Woodpecker Damage on Stucco and EIFS: Causes, Repair, and Prevention

You hear a steady tapping on the side of the house. A few days later you find a neat, round hole in the stucco near the roofline. If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. Every spring and fall, homeowners across Lake Zurich, Barrington, and the North Shore call us about woodpecker damage on stucco and EIFS walls. The holes look small, but they open a direct path for water, insects, and other birds. This guide explains why woodpeckers target stucco homes, what the damage means for your wall, what you can legally do to discourage the birds, and how a proper repair keeps the problem from coming back.

Why Woodpeckers Peck at Stucco and EIFS Homes

Most people assume a woodpecker is hunting for bugs inside the wall. University extension experts say that is rarely the main reason. Woodpeckers usually peck at houses for three reasons:

• Drumming. In spring, males drum on loud, resonant surfaces to claim territory and attract a mate. A hollow-sounding wall works like a drum.
• Nesting. Some woodpeckers excavate a round cavity to nest or roost in. This is where the larger, perfectly round holes come from.
• Feeding. Occasionally a bird is after insects, but this is the least common reason on stucco homes.

Seven species of woodpeckers live in Illinois, and several of them, including the northern flicker and the downy woodpecker, are common in suburban neighborhoods with mature trees.

Why EIFS (Synthetic Stucco) Gets Hit the Hardest

EIFS, often called synthetic stucco, has a layer of foam insulation board behind a thin reinforced finish. When a woodpecker taps on it, the wall sounds hollow, much like a dead tree trunk. Once the bird breaks through the finish, the soft foam is easy to dig into. That is why EIFS walls often end up with clean, round holes, sometimes several in a row, usually high on gable ends, under eaves, and near corners.

Traditional three-coat cement stucco is much harder and does not sound hollow, so it is attacked far less often. It is not immune, though. Birds sometimes peck at trim, soft patches, or areas where the stucco has already cracked or delaminated.

What Woodpecker Holes Mean for Your Wall

A single hole may look like a cosmetic problem. In practice, every opening in a stucco or EIFS wall is a place where water can get in. In northern Illinois, that matters a lot:

• Water intrusion. Rain and melting snow run into the hole and soak the foam, the base coat, or the sheathing behind it.
• Freeze-thaw damage. Water trapped in the opening freezes and expands through the winter, widening the damage.
• New tenants. Even holes too small for a woodpecker to nest in can be taken over by starlings, house sparrows, or insects.
• Repeat visits. An open hole tells other birds this spot is worth working on. Damage tends to spread if it is left alone.

That is why extension specialists recommend repairing holes of all sizes promptly, not just the big ones. If you see stains, soft spots, or bubbling finish around a hole, water may already be inside the wall. Our guide to stucco water damage explains the warning signs.

Woodpeckers Are Protected: What the Law Allows

Before you do anything, it helps to know the rules. Woodpeckers are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and under the Illinois Wildlife Code. In plain terms, that means:

• You may not kill, trap, or harm a woodpecker without a permit.
• Once a nest has eggs or young, you may not remove it or scare the adults away from it.
• Permits for lethal control are issued only as a last resort, after non-lethal methods have been tried and failed.

The good news is that non-lethal deterrents and solid repairs solve the problem for most homes. The University of Illinois Extension is a good local resource if you want to learn more about the birds themselves.

How to Discourage Woodpeckers From Your Stucco

No single method works every time, so wildlife experts recommend combining several and starting as soon as you hear drumming. Options that are legal and humane include:

• Reflective and moving deterrents. Reflective tape, foil strips, shiny Mylar balloons, pinwheels, and windsocks hung near the damaged area. Streamers that move in the wind have shown the most consistent results.
• Netting. Lightweight bird netting stretched taut and set at least 3 inches away from the wall, so birds cannot reach the surface through it.
• Predator decoys and sound. Owl or hawk models and recorded distress calls can help for a while, but birds often get used to them, so move or change them regularly.
• Quick repairs. Closing holes fast removes the “hollow spot” that keeps attracting the bird.

Avoid sticky gels and tactile repellents. Federal wildlife officials advise against them because they can damage feathers and harm birds. And never seal a hole until you are sure no birds are nesting inside.

How We Repair Woodpecker Damage on Stucco and EIFS

A tube of caulk or a dab of putty might close the hole for a season, but it will not match your finish and it will not stop water that is already inside. Our repair process looks like this:

1. Inspect. We check every hole, the area around it, and nearby walls. We look for soaked foam, soft sheathing, and signs of nesting.
2. Cut back to sound material. Damaged foam, base coat, or stucco is removed in a clean, square patch.
3. Rebuild the layers. On EIFS, we replace the foam, then apply base coat with reinforcing mesh lapped onto the existing system. On cement stucco, we rebuild the scratch and brown coats.
4. Add impact resistance where needed. On walls that birds keep targeting, a heavier reinforcing mesh in the base coat can make the surface tougher to break through.
5. Match the finish. We match texture and color so the patch blends with the rest of the wall.
6. Seal and check. Joints around windows and trim near the repair are resealed, and drainage details are checked.

If many areas are affected or the finish is worn overall, a full recoat or an elastomeric coating can refresh the whole elevation after the holes are repaired. For larger EIFS problems, see our EIFS services page.

When to Call a Stucco Professional

Small, fresh holes caught early are a quick fix. Call a stucco contractor when:

• You find more than one or two holes, or holes high on the wall where you cannot safely reach.
• The finish around the hole is cracked, stained, soft, or bulging.
• The holes are on EIFS, where foam and mesh need to be rebuilt correctly to keep the system watertight.
• Birds keep coming back to the same wall after you have patched it yourself.

Fall is an ideal time to repair woodpecker damage, before freeze-thaw season starts and before birds begin drumming again in spring. Our stucco repair team can inspect the damage and give you a clear plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a woodpecker pecking my house?

Usually to drum for territory or to dig a nesting cavity, not to find food. Hollow-sounding walls, especially EIFS, attract drumming and nesting birds.

Do woodpeckers prefer EIFS over regular stucco?

Yes. EIFS sounds hollow and has soft foam behind a thin finish, so it is far easier for birds to break into than hard cement stucco.

Can I get rid of woodpeckers myself?

You can use legal, non-lethal deterrents like reflective tape, streamers, and netting set 3 inches from the wall. Killing or trapping woodpeckers, or disturbing an active nest, is illegal without a permit.

Can I just fill the holes with caulk?

Caulk can be a short-term emergency seal, but it will not match the finish or fix wet foam and sheathing behind the hole. A proper patch rebuilds each layer of the wall.

When is the best time to repair woodpecker holes?

As soon as you are sure no birds are nesting inside. Fall repairs are ideal in the Chicago area because they close the wall before winter weather and spring drumming season.

Does Illinois Stucco repair woodpecker damage?

Yes. We repair woodpecker and bird damage on both traditional stucco and EIFS throughout Lake Zurich, Barrington, Wilmette, Winnetka, Evanston, and nearby communities.

Get Your Woodpecker Damage Repaired

If birds have left holes in your stucco or EIFS, do not wait for winter to make the damage worse. Call Illinois Stucco at (847) 809-1019 for a free estimate, or contact us online. We are located at 136 W Harbour Drive, Lake Zurich, IL 60047, open Monday through Saturday, 8 AM to 4 PM.