They're really making a mess of the side of our house and aside from
shooting them with BB guns or something I don't know what to do. Any help at
all would be greatly appreciated.

I have a cedar house and the woodpeckers are after carpenter bee larvae - hate
those things for the damage they do and the woodpeckers they draw. I have had
two woodpecker nests in my house, too.

A 12 guage with #6 shot works well for me. Tried the plastic owl, the birds
lit on it as a roost, I think. And my four cats love birds, but can't climb the
walls to get to the woodpeckers. They do get a lot of song birds, squirrels,
lizards and chimpmonks tho.

Also have trouble with possums here. I have caught three this past week trying
to get the catfood. A .22 in the head and then I can dump them out of the trap
with no problem. They make good fodder for my maggot box.
Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com