Birds are a nuisance in your home. They inhabit and build nests in canopies, pools, decks, rooftops, and vents. Bird droppings spread disease and cause damage to cars and buildings. Birds nesting in a home also lowers the home’s property value.
So, how do you get rid of birds from your house?
According to the bird experts at AviAway, the first factor in deciding what bird control methods to use is what type of bird problem is occurring. These range from birds congregating outside to building nests in buildings and eating crops, among other scenarios.
If birds are congregating on ledges and their droppings are getting all over cars or buildings, a method like bird spikes is going to be the most effective. If birds are swooping into a koi pond and eating the koi, pond netting is going to be the method of choice. If geese have taken over a pond, turf treatments and deterrents will be the focus for that problem.
The next determining factor is going to be how your house is laid out. If birds are building nests in specific areas, we want to cover those areas up and prevent birds from nesting there again. If they are perching on ledges, bird spikes are again an option. If you have a garden or crops that are being eaten by birds, bird netting is going to be our method of choice.
The main bird control options are:
- Bird Spikes: Bird spikes are a great option for ledges and other surfaces birds like to roost on. They can be installed all along the surface of a ledge, column, rail, or tower, preventing birds from landing while simultaneously minimizing the potential for droppings on cars and buildings below.
- Bird Netting: Bird netting goes over crops, gardens or other places birds need to be excluded from. Bird netting lasts 20+ years and is among the most effective bird control options. This is often our top recommendation.
- Pond Netting: This method of bird control is mainly effective for deterring birds from ponds and other water features where they pose a threat to the ecosystem by feeding on fish and frogs. However, it also prevents them from pooping in the water, thus saving money on cleaning chemicals and lowering the risk of infection.
- Visual Deterrents: These forms of bird control provide visual cues that our feathered friends don’t like, such as owls, foxes, and other predators of the problem species. Scarecrows and scarecrow-like devices are included in this category. These sometimes work, but depending on the species, have a low effectiveness rating.
- Sound Deterrents: These deterrents emit sounds that are unappealing to birds. Their most popular use is in reducing damage to agricultural crops. There are sonic and ultrasonic sound devices. Sonic sound devices emit the sounds of birds’ predators and bird distress cries. Ultrasonic devices send out pitches humans can’t hear, but birds can hear and avoid.
- Chemical Repellants: Some people resort use chemical repellents for their bird problems, but most repellents are made of toxic chemicals that are harmful to children, pets, and wildlife. This is not always the case. Common starlings, for example, avoid methyl anthranilate, which is a chemical for grape flavoring that also acts as a bird repellant.
- Removal: For house sparrows, common starlings, and common pigeons only, you can work with your local animal control or pest management professionals to catch them in live traps and relocate them to where they are not a nuisance. The problem with bird removal is that if the reason the birds are congregating is not removed, more birds will arrive to fill in that spot in the ecosystem, and the problem will begin all over again.
If you’re having bird control problems and want some help, click here or call AviAway to set up a free bird control consultation. We will come up with a customized solution for your bird control problem that works for you and is safe for the environment and its inhabitants.
No doubt, birds can cause problems for your home. Luckily there are a number of methods you can put into place to keep them from bothering your home, along with experienced bird control professionals that can advise you on the best plan of action. Take back your home from pest birds today.
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