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I have looked at a job where woodpeckers have pecked numerous holes to feed on the larvae deposited by wood boring bees. My questions are can the bees or the woodpeckers be controlled, and how can I patch the damage and have the stained cedar look decent? The damage is confined to the fascia and in a few spots the soffit. The building is three years old and is quite large and there is hundreds of lineal feet of fascia. On a smaller home I wrapped everything in aluminum , but I don’t think the building ownership is willing to go that route. If anyone has some info it would be appreciated.
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Yes, I think the bees can be controlled and that in turn controls the woodpeckers. First repair the damage. In minor areas caulk with a similar color flat caulk with body that doesn't shrink much. GE 100% silicone caulk has the body but is too shiny and will show while the basic latex caulk shrinks too much. I found a polyurethane type caulk at a hardware store in a flat brown with good body. In areas with major damage replace fascia. Also stain as needed.
As a future prevention measure starting with first warmup in the spring and every 2-3 weeks spray the soffits and fascia with a strong insecticide as Dursban. This will keep the bees away. And if there are no bees the woodpeckers will not create holes. They don't keep pecking unless they find a hollow spot. However, sometimes they will attack a knot hole on the siding. Hope this helps.
Handyman from Kentucky
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I have looked at a job where woodpeckers have pecked numerous holes to feed on the larvae deposited by wood boring bees. My questions are can the bees or the woodpeckers be controlled, and how can I patch the damage and have the stained cedar look decent? The damage is confined to the fascia and in a few spots the soffit. The building is three years old and is quite large and there is hundreds of lineal feet of fascia. On a smaller home I wrapped everything in aluminum , but I don't think the building ownership is willing to go that route. If anyone has some info it would be appreciated.
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My neighbor asked me to patch the cedar ply siding on their vacation house. Flickers had hammered through the siding into the stud bay, then through the insulation and sheetrock, and laid eggs in the bedroom. Home sweet home!
After patching and repatching I finally gave in. I made four birdhouses with various size entry holes located in the upper portion of the face. I hung them on their favorite side of the house. It worked! The birds enlarged some of the holes until they fit just right, then moved in.