Anny Buckinhum <buckin at pnn.com> wrote

>I'm a beginner at birding, amazed by the discussion of clines and
>superspecies. What good eyesight you all must have.
>
>One small, practical question: Flickers like to peck at the rafters of my
>house. I really enjoy the sound and sight of the birds. S'cuse me for
>being so unknowledgeable, but...
>1. I fancy the flickers are eating the pesty box elder beetles who
>overwinter en masse on my house. (Are there any birds or bats I could
>attract somehow that would eat the box elder beetles?)
>2. Are the flickers likely to do serious damage?

They could do serious cosmetic damage if they work hard enough. If it's a
problem get some shiny mylar strips and attach them to your house where
they can flutter in the wind and near where the flickers work. That's the
most effective flicker deterrent I've heard of.

--Jerry <tangren at wsu.edu>