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Woodpeckers?

Woodpeckers?

Woodpeckers?

(OP)
Attached picture shows a 130 kV power line not far from us. Snow and heavy winds are said to have broken the poles, but I think the work had been started by woodpeckers. The net around the poles are supposed to keep them away. But probably not 100 percent effective.

Gunnar Englund
www.gke.org
--------------------------------------
100 % recycled posting: Electrons, ideas, finger-tips have been used over and over again...

RE: Woodpeckers?

I can't see the break in the pole in this photo. Its off to the right somewhere. How high above ground did the break occur?

One other thing for the utility to consider: woodpeckers are usually going after bugs burrowing in trees or poles. They can actually hear them crawling around in the wood. So if this is the case (which can be determined by an inspection of the pole), there's already an infestation and weakening. And the net won't stop the woodpeckers. They aren't burrowing in for a nest so they'll just dig for bugs between the net strands.

RE: Woodpeckers?

Not always. Wood peckers sometimes confuse the sound of loose hardware as insects.
They seem to pick a pole, and won't stop.

Solutions seem to be replacing the pole/s, wood pecker patch (a foam to fill the holes), and steel shanks to renforce the pole.

I've seen the use of rubber snakes to deter birds, not specificly wood peckers, but they don't work very well.

RE: Woodpeckers?

I have seen utilities cut a section out of the old pole and attach it to the new one, or even go so far as to set the old pole at the edge of the ROW, but neither effort worked!

Alan

RE: Woodpeckers?

They aren't red cockaded woodpeckers are they?

rmw

RE: Woodpeckers?

Steel poles work.

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