Bird Control to Keep Birds Off Rooftop Patios and Terraces

A rooftop patio or terrace can be a great place to relax and throw parties. You may have decorative outdoor furniture and plants throughout these areas. One problem with rooftop patios and terraces is the birds they draw. Birds often use these areas for roosting and nesting. Fail to implement effective bird control to keep birds off these rooftop areas and you’ll have to constantly clean the area and possibly make repairs.

Bird droppings can quickly cover your furniture, chairs and plants, necessitating constant cleanups. Even outdoor chairs, chaise lounges and umbrellas can become permanently damaged by the acidic nature of bird droppings. Portable gas heaters can  become covered with bird droppings and, if not cleaned, can emit a terrible stench once turned on. Bird droppings can also create dangerous slip-and-fall hazards for you and your guests. Even if birds do no significant damage, the unsightly appearance and smell of this refuse can ruin the appearance of your terrace, patio or balcony. Keep in mind too, that bird droppings can carry any of 60 known diseases.

The solution, of course, is to install effective bird control measures now—before the birds arrive.  Here are a few bird deterrents the pros recommend:

Bird•B•Gone Sonic Shield™

This ingenious device scares birds and other critters away from yards, patios, decks, balconies and terraces using sound and light. It’s easily installed just about anywhere and runs on 4 AA batteries. The device has two modes of operation: daytime mode to repel birds using loud eagle sounds (a predator for most birds and a nighttime mode that uses only flashing LED lights for areas where night noises are not allowed.

Red Tail Hawks

A skilled and deadly predator, Red tail hawks are feared by most birds. Which is why Hawk Decoys can be so effective in bird control. These decorative decoys are easily placed around your patio, terrace or balcony. The best hawk decoys are made of heavy duty plastic and will stay realistic looking season after season. Place them in high visibility areas and re-position them from time to time. The decoy may be a dummy, birds are not.

Sonic Deterrents

Birds are always alert to threatening sounds. Which is why Sonic Bird Deterrents are so effective in keeping birds off patios, terraces and balconies. These devices emit pre-recorded distress and predator calls that birds instantly regard as a threat. If your patio, terrace or balcony is being invaded by various species of birds, consider getting the Bird Chase Super Sonic. It emits distress and predator calls for 22 different species of birds.

Visual Bird Deterrents

Easy to hang just about anywhere, Visual Bird Deterrents include Flash Tape and Reflective Banners, which reflect sunlight and rattle in the wind, and Scare Eye Diverters and Bird Scare Balloons adorned with large predator eyes to frighten birds. The important thing to remember about Visual Bird Deterrents is to move them around from time to time.

Keeping Your Patio & Patio Covers Pest Bird Free

by Alex A. Kecskes

Birds like to perch on patio covers to get the “lay of the land” of your patio. They’ll loiter there and wait to see what you’re BBQing or serving for your outdoor breakfast, lunch or dinner. And the minute the opportunity presents itself, they’ll dive bomb your patio table for any uncovered, unguarded food. The worst part is, they’ll also leave bird droppings on your table and (heaven forbid) on any uncovered food.  So needless to say, you want to keep pest birds away from your patio covers and patio area. One way to do that is with effective bird deterrents. Here are just a few of the most popular bird control measures:

Creating a Visual Distraction Zone

Birds, in general, are easily shooed away—either by noise or a moving object that makes them too nervous to stay. Bird scare deterrents do just that. They include Flash Tape and Reflective Banners, which reflect sunlight and crackle in the breeze. Equally effective are Scare Eye Diverters, which are large teardrop shaped plastic panels with a large “mock” predator eye and shiny reflective surface.  Many homeowners also like to use Bird Scare Balloons, which are beach-ball size deterrents covered with large predator eyes. These visual deterrents are all fairly economical and easy to attach to various areas of your balcony, patio, or gazebo. The one thing to keep in mind is that birds are not dummies, so you’ll need to move these deterrents around from time to time to prevent birds from getting used to them.

A Sound Investment in Bird Control

They’re called Sonic Bird Deterrents and they’re easily set up on your patio cover or under the roof of your gazebo. They emit bird distress and predator calls that sound just like normal bird sounds to the average human. But the sounds are threatening to birds, and they would much rather leave than stick around. One popular bird sonic system can emit distress and predator calls for 22 different species of birds. It comes with a built-in speaker and covers up to one acre. With a system like this, your patio will be protected from pigeons, crows, starlings, swallows, gulls, woodpeckers, sparrows, grackles, cormorants and many other types of birds. The system can be programmed to turn on or off at night and your can adjust the volume of sounds emitted.

Hawk Decoys, the Decorative Deterrent

Red tailed hawks are the natural predators of most pest birds. And unlike owls that hunt at night (when most birds are sleeping), Hawks hunt during the day. The key thing to remember about hawk decoys is they have to be realistic and of high quality. They should be fabricated of heavy-duty plastic to maintain their appearance after several seasons of harsh weather. A couple of hawk decoys, strategically placed around your patio can be an effective pest bird deterrent. Just remember to move them around and reposition them from time to time for best effect.