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When woodpeckers start banging on your walls or roof, they are probably looking for insects to eat, storing nuts for winter, drilling a hole to make a nest, or communicating with other birds to establish territory or find a mate.

The size of the hole can help determine the reason for the pecking. Small irregular holes are a result of insect hunts. Acorn holes are more consistently sized and often fitted with a nut in the middle. Nest holes are large and have rounded edges. If the bird is pecking to mark its territory or attract a mate, it may leave dents rather than holes, and the noise will stop when the mating season starts in spring.

Consumer-brand foggers or bug bombs are considered safe overall. Still, it's essential to read the instructions carefully as the vacating time varies depending on the type of bug bomb you use. Most of the time, it's advised that all humans and pets are out of the area for at least two to four hours after initiating the fogger process. It's also a good idea to vent the space by cracking open some windows for several hours after you're back inside.

Hazing is an effective strategy for keeping foxes away from your yard because these wild animals are usually scared of people, loud noises, and sudden movements. If you have a large dog patrolling the yard, that’s also usually a powerful deterrent for foxes. You can also use hazing to keep badgers away from your yard, along with pests like raccoons and coyotes.

No, pest-repellent plants can only reduce the number of pests in your garden—they won’t repel all of them. So, for example, a plant like catnip that repels mosquitoes won’t completely eradicate them from your yard.