WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:03.919 You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from 2 00:00:04.040 --> 00:00:09.800 KFI AM six forty, CAFI. 3 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:14.320 AM six forty, live streaming in HD everywhere on the 4 00:00:14.439 --> 00:00:19.519 iHeartRadio app. Dean Sharp The House Whisperer Live with you 5 00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:23.679 every Saturday and Sunday morning. Saturday mornings from six to 6 00:00:23.719 --> 00:00:27.920 eight Pacific times, Sundays nine to noon Pacific times Sundays. 7 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:30.120 Our big show, Tomorrow's show. 8 00:00:30.160 --> 00:00:34.840 By the way, we're gonna be talking about springtime elements, 9 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:41.799 encouraging life and habitat in your backyard, birds, bees, flowers, trees, 10 00:00:41.960 --> 00:00:44.119 the whole gambit. I got a bunch of special guests 11 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:47.320 with me tomorrow. You're not gonna want to miss tomorrow's show. 12 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:50.200 Follow us on social media. We only do the good kind, 13 00:00:50.439 --> 00:00:55.159 you know, uplifting, informative, non irritating social media. We're on 14 00:00:55.240 --> 00:00:59.880 all the usual suspects Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, x at Home 15 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:02.640 with Dean, same handle for them all Home with Dean, 16 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:06.480 And of course, this very program is also what's known 17 00:01:06.519 --> 00:01:10.480 as The House Whisperer Podcast that you can listen to anytime, 18 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:16.239 anywhere on demand. Every time one of our broadcasts goes 19 00:01:16.280 --> 00:01:21.120 off the air, very shortly thereafter it becomes our podcast, 20 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:23.920 which means that if you've missed part of the show, 21 00:01:24.120 --> 00:01:27.840 you can always catch up. Hundreds of episodes now all 22 00:01:27.879 --> 00:01:32.680 searchable by topic, your home improvement reference library. And finally, 23 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:35.400 if your home is in need of maybe some more 24 00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:39.200 personal house Whisperer attention, like you know what I really need. 25 00:01:39.239 --> 00:01:41.480 I need Dean and Tina standing in our living room 26 00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:45.200 staring at the problem, not my partner, the problem, the 27 00:01:45.239 --> 00:01:49.640 other problem, the house. We can do that too. You 28 00:01:49.640 --> 00:01:52.599 can book an in home design consult with us. You 29 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:57.560 just go to house Whisperer dot Design, house whisper dot Design. 30 00:01:57.599 --> 00:02:00.879 All right, it is an all call Saturday morning, as 31 00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:03.200 we do, and I want to go back to the phones. 32 00:02:03.319 --> 00:02:05.799 Let's talk to Patrick. Hey, Patrick, welcome home. 33 00:02:07.640 --> 00:02:10.879 Oh good morning. I have a question about my fifty 34 00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:14.360 seven year old house. I'm living at a fifty seven 35 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:18.960 year old house with your original circuit breaker panel electrical 36 00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:24.879 circu bicker panel, and I'm wondering if it's time to 37 00:02:24.919 --> 00:02:30.240 replace that electrical circer bicker panel. I don't know what 38 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:34.759 the life expectancy is on these panels. 39 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:37.240 Okay, let me ask you a couple of questions, Patrick, 40 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:39.000 And you know what we're right up against the break, 41 00:02:39.080 --> 00:02:40.800 So I'm going to ask you these questions and then 42 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:43.680 we're going to press pause and everyone will be just 43 00:02:44.120 --> 00:02:49.479 hanging with baited breath waiting for the answer. But are 44 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:52.719 you are you experiencing any difficulties with it? Or are 45 00:02:52.759 --> 00:02:56.000 you thinking about the fact that it isn't supplying enough 46 00:02:56.039 --> 00:02:58.439 power to your home? Or is it just a question 47 00:02:58.639 --> 00:03:02.439 about whether this panel is aging out? 48 00:03:04.039 --> 00:03:04.280 Well? 49 00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:07.759 Yes, is it aging out? And I did have one problem. 50 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:11.439 One of my circuit breakers failed to work on my 51 00:03:11.719 --> 00:03:16.599 clothed wier on the Twitter and twenty vote circuit to 52 00:03:16.680 --> 00:03:22.439 my closed WIER general electric circuit biker actually failed to trip. 53 00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:27.360 So I'm wondering if this is a problem. And they 54 00:03:27.400 --> 00:03:30.360 are called an electrician over and he said they no 55 00:03:30.439 --> 00:03:35.840 longer sell these circuit breakers for this general electric panel. 56 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:41.520 Okay, okay, exactly. It was one of my suspicions along 57 00:03:41.560 --> 00:03:45.080 the way. All right, So the question is a fifty 58 00:03:45.240 --> 00:03:49.599 seven year old circuit breaker main panel for a house, 59 00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:52.159 how long do they last? How long should you expect 60 00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:54.599 them to last? Do they just need to be changed 61 00:03:54.639 --> 00:03:55.800 out because of age? 62 00:03:56.879 --> 00:03:57.240 Why? 63 00:03:57.639 --> 00:04:01.199 When, and how would you change out an electrical panel 64 00:04:01.400 --> 00:04:06.080 for your home? Patrick, you hang tight and I'm going 65 00:04:06.120 --> 00:04:07.759 to pick you up right on the other side of 66 00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:11.719 the break and I will explain to everybody what the 67 00:04:11.800 --> 00:04:16.399 status of your electrical panel truly is and are there 68 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:19.279 reasons to change them out. We'll do that just gay 69 00:04:19.319 --> 00:04:24.279 if I Dean Sharp the house whisper at your service. 70 00:04:24.839 --> 00:04:27.600 Thanks for joining us on the program. It is always 71 00:04:27.639 --> 00:04:32.000 a pleasure to sit and spend time on a relaxing 72 00:04:32.120 --> 00:04:36.360 Saturday morning talking to you about that most precious place 73 00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:41.360 of your possession, your home. We're taking calls today, as 74 00:04:41.399 --> 00:04:43.839 we do on Saturday mornings. The number to reach me 75 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:47.480 eight three three two ask Dean A three to three 76 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:50.839 the numeral to ask Dean. The phone lines are open 77 00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:53.040 if you want to give me a call. I am 78 00:04:53.120 --> 00:04:56.519 talking to Patrick. Hey, Patrick, are you still there? 79 00:04:57.720 --> 00:04:57.839 Oh? 80 00:04:57.920 --> 00:04:59.959 Yes, okay. 81 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:04.560 Patrick's got a fifty seven year old house and he 82 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:08.839 wanted to know is it time to replace the circuit 83 00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:12.519 breaker panel, the main panel on the house and you 84 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:16.279 know when? How? What is the what's the deal with that? 85 00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:20.040 He's had a circuit breaker problem with a two twenty 86 00:05:20.439 --> 00:05:25.000 breaker that failed him, and the electrician told him that 87 00:05:25.639 --> 00:05:28.560 they don't make those breakers for that panel. Anymore. And 88 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:32.800 so here's the thing, Patrick, here's the story for everybody 89 00:05:32.839 --> 00:05:33.519 to understand. 90 00:05:34.360 --> 00:05:34.600 You know. 91 00:05:35.079 --> 00:05:38.879 Typically, well, I don't know, is that the right word. Typically, Oh, 92 00:05:38.920 --> 00:05:42.720 let's just put it this way. A circuit panel, a 93 00:05:42.839 --> 00:05:45.920 circuit breaker panel is a box. It's a metal box, 94 00:05:46.199 --> 00:05:49.560 and it's got the wires from your home running into it, 95 00:05:50.360 --> 00:05:53.040 connected to the breakers. The breakers are the thing. And 96 00:05:53.120 --> 00:05:59.800 so no, in one sense, a breaker panel doesn't age 97 00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:02.639 at okay, it doesn't have to age out. 98 00:06:02.839 --> 00:06:03.160 Okay. 99 00:06:03.240 --> 00:06:07.639 Now, how many houses are out there with eighty year 100 00:06:07.720 --> 00:06:11.720 old circuit breaker panels? Not many anymore? Not many. And 101 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:14.680 so if they don't age out, Dean, then what's the deal. Well, 102 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:18.240 they don't age out. Technically, wires sitting inside your house. 103 00:06:18.279 --> 00:06:21.800 There's still copper wires. They're just fine if they haven't 104 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:25.920 been damaged abused. You know, they're copper wires, and they 105 00:06:25.959 --> 00:06:29.120 are going to conduct electricity today just as well as 106 00:06:29.160 --> 00:06:30.720 they did eighty years ago. 107 00:06:30.920 --> 00:06:31.319 Okay. 108 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:35.480 And the housings that contain those wires, if they're in 109 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:39.399 good condition, they don't change either. But here there are 110 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:44.639 three reasons for replacing an old electrical panel. One, you 111 00:06:44.759 --> 00:06:48.800 need to upgrade your electrical service. For one reason or another, 112 00:06:49.319 --> 00:06:53.000 and typically speaking, even though we are now in some 113 00:06:53.160 --> 00:06:56.959 ways using less electricity in a lot of components of 114 00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:00.800 our homes, like lights. Led lights use so much less 115 00:07:01.240 --> 00:07:05.480 electricity than the old incandescence. Yet we're on a trend 116 00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:10.079 toward electrifying homes, meaning we've got electric cars now that 117 00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:13.680 need charging, we've got solar up on the roof, we've 118 00:07:13.720 --> 00:07:19.120 got electric appliances more than ever before. So what used 119 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:22.079 to be back in what would this be? Sixty seven 120 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:28.319 sixty eight used to be a typical tracked home, modest 121 00:07:28.360 --> 00:07:31.560 sized American home would have a one hundred amp service 122 00:07:31.639 --> 00:07:35.120 running to it one hundred amp panel. Nowadays, homes that 123 00:07:35.160 --> 00:07:38.720 are built brand new these days, same kind of a home, 124 00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:42.199 we've got a two hundred amp panel. Most homes these 125 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:45.480 days start with a two hundred amp panel. That is 126 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:48.759 now the typical thing. So one reason for replacing an 127 00:07:49.319 --> 00:07:53.000 electrical panel you need to upgrade your service size and 128 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:55.600 move to like a two hundred amp panel. The second 129 00:07:55.639 --> 00:07:59.879 reason is simply that the box itself, the breaker box, 130 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:02.240 which is there's nothing magical about it's just a box, 131 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:07.000 is rusting out or corroding and no longer a safe 132 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:11.519 place to protect the circuitry that's inside. And the third 133 00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:14.839 reason is, and it sounds like this is your case, Patrick, 134 00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:21.680 that replacement breakers aren't available anymore now. Fortunately, in the 135 00:08:21.720 --> 00:08:26.879 electrical panel world, breakers last a long time, and there 136 00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:30.560 isn't like changeover, like you know, man, I just installed 137 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:33.840 this panel three years ago, and now change the breakers. 138 00:08:33.879 --> 00:08:35.919 They're not available anymore. That's not the way it works. 139 00:08:35.960 --> 00:08:41.919 It moves very very slowly. But breaker technology does age out, 140 00:08:42.120 --> 00:08:47.320 and panel manufacturers do change the shape and the connection 141 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:51.240 points of their breakers, and so, yeah, older panels, once 142 00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:53.799 you get past fifty years or so, there's a good 143 00:08:53.879 --> 00:08:57.679 chance that that company, even though the company's still around 144 00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:02.360 making breakers, may not be manufacturing those breakers anymore. And 145 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:04.360 you got to give them, you know, you got to 146 00:09:04.360 --> 00:09:06.679 give them some slack for that, because at this point 147 00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:10.159 they're like, you know, how how much of their manufacturing 148 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:14.240 process do they need to commit to panels that are 149 00:09:14.279 --> 00:09:18.120 fifty plus years old. They're not the main thing that 150 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:24.240 they're selling anymore. So, and very specific panels are made 151 00:09:24.279 --> 00:09:28.159 by specific manufacturers and they're not interchangeable either, Like square 152 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:32.240 D panels don't fit eating breakers, and eating breaker panels 153 00:09:32.279 --> 00:09:37.000 don't fit Siemens breakers and Semens breakers don't fit GE breakers, 154 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:41.600 and sixty year old g General Electric panels have different 155 00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:45.519 breakers than ten year old General Electric panels. So there 156 00:09:45.559 --> 00:09:48.799 are three reasons you need to upgrade your service, or 157 00:09:49.080 --> 00:09:52.360 the box itself is rusting out or corroding, or you 158 00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:56.720 got to replace breakers and they're not available anymore. Those 159 00:09:56.799 --> 00:10:00.720 are the reasons Patrick to think about replace an old 160 00:10:00.759 --> 00:10:05.200 electrical panel. And if those don't apply to you, then 161 00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:08.440 then there's nothing wrong with your panel. It's gonna just 162 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:11.919 do what it's gonna do until you need it to 163 00:10:11.960 --> 00:10:15.919 do something different. Does that make sense, my friend? I 164 00:10:15.960 --> 00:10:19.679 appreciate the call, and good luck on your panel. If 165 00:10:19.720 --> 00:10:21.759 you've got a question about like, okay, what do you 166 00:10:21.799 --> 00:10:26.080 do now, then just talk to your electrician, call electrician out, 167 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:29.120 get a couple of bids. Replacing a panel really isn't 168 00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:32.120 that big of a deal. It does involve calling the 169 00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:34.960 electric company. They're going to have to reset the meter 170 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:39.080 on the panel and approve the new panel installation, but 171 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:41.960 you know it's not it's not a major deal. And 172 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:44.879 quite often you can put a surface mount panel if 173 00:10:44.919 --> 00:10:48.440 your panel is embedded into your house, like so back 174 00:10:48.600 --> 00:10:53.759 sixty plus years ago were you can without having to 175 00:10:53.799 --> 00:10:55.679 tear up the stucc, or you can often use that 176 00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:58.559 old panel box as what we call a junction box 177 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:02.600 and mount a surface mount panel right over the top 178 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:08.080 of it on the wall for a relatively low installation costs. 179 00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:10.919 So look at all of those options with your electrician 180 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:13.240 and figure out, you know, what the next move is, 181 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:16.080 and get more than you know two bids on it, 182 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:19.320 so that you're really getting the inside scoop from three 183 00:11:19.399 --> 00:11:23.399 different qualified electricians as to what your options are. Patrick, 184 00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:26.679 good luck with that panel all right, when we come back, 185 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:28.960 more of your calls. Your Home with Dean Sharp, the 186 00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:29.720 House Whisper. 187 00:11:30.759 --> 00:11:34.080 You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from 188 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:36.000 KFI AM six forty. 189 00:11:37.799 --> 00:11:43.000 KFI AM six forty live streaming in HD everywhere on 190 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:47.000 the iHeartRadio app. You are Home with Dean Sharp, the 191 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:51.399 House Whisper. Good Saturday morning to you. It's just a 192 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:54.159 little bit after seven point thirty here on the West 193 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:59.200 Coast in southern California. I hope wherever you find yourself today, 194 00:11:59.559 --> 00:12:04.879 that's time is treating you well. Whether it's cold, misty, rainy, 195 00:12:04.960 --> 00:12:07.720 it's a little bit that way. Right here. We've been 196 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:12.559 having a truly authentic spring. I gotta tell you, it's 197 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:17.799 normally spring just kind of pops into place here in 198 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:22.960 southern California as a slightly cooler summer version of summer. Right, 199 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:26.000 it just all of a sudden, everything stops, The rain 200 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:29.960 stops it. You know, the skies are clear, temperatures warm 201 00:12:30.039 --> 00:12:33.720 up into the high seventies, and it's just you know, 202 00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:39.519 it's spring, but it's just not quite hot summer this 203 00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:42.000 this year for whatever reason. And I haven't talked to 204 00:12:42.039 --> 00:12:46.320 any meteorologists about this, and I should, but for this year, 205 00:12:46.759 --> 00:12:55.440 here we are in May and it's spring like sunshine 206 00:12:56.080 --> 00:12:59.960 for three hours, then clouds roll in, a little rain, 207 00:13:00.440 --> 00:13:03.159 then the clouds roll out, then it's warm again, then 208 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:05.559 it's cold again, then it's misty. That I mean, this 209 00:13:05.679 --> 00:13:09.320 is legitimate spring. This is like the spring that most 210 00:13:09.399 --> 00:13:13.919 people everywhere else know as spring. And I gotta say, 211 00:13:14.039 --> 00:13:18.240 I'm I'm actually really enjoying it. The longer moisture and 212 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:21.519 cool stays around in Southern California, the better for us. 213 00:13:21.559 --> 00:13:25.039 The hills are still green and verdant and uh and 214 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:31.159 so good, good good, let's uh, let's encourage it to last, 215 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:34.120 all right, we are here on the program doing an 216 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:37.600 all calls Saturday morning talking about your home, and you 217 00:13:37.639 --> 00:13:39.960 get to set the agenda. The number to reach me 218 00:13:40.120 --> 00:13:43.720 eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three three the 219 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:48.799 numeral two. Ask Dean A three three two ask Dean. 220 00:13:49.240 --> 00:13:51.039 We're going back to the phones. I want to talk 221 00:13:51.039 --> 00:13:53.279 to Victor. Hey, Victor, welcome home. 222 00:13:56.960 --> 00:13:59.519 Hi Dean, good morning. I'm Victor from the Bay are Yeah, 223 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:01.399 thank you for taking my call. 224 00:14:02.440 --> 00:14:04.480 You are very welcome, sir. You say you're from the 225 00:14:04.519 --> 00:14:10.000 Bay area, yes, oh, thanks for listening. How can I 226 00:14:10.039 --> 00:14:10.320 help you? 227 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:15.919 Yeah, So, I'll live in a house surrounded by trees, 228 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:20.080 and one of the problems I've been having is the 229 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:27.120 woodpecker damage around the entire perimeter of my house on 230 00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:31.440 the wood case things on near the roof. And I 231 00:14:31.480 --> 00:14:33.480 was listening to your show a couple of days ago, 232 00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:36.519 and I clearly remember I choose to live in nature. 233 00:14:36.679 --> 00:14:39.039 You have to be with nature, and so I was 234 00:14:39.080 --> 00:14:43.360 just wondering if there is a good way to just 235 00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:48.360 have them around but not damage their house. And all 236 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:51.799 the key things are all having huge holes gaps in 237 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:55.159 them now, and they constantly pounded them all day long. 238 00:14:57.759 --> 00:14:59.159 Sorry, sorry, my friend. 239 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:04.279 Oh, yeah, okay, So, uh okay, I don't have a 240 00:15:04.440 --> 00:15:06.960 silver bullet answer for you here on this one, but 241 00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:10.279 I can. I'll give you my perspective and my input 242 00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:13.480 from what I know. Uh you know, and by the way, 243 00:15:14.200 --> 00:15:17.559 you know, I'm sorry that you're experiencing that damage. Other 244 00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:21.399 there there are tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of 245 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:24.960 other people who would love to live surrounded by trees 246 00:15:25.159 --> 00:15:28.519 and have the problem of having too many woodpeckers around 247 00:15:28.519 --> 00:15:31.440 in that because they're gorgeous birds and they're wonderful to 248 00:15:31.480 --> 00:15:34.600 have around, but not when they decide that your house 249 00:15:34.960 --> 00:15:38.360 is the target of their pecking. And I totally get it. 250 00:15:38.679 --> 00:15:42.919 We've experienced that ourselves from time to time. Woodpeckers can 251 00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:46.919 become a nuisance when it comes to that. And so okay, 252 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:50.759 so here's the thing. Let's let's uh, let's you know what. 253 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:54.360 Here's the thing, Victor. I'm gonna we're up against a break. 254 00:15:55.440 --> 00:15:58.159 I'm gonna we're gonna go to break just a few 255 00:15:58.279 --> 00:16:01.240 seconds early, and if you can hang tight through the 256 00:16:01.240 --> 00:16:04.399 break on the other side. I will take the time 257 00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:07.120 to answer this as thoroughly as possible, because it's a 258 00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:12.200 multifaceted answer there's probably one point of suggestion that I 259 00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:16.600 think that you'll probably embrace, But I just I just 260 00:16:16.639 --> 00:16:19.080 want to give it a full orbed answer, because it's 261 00:16:19.159 --> 00:16:22.159 not as simple as you know, put out some shiny 262 00:16:22.200 --> 00:16:24.960 foil tape and there go away, or set up a 263 00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:28.919 fake owl in your yard. That's just typically what people 264 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:32.000 do to get rid of nuisance birds, and almost always 265 00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:34.759 it doesn't work. So I want to give you some 266 00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:39.360 advice that actually may produce the results you want without 267 00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:42.879 you know, devastating the woodpecker population in your neighborhood too. 268 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:46.240 So Victor, you hang tight, and we'll talk about what 269 00:16:46.440 --> 00:16:51.080 happens when you invite nature into your yard and you 270 00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:55.240 suddenly find that it's it's on the attack your home 271 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:59.639 with Dean Sharp the house Whisper can't fin Dean Sharp, 272 00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:03.000 the house Whisper. Welcome home. Thanks for joining us on 273 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:08.880 this lovely Saturday morning here in springtime. It is May third, 274 00:17:09.799 --> 00:17:12.640 and like I said earlier in the show, we're having 275 00:17:12.680 --> 00:17:15.960 a full blown spring here in southern California. I kind 276 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:18.000 of like it. I gotta say. I like the sun 277 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:20.559 and then the rain, and then the clouds and then 278 00:17:20.599 --> 00:17:23.680 the sun again. It's just keeps you on your toes. 279 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:27.119 Probably not the best day to wash the car, but 280 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:30.400 still keep you on your toes. Anyway, we're having an 281 00:17:30.440 --> 00:17:32.799 all call Saturday morning, as we so often do. 282 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:36.400 I'm talking to Victor. Victor, are you still with me? 283 00:17:38.440 --> 00:17:39.599 Yeah, I'm here, Lean. 284 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:43.279 Okay, Hey, Victor, thanks for hanging tight through the break. 285 00:17:43.559 --> 00:17:47.319 I just wanted to answer Victor's question more fully before 286 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:50.799 we are done today. Victor is living up in the 287 00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:55.000 Bay Area. He's got a home surrounded by trees. And 288 00:17:55.440 --> 00:18:01.240 Victor has a woodpecker problem. A beautiful, beautiful, gorgeous birds. 289 00:18:01.319 --> 00:18:04.359 I lure them into my yard whenever I can here 290 00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:08.240 and they're one of the birds that we see pretty frequently. 291 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:12.119 But yeah, they can be a problem if they start 292 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:15.440 looking at your home and saying, okay, all right, all right, 293 00:18:15.720 --> 00:18:18.599 I got plans. I got plans to remodel your home. 294 00:18:19.160 --> 00:18:21.079 And so the next thing, you know, we've got to 295 00:18:21.240 --> 00:18:24.880 holes in the siding, or holes in the eve boards 296 00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:27.759 or the blocks or the facier board or the casing 297 00:18:27.799 --> 00:18:31.079 trims around the house. And that's not a good thing. 298 00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:35.279 And so woodpeckers, what do we do when they're in 299 00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:41.119 the yard and now they're becoming a nuisance. Well, I 300 00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:44.839 have it on good authority, very very good authority and 301 00:18:45.319 --> 00:18:51.759 a lot of experience that deterrents are really not very 302 00:18:51.799 --> 00:18:55.759 effective when it comes to woodpeckers. Temporarily effective. You can 303 00:18:55.799 --> 00:18:57.960 put up the plastic owl, or you can put up 304 00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:01.559 the shiny metal and you know, the ribbons. But at 305 00:19:01.559 --> 00:19:03.359 the end of the day, who wants that. Who wants 306 00:19:03.400 --> 00:19:07.200 their house to be covered in you know, metal ribbons 307 00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:10.200 that reflect I mean, it's not something we want to 308 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:12.279 look at, even if it does keep the birds away. 309 00:19:13.359 --> 00:19:18.680 There are maybe three or four reasons why woodpeckers are 310 00:19:18.759 --> 00:19:23.480 pecking on our house. One is kind of sort of unavoidable, 311 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:26.680 and that is that this time of year, especially Victor, 312 00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:31.920 woodpeckers will simply be knocking on wood. And if you've 313 00:19:31.960 --> 00:19:34.559 got sighting on your house or wood casings, they may 314 00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:37.480 be knocking on wood just to make the noise, just 315 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:40.960 to attract mates. Okay, that is one of their behaviors. 316 00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:48.079 So they're they're drumming to basically say hey over here, ladies. Yeah, 317 00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:51.400 that's the thing. Same with crickets this time of year. 318 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:55.359 You know, female crickets make no sound whatsoever, but male 319 00:19:55.400 --> 00:19:58.039 crickets are out there rubbing their legs together, you know, 320 00:19:58.279 --> 00:20:02.160 saying I'm over here. And so that's just one of 321 00:20:02.200 --> 00:20:05.720 the things that happens in nature in springtime. The second 322 00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:10.039 thing though, that it could be an indication of something 323 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:12.480 that you would want to look into, especially when it 324 00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:15.279 comes to woodsiding and wood eves and things like that, 325 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:18.599 is that woodpeckers may be on our house actually looking 326 00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:23.960 for insects. They're looking for the larvae of carpenter bees 327 00:20:24.200 --> 00:20:28.559 and leafcutter bees. They're looking for termites, they're looking for 328 00:20:28.680 --> 00:20:32.880 wood boares or ants or grubs, caterpillars, and they may 329 00:20:32.920 --> 00:20:36.799 find them in the recesses of our eves. And so 330 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:40.319 one thing that you may want to consider if you've 331 00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:43.559 got woodpeckers attacking a certain area of your house is 332 00:20:43.559 --> 00:20:45.720 you may want to have a pest control company come 333 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:49.279 out and take a look at those zones and say, hey, 334 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:52.519 have I got bugs there more. 335 00:20:52.279 --> 00:20:52.960 Than I should? 336 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:56.640 And one of the things that can actually reduce the 337 00:20:56.680 --> 00:20:59.119 amount of activity that a woodpecker is on the house 338 00:20:59.240 --> 00:21:03.880 is simply treating the house not for woodpeckers, not spraying 339 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:08.799 for woodpeckers, but spraying eves, casing areas things like that 340 00:21:10.279 --> 00:21:14.119 to eliminate the insects that may be living in certain 341 00:21:14.200 --> 00:21:17.039 areas of the wood Victori, I'm going to pop you 342 00:21:17.079 --> 00:21:18.559 on a hold here because I'm getting a kind of 343 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:23.400 a weird feedback here. So looking for insects and treating 344 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:26.279 the house for insects, and so the woodpeckers may be 345 00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:29.160 an indication. They may be actually telling you, hey, you 346 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:33.240 have an abundance of insect larvae in certain areas of 347 00:21:33.240 --> 00:21:35.359 your house, and it's not an uncommon thing at all, 348 00:21:35.640 --> 00:21:38.240 and you could treat for those and reduce the amount 349 00:21:38.279 --> 00:21:41.440 of woodpeckers that you find on your house. The third 350 00:21:41.480 --> 00:21:44.359 thing that they do is they store food. Right, Western 351 00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:49.400 woodpeckers make holes to store acorns in. If that starts 352 00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:51.400 to happen, you've got to cover that up. You got 353 00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:53.759 to pull the acorn out and cover the hole maybe 354 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:56.599 with a tiny piece of sheet metal, just temporarily, just 355 00:21:56.640 --> 00:22:00.160 to discourage that activity. And the same with nesting. You're 356 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:04.279 getting a big hole drilled in your house. They're looking 357 00:22:04.359 --> 00:22:06.759 to set up a nest, and so you got to 358 00:22:06.799 --> 00:22:09.599 get to have some tiny pieces of sheet metal on 359 00:22:09.720 --> 00:22:12.160 hand that you can get there, make sure there's no 360 00:22:12.279 --> 00:22:14.440 bird in the hole, and then cover the hole with 361 00:22:14.519 --> 00:22:17.680 the sheet metal they won't go through sheet metal, and 362 00:22:17.799 --> 00:22:20.400 just discourage them from that. But here's the thing, all right, 363 00:22:20.440 --> 00:22:24.440 those are the reasons this is the most effective way 364 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:27.480 that I have ever found to get woodpeckers off of 365 00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:30.319 your house, and that is not to go to war 366 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:35.240 with them, but to acquiesce and give them what they want. So, 367 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:41.359 like all animals, woodpeckers, they work hard for a living, 368 00:22:41.720 --> 00:22:45.759 and they are always happy to attracted to not having 369 00:22:45.799 --> 00:22:49.279 to work as hard if they don't have to. So 370 00:22:50.359 --> 00:22:53.799 consider having a pest control company deal with the sighting 371 00:22:53.920 --> 00:23:00.599 for insects, but give them a better, easier choice. I would, literally, 372 00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:04.240 if I were you, invest in a couple of woodpecker houses. 373 00:23:04.519 --> 00:23:07.599 You know, their thirty forty dollars houses, A good quality 374 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:12.039 woodpecker house, like a bird house, but specifically designed for woodpeckers. 375 00:23:12.039 --> 00:23:15.880 They're out there. They're usually cedar. They love the aroma. 376 00:23:16.119 --> 00:23:19.839 They're usually have a perfect sized hole for the woodpecker 377 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:24.200 and perfect conditions inside. And because of that, they're like, hey, 378 00:23:24.920 --> 00:23:28.640 this is great. I don't have to build my own house. 379 00:23:28.839 --> 00:23:31.640 This is a pre made tracked house ready for me 380 00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:35.640 to move into. And therefore, and you put those woodpecker 381 00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:38.039 houses as far away from your home, like on the 382 00:23:38.079 --> 00:23:41.200 back fence, just as far away from the house as possible, 383 00:23:41.720 --> 00:23:44.359 so that the woodpeckers are there, they find it and 384 00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:46.559 they decide to move in there instead of your house. 385 00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:49.559 And then the other thing is too. I know this 386 00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:55.759 seems counterintuitive, but to feed them woodpeckers love sue suet 387 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:58.799 is a is one of the They're just absolute and 388 00:23:58.839 --> 00:24:02.880 it's like crack cane to them. So to set up 389 00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:08.759 next to the woodpecker house and keep hold a woodpecker feeder, 390 00:24:08.880 --> 00:24:13.599 especially during the spring, you're simply giving them a better alternative. 391 00:24:13.640 --> 00:24:19.240 It's easier than hunting for insects, it's easier than foraging 392 00:24:19.319 --> 00:24:22.480 for their own stuff. You're not going to make them dependent, 393 00:24:22.599 --> 00:24:25.200 but you're simply and when it comes to your property, 394 00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:28.920 in your house, you are giving them an easier, better, 395 00:24:29.319 --> 00:24:32.799 more efficient means of getting what they want than having 396 00:24:32.839 --> 00:24:36.359 to sit on your house and drill into your wood. 397 00:24:36.920 --> 00:24:40.839 And usually it's not a silver bullet like I said, 398 00:24:41.079 --> 00:24:43.160 but I would say maybe eight out of ten times 399 00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:46.279 that we've made those recommendations that the people have followed through, 400 00:24:46.559 --> 00:24:49.680 they have found that they now peacefully coexist with the 401 00:24:49.720 --> 00:24:54.359