Pest Birds Create Huge Mess in Residential Neighborhood

Thousands of European Starlings have been invading a Johnson City, TN neighborhood for many years, and the homeowners on East Holston Avenue have had it with the noise and the mess. Bird droppings rain down incessantly on cars, homes and sidewalks, which is not only unsightly but a health concern. In the winter, these bird pests travel in flocks and invade cities to get warm.

Some residents have resorted to firearms to scare birds away, but many admit it’s only a temporary solution, as the birds always come back. Experts say, starlings prefer dark, quiet places to sleep, so harassing the birds with bright lights/noises and bird distress recordings may offer relief. These tactics must be maintained for about five days to get rid of birds in any one area. Thinning out trees also helps. Here are two effective bird control measures the experts at Bird-B-Gone recommend:

Sonic Shield™--the Sound Solution to Pest Birds

The Bird-B-Gone Sonic Shield™ employs sight and sound to scare birds away from all areas of a yard and trees. It features two operating modes: a daytime mode, which combines flashing LED lights and loud barking dog sounds to scare birds; and a nighttime mode, which uses only the bright flashing LED lights. The latter mode is ideal for most areas where barking dog sounds would wake neighbors at night. Entirely portable and self-contained, the Sonic Shield™ is simple to set up wherever birds gather and roost. The device uses just four standard AA batteries, so there’s no need to run long AC cords to power it. The Sonic Shield™ can easily be mounted to a light fixture, over a door, in a tree, or on the roof. It’s ruggedly designed for outdoor use.

Bird Chase Super Sonic Scares Birds from Yards

A highly effective sound bird deterrent, the Bird Chase Super Sonic by Bird-B-Gone fully exploits a bird’s sensitive hearing and natural fear of predators. It broadcasts pre-recorded distress and predator calls for over 22 species of birds—including starlings, pigeons, crows, gulls, and grackles. You can set it to deter a specific species of bird or switch it to a "general" setting to deter multiple bird species. The device repeats the distress and predator calls every 10 minutes to keep pest birds away. It features a volume control that lets you vary the sound output—from 65-105 decibels. The sounds resemble normal bird calls to the human ear, so they won’t bother your pets or neighbors. And unlike ultrasonic devices, which emit sounds above the hearing range of most birds, the Bird Chase Super Sonic generates sounds birds can actually hear. The device is powerful enough to protect a full acre of property, so it’s ideal for most homeowners. It’s also ruggedly designed for outdoor use.

How to Keep Birds Away from Your Pool

Birds are often attracted to swimming pools, spas and other water features in a backyard. The main concern with bird pests is the diseases they carry, especially those found in their droppings. Bird droppings are also very slippery when wet, which can create dangerous slip-and-fall hazards for children and even adults. While birds can be shooed away with the blast from a water hose or by banging pots and pans together, birds will invariably return when you leave.

If you have a bird problem around your pool, there are a number of things you can do to discourage pest birds from roosting and nesting near the immediate area. The first is to remove any plants that produce edible nuts, fruits and berries. You should also remove any bird feeders. And keep trees and large shrubs tightly trimmed, removing any branches that hang close to your pool. After you’ve taken these preliminary steps, you should invest in a professional bird deterrent. Here are some bird control devices the experts recommend:

Scarecrows Blast Bird Pests Away

Using a harmless blast of water to scare birds from your pool, Bird-B-Gone’s Scarecrow acts like a reliable 24/7 sentry. Any bird that enters this device’s area of protection will be showered with a “wake-up” water blast, alarming sprinkler sound, and Scarecrow’s realistic looking bird-like head. Easy to set up and use, Scarecrows connect directly to your garden hose. And each blast consumes just 2 to 3 cups of water. Scarecrows cover about 1,200 square feet with a spray that reaches out 35 feet and 45 feet wide (enough for most pools). Scarecrows are powered by a single 9-volt battery for up to 6 months, delivering over 1,000 "firings." The device’s sensitivity and coverage distance are easily fine-tuned to fit your pool’s shape and surroundings. Incidentally, kids and dogs love to play with these devices.

Sonic Bird Deterrents Scare Birds from Pools

While firecrackers and noisemakers may temporarily scare birds away, the more scientific (and long-term effective) approach is to intimidate birds with the sounds they dread to hear—their natural predators (like hawks and falcons). That’s where Bird-B-Gone’s Solar Bird Chase Super Sonic comes in. It broadcasts distress and predator calls birds know all too well. And they will seek the safety of someone else’s yard rather than stick around yours. The threatening birdcalls are repeated every ten minutes. The sounds emitted by Bird Chase device resemble natural birdcalls so they won’t bother your pets or neighbors. And unlike ultrasonic devices that emit high-frequency sounds birds can’t hear, the Bird Chase system creates sounds well within the hearing range of birds. Each Bird Chase device comes with a built-in speaker that will cover up to an acre.

How to Keep Pest Birds Off Commercial Buildings

Pest birds are always looking for a place to roost and nest on commercial property. And once they've settled on a building or warehouse, they tend to gather in greater numbers on rooftops, parapet walls, windowsills and other elevated ledges.

Without effective bird control measures to deter them, pest birds can deface and damage these areas fairly quickly. Bird droppings are not just unsightly. The acid in bird droppings can corrode metal and eventually erode stone. Bird droppings can jam up windows, doors, rooftop ventilators and skylights. This waste can also render moveable security cameras inoperative, “locking up” gimbal mechanisms. Droppings can damage expensive AC units by seizing up fans. Bird nests and droppings can even clog rain gutters and down pipes, causing rooftops to overflow with water. Some roof sections have actually collapsed due to bird damage.

Bird droppings are also unhealthy. They can carry any of 60 known diseases—like salmonellosis. This makes pest birds particularly hazardous in areas where food is stored, processed or served. Finally, bird droppings on walkways and entryways to a commercial building can create serious slip-and-fall hazards. Wet bird poop can be as slippery as a banana peel.

Failing to implement an effective bird deterrent strategy can saddle a commercial property owner with expensive cleanups, repairs and even legal liabilities. Fortunately, there’s a bird deterrent that gets rid of bird pests humanely, simply by denying them a place to land—it’s called Bird Slope.

Pest Birds Can’t Get a Grip

Bird-B-Gone’s Bird Slope is ideal for use on open ledges that meet at a 90-degree angle. Pest birds simply slide off these angled, slippery PVC panels whenever they try to land. The sloped panels install easily on eaves, ledges, beams and similar areas frequented by birds. And they are equally effective against all types of birds.

Up to 10 inches of Bird Deterrence

Bird Slope comes in 4-foot long sections and is sold 48 feet per box. The panels are easily screwed, glued or nailed to virtually any flat surface. A handy "snap on" extender makes it easy to adapt to ledges as wide as 10 inches. (The basic bird slope, without an extender can protect a 6-inch wide ledge.) You can also get mounting clips to install the panels vertically on the sides of buildings. Some Bird Slopes even come with “end caps” to prevent birds from getting behind the panels.

Aesthetic Solution to Bird Pest Problems

To blend in with its surroundings, Bird Slope is now available in two colors--stone and grey. Each panel is made of UV-protected PVC material to make it more resistant to sun and harsh weather. If you're installing Bird Slope next to electrical wiring, the panels are non-conductive for extra safety. A glue trough on underside of each panel makes for easy installation using standard outdoor polyurethane adhesive.