Nick Castro, owner of Nick’s Extreme Pest Control, received a call about a peculiar problem—damage caused by a woodpecker drilling holes into a California home. What seemed like a routine repair job quickly turned extraordinary.
When Castro cut into the wall to investigate, he uncovered an astounding 700 pounds of acorns hidden inside the walls and attic. The acorns, collected and stored by the diligent bird, had spilled through gaps, filling the home’s empty wall cavities over time.
The massive haul stunned Castro, who described it as the most remarkable discovery of his 20-year career. Following the removal of the acorns, the homeowner repaired the siding, allowing the woodpecker to relocate without harm.
Nick Castro, the owner of Nick’s Extreme Pest Control in California, has tackled countless pest problems over his 20-year career. Yet, nothing could have prepared him for the jaw-dropping discovery he made on a recent job.
The call came from a homeowner dealing with damage caused by a local woodpecker. The bird had pecked numerous holes into the home’s siding, using them as storage spots for her stash of acorns. Unfortunately, the acorns weren’t staying in place—they were falling through gaps in the wall, creating an unusual problem.
When Castro cut into the wall to investigate, he expected to find some acorns. What he encountered, however, was extraordinary.
At first, a small trickle of acorns poured out of the hole. Then, the trickle turned into a torrent.
“It just kept going,” Castro told The Dodo. “We thought the acorns only went partway up the wall, but they filled the entire space, all the way to the attic.”
Castro opened additional sections of the wall, each revealing the same incredible sight. In total, an estimated 700 pounds of acorns spilled out, enough to fill eight large garbage bags.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Castro said, marveling at the bird’s industriousness.
Thankfully, the story had a humane ending. Nick’s Extreme Pest Control, which follows a strict no-euthanasia policy, left the woodpecker unharmed. The homeowner patched the holes, replacing the siding to prevent future hoarding, and the woodpecker was free to find a more suitable spot to stash her hard-earned collection.
Though her efforts had gone to waste, the bird’s resilience left an impression.