbours have used wind chimes, noise makers or put scarecrows on their property to keep the birds away. Homeowners have to pay to fill the holes, then staple mesh on top to prevent more pecking.
“A magnificent-looking bird, but they do a lot of damage to the homes,” said homeowner Rudolf Dold. “It’s a nuisance, let’s put it that way.”
The Rockyview County Fish and Wildlife officials and pest control companies have their hands tied: The birds are a protected species.
“We get a lot of calls…hammering on chimneys and in many cases they’re not foraging, they’re looking for a cavity to create a nest,” said Martin’s Pest Control’s Bill Martin.
Other buildings across the community have been subjected to similar damage—the material behind the stucco is especially appealing to the birds.
“A tree is a lot harder than a cavity made out of Styrofoam. They take advantage because it’s easier, and in a residential setting there’s a lot less predators,” said Martin.
Experts suggest homeowners put a nesting box near where the holes appear, or find a reflective device that will cause the birds to leave and hopefully make their nests in the wild.
“For bird watchers, they’re beautiful creatures to admire. But for the folks living in this seniors’ complex, they’re nothing but a nuisance,” said Sanders.
With files from Erika Tucker
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