Bark House –Poplar Bark Shingle Siding And Woodpecker Deterrence

Woodpeckers pierce building materials for two primary reasons: foraging for insects or establishing nesting territory. Because Bark House® shingles are kiln-sterilized, they contain no insect food source. However, like any natural wood or bark product, a hollow-sounding wall can occasionally attract a curious bird testing for a nesting site. While they will eventually move on, you can speed up the process with these three proven deterrents:

Remove Food Attractants: Keep bird feeders—especially suet feeders—away from the immediate perimeter of your home.
Install Visual Scares: Hang shiny, reflective objects like metallic tape or old CDs from the eaves to create movement that scares birds away.
Deploy Decoys: Mount a realistic owl or hawk decoy near the active area to simulate a natural predator.
Bark House –Poplar Bark Shingle Siding and Insect Resistance

Bark House® Poplar Bark Shingle Siding achieves its industry-leading insect resistance through a powerful combination of rigorous thermal processing and natural biochemistry.

Heat Sterilization

Bark House utilizes an advanced kiln-drying process:

Complete Eradication: Shingles undergo strict engineered heat sterilization at temperatures that eliminate pests, larvae, and eggs.
Eco-Friendly Treatment: Thermal processing is the safest, most environmentally friendly way to treat raw bark. It avoids harsh synthetic pesticides or toxic chemical soil drenches.
Biosecurity Compliant: Our specialized kilns fully meet USDA phytosanitary guidelines. This rigorous compliance prevents the ecological and economic damage associated with transporting wood-boring pests across regional, state, or international borders.
By intercepting the insect lifecycle at the source, Bark House shingles remain clean, structurally sound, and entirely unappealing to foraging pests.

 

Natural Chemical Defenses

Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) bark possesses inherent biological defenses that naturally repel boring insects and pests:

Zero Nutritional Value: The bark contains no nutrients or proteins that attract insects, giving them no reason to feed on or bore into the material.
Liriodenine (Oxoaporphine Alkaloid) and Tulipinolide & Lipiferolide (Sesquiterpene Lactones): Liriodenine is a potent, bioactive alkaloid concentrated in the heartwood and bark of the tree.  It acts as a natural insecticide and feeding deterrent.  Tulipinolide and lipiferolide are highly potent antifeedants (feeding deterrents).
Human-Safe: While these compounds are highly effective at warding off pests, they are safe for humans. Bark House wall finishes pass the rigorous California Classroom VOC Emission Standard and earned a Cradle to Cradle Platinum Material Health Certification V-3.1.

Sources:

ScienceDirect

PubMed