Woodpecker Attack on Utility Poles–A Review

Poles afford woodpeckers a broad, open view helpful in establishing and protecting territories. Birds are prone to excavate in the vicinity of burst checks. The most severe damage consists of nest and roost cavities, probe holes are much more numerous but are smaller and less weakening. Nests in relatively new creosoted poles are unsuccessful. It is uncertain whether cavities are important entry points for decay. Pileated (Dryocopus pileatus) and red-headed (Melanerps erythrocephalus) woodpeckers were attracted to white pine decoys, but damage to poles with decoys still exceeded an acceptable level. Chemical repellents have been unsuccessful, and a review of the morphology and physiology of woodpeckers fails to reveal a notable target in their sensory mechanisms. Coatings and wraps offer some promise of protecting poles by making the surface too hard for the birds to penetrate or too smooth to afford a perch.

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