And where were you – Mr. and Mrs. Flicker – when all this was happening?
Northern Flickers are in the Woodpecker Family, and I count us as quite fortunate to have a pair of them living in our yard. And sometimes there are four! It always surprises me how big these birds actually are. As I explain in the free download available on this website (click here: American Robin download), I always compare songbirds to robins. The robin is an excellent reference point for a mid-sized songbird. The flicker is at least an inch longer and generally at least 2 ounces heavier. In Songbird World, this is a big difference. The flicker will be noticeably larger than the robin – longer and more muscular.
Most references state that flickers eat mainly insects – especially in spring, summer, and fall. And I find this to be true from my own observations. They supplement their diet in winter with fruit and seeds, but when the weather warms up and insects are once again up and about, the flicker eats a diet almost 100% insect. And the main ones are ants and beetles. It is common to see a flicker on the ground with its beak down an anthill and you can bet it is just lapping them up with that long tongue it has. Black ants seem to be its preference. Click here to see a male flicker at the base of one of our oak trees – beak right in there eating. I took this short video just last week: Northern Flicker – YumYum! This is very un-woodpeckerlike behavior. Most woodpeckers spend little to no time on the ground – they are all up in trees clinging to trunks and branches and hammering away to get their insects. You can see this tree is quite close to the deck because you can see one of the posts – and yes those are squirrel teeth marks on the top. You just have to love nature!
And what are these photos?
These are photos of two of the four large visible nests of black ants found behind the shower in our bathroom – there ended up being more that were not visible. And how were they found? By the unfortunate shower installer when he cut out the old shower. He came running down the steps into the kitchen: “Mr. and Mrs. Spence I have terrible news! When I cut out the old shower there were thousands and thousands of ants living in your walls. I sprayed but please come see. My recommendation is to call an exterminator!” I sat there at the kitchen table – totally stunned – and actually thankful we did not hear the word “termite”. Cleon went right up to look – and passed several ants already coming down the stairs.
The installer sprayed a second time and then Cleon got out our can of Raid which we only use when we absolutely have to – and this was one of those times. I sat there at the kitchen table so very sorry for the annihilation that was going on upstairs, but this is one of those choices we all have to make. Cleon and I are in total agreement on this. These ants can live anywhere outside on our 1 acre. We manage our yard as a wildlife refuge and out there, they have to watch out for Northern Flickers but from us, they are safe. But – and this is a big BUT – they cannot live in the walls of our house. We were lucky there was no damage, so no repairs needed to the structure of our house.
We did call the exterminator – who comes once a year to spray our foundation for termites which are a problem here. He is under strict instructions from me to only spray the foundation – NO PLANTS. He did tell me almost everyone else has him spray all the plants at their foundations for spiders. But spiders are an intricate part of a balanced garden and yard. Even if they come into the house, I catch them with a cup and return them outside. The exterminator gave the whole area behind the shower a good going over and did spray, but said there were really only a few stragglers left who did not look very good. Again, I was heartbroken this had to be done. And he did say – and we agreed – the shower installer underestimated how many there actually were. The installer said thousands and thousands. There were actually thousands and thousands and then more thousands. The exterminator said he had never seen such a large infestation – especially in a house only 20 years old. Our guess is they probably had set up their house before our house was finished.
So back to the flickers. We have a resident pair living in our yard who do nest here and raise a family. And we often have 4 adults. Black ants are their favorite food. So where in the world were they when all this was starting to happen? Instead of examining our house as it was going up and taking care of the ants, they probably had their beaks down ant hills somewhere in the back yard. But I truly believe if they are going to live here and benefit from their safe environment – and use the birdbath from time to time plus take a bite or two of suet – then they need to hold up their end of the bargain and take care of what they love most. Keep those black ants out of our house!