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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.

Roof rats can carry a variety of pathogens and parasites, including salmonellosis (food contamination), leptospirosis, trichinosis, rat-bite fever, murine typhus, plague, and toxoplasmosis. Diseases can be spread via urine, droppings, or saliva. To prevent transmission, it’s essential to promptly address a roof rat infestation and avoid direct contact with the animals where possible.

Preventing rats and mice from getting into the attic can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. Here are a few steps you can take to keep them looking elsewhere for a new place to call home:

• Block or cover any potential access holes

• Keep piles or stacks of firewood or other materials away from the house

• Seal food and garbage in containers to prevent rodents from chewing through or getting in

Both spikes and loose nets can be installed over nest sites to prevent the bird from returning, but nets are not a humane option since birds and other wildlife can get tangled in them. 

Spikes are a humane alternative that deter nesting without harming the birds. In small areas, like vents, a very fine mesh net can be installed to prevent the bird from returning. These nets don't generally pose a risk to the birds.