pecking at my shed

[bluejay]

I have a renegade bunch of blue jays vandalizing my shed. they land on the frame work and peck away at the wood. the wood is simple press board with white paint on it, and although I have lived here for 5 years, they have never done this before.
I have a feeder that I have always kept full on the other side of my yard, but this bothers me since
1) I don't know if it is harmful to them, and
2) I now need to replace doors and trim on the shed.
any suggestions???

[AndyB]

Hi bluejay and thanks for your post. I think it's possible the birds are after insects that in the framework of your wood. If the wood is older and rotting, they could be seeking out woodlice etc in the wood. So, I doubt it is harfmul to them (unless they are ingesting the painted wood). In terms of stopping them, I'm not sure other than covering the shed with a tarp...I would guess that as it warms up, they will find other sources of insect food. This is a guess but it could pay to watch them closely to see if they are actually getting anything out of the wood. They might be ridding you of an insect problem! :)

[bluejay]

I contacted the NH fish and game dept. they put me in touch with a biologist that sent me a "Mylar Bird Kit". a bunch of strips of mylar material that I attach to the shed. when they stir and wave in the breeze, the birds stay away.

thanks