How to Humanely Get Rid of Pest Birds

The pigeons are coming. So are blackbirds, starlings, house sparrows and crows. They’ll be invading your property en masse as bird season approaches. Will you be ready to get rid of birds when they arrive?

Prepare now or risk having your home invaded by birds.  Your cars will be spotted with bird droppings. So will your windowsills and patio furniture. Larger pest birds will tear apart your roofing shingles, causing leaks.  Smaller birds will build nests in your rain gutters, causing water to back up under your roofing tiles and, once again, you’ll have a leaking roof. Birds large and small will contaminate your pool and spa, so you’ll have to drain and clean them—not a pleasant thought.

Unless you have bird control devices in place, it will become increasingly difficult to get rid of pest birds. The temptation will be to use lethal means—like poisons or pellet guns—or stop-gap measures like water hoses and firecrackers.  Eventually, under pressure from your kids and neighbors, you’ll agree to more humane bird deterrents. Devices that actually work. Here’s what the pros recommend:

Scarecrows  for Pools, Spas and Gardens

Highly recommended for deterring all types of birds from areas where the presence of water is tolerated, Scarecrows are motion-activated sprinklers that spray a harmless but persuasive blast of water at any bird that wonders into its zone of protection. Scarecrows hook up to any standard garden hose and will guard a 1,200-square-foot area (or a 35-foot by 45-foot wide shape). The Scarecrow’s sensitivity and coverage area can be easily adjusted to suit the needs of your garden, pool or spa.

Bird Spikes for Roofs & Patio Covers

Birds usually seek a high perch from which to observe before they dive bomb your pool, spa, patio tables or car.  Bird Spikes deny them that perch. Ideal for larger birds like pigeons and crows, Bird Spikes are harmless to birds, people and pets. They have earned the approval of the U.S. Humane Society and PICAS (Pigeon Control Advisory Service). The spiked strips come in rigid unbreakable polycarbonate (plastic) or durable stainless steel. Gutter spikes are also available to keep birds out of your rain gutters. All are easy to install using glue, screws, clips or tied downs.

Balloons  and Diverters  for Trees

Known as Visual Bird Deterrents, Reflective Bird Diverters and Predator Eye Balloons bob and wave in the breeze to get rid of birds through intimidation. Diverters are tear-drop shaped panels covered with a big predator eye. They are hung in various lengths and spaced 2 to 3 feet apart. Predator Eye Balloons are covered with huge predator eyes. Look for visual deterrents made of weather-resistant vinyl plastic. For best results, it’s best to move these bird deterrents around often, or most birds will eventually get used to them as a non-live object to be ignored.

 

How to Keep Pest Birds Safely Off Your Windows

 

If you’re a homeowner, you’ve no doubt had problems with birds around your windows.
They may sit on your window sills and peck at the glass, reacting to their reflection, thinking there's another bird on the other side. Cardinals, Purple Martins and other small birds appear most likely to peck at their own reflection in windows and glass doors. You may have also encountered birds flying into your windows and sliding glass doors who believe the reflection is a landscape and not a solid surface. Bird window strikes can injure and kill birds.

The solution is effective and humane bird control for your windows and sliding glass doors. Some advice from the pros to prevent bird strikes and birds pecking at your glass:

Plastic Bird Spikes

Easy to install around window sills, Plastic Bird Spikes will keep birds from perching and landing. The spiked strips typically come in 3-, 5- and 7-inch widths. After a few unsuccessful landing attempts, birds just give up and move on.

Bird Alert Pecking Deterrent

Ideal for use with robins and cardinals, this long static-cling decal is easily placed at the bottom of a window to prevent birds from pecking at the glass. Each package contains one 48" x 6" decal. Bird Alert decals reflect ultraviolet light, which birds will see and realize the window is a surface and not a continuation of the landscape or an intruder in their territory. The decal can be easily removed and re-applied.

Window Alert Decals

These static cling decals are easily placed on windows and glass surfaces to prevent bird strikes. Window Alerts reflect ultraviolet light that birds will see to let birds know a hard surface is directly ahead of them. The decals are nearly invisible from the inside of the glass and can be removed for later use. Window Alerts are sold 12 per pack and one decal protects two or three square feet of glass.

Transparent Bird Gel

Easily applied, practically invisible, and very humane, Transparent Bird Gel leaves a sticky surface birds hate to land on. The best bird gels will last up to 6 months before needing to be reapplied. Gels are highly effective against pigeons, crows, gulls, starlings and many other species of larger birds. Be sure to clean off nesting materials and droppings before you apply these gels. Birds are naturally attracted to the scent of nests and droppings.

Bird Chase Super Sonic

Designed for large areas, Sonic Bird Deterrents will not only keep pest birds away from your windows but prevent birds from gathering around other problem areas of your home.  These devices emit a series of pre-recorded distress and predator calls that birds regard as their natural enemy (like falcons and hawks). If you’re being inundated by several bird species, get the Bird Chase Super Sonic. It emits distress and predator calls for 22 different species of birds.

How To Keep Birds Away From Your Pool

by Alex A. Kecskes

If you have pest birds hanging around your pool, you know the problems they cause. They leave droppings everywhere, which means frequent (and expensive) pool cleanings and constant hosing down of walkways, railings and steps. If you live in Southern California, ducks can be a big problem around pools. So can pigeons and grackles.

Sometimes birds clean out their nests and drop their waste in and around a pool. They often do this to avoid drawing predators to their nests. Black birds will sometimes spit in a pool. Some homeowners have resorted to poisons and BB guns. Not a good idea if you have pets or kids around (it’s also illegal to kill or harm certain birds). Others have taken to placing rubber snakes around the pool. These can be initially traumatizing to small children, and some pets have a tendency to chew and eat them. There are effective bird control devices you can use that will keep pest birds away from your pool without risking danger to people, kids, birds or pets. They include:

Bird Sonics. Mounted under eaves, patio covers or gazebos, these bird repellent devices can keep pest birds away from your pool or spa. Bird sonics emit predator and distress calls that birds instinctively fee from. They work on a bird's natural fear of predators, as well as their acutely sensitive hearing (birds can process sounds in 1/200th of a second; humans process sounds in 1/20th of a second).

Sonic bird deterrents work well against pigeons, crows, starlings, swallows, gulls, woodpeckers, sparrows, grackles, cormorants and many other species. One commercially available sonic system blasts the sound of Peregrine falcons (a pigeon's dreaded enemy) defending their territory. Another system targets starlings and seagulls, emitting the sounds of predator hawk screeching and gulls under attack. The best sonic systems will regularly alter the pitch, frequency, timing and intensity of their sounds. This keeps pest birds from getting used to repetitive sounds. One popular system can emit distress and predator calls for as many as 22 types of birds. The calls are repeated once every fifteen minutes. Sonic bird deterrents are not harmful to birds, pets or humans. The sounds they emit merely resemble normal bird sounds.

Visual Scare Deterrents. These include Bird Scare Balloons, flash tape and twine. The balloons feature large predator eyes that make birds really nervous. Scare Bird Diverters use the same principle. They feature a giant predator eye and can be hung under eaves to frighten birds. To keep birds, geese and ducks away from pools, fill bird scare balloons one-fourth full of water, and the rest with air. The balloons will float around the pool with predator eyes and shiny reflective surfaces constantly in motion to keep birds away.

When using visual scare devices, it’s important to move them around occasionally to prevent swallows from getting used to them.

Scarecrows. Any pest birds that approach this device’s radius of protection get hit with a stunning but harmless blast of water. The sudden water blast, alarming sprinkler sound and realistic looking bird-like moving head "persuade" birds to stay away. Scarecrows are simple to set up and easy to use. They connect to almost any garden hose, yet they consume just 2 to 3 cups of water per spray. Scarecrows cover approximately 1,200 square feet with a stream that reaches out 35 feet and 45 feet wide. They work day and night for up to 6 months and deliver over 1,000 "firings" on a single 9-volt battery. For added versatility, scarecrows can be easily fine tuned to adjust both their sensitivity and coverage distance. Incidentally, kids and dogs love to play with these devices.

Mini Scarecrow. For smaller applications, say to keep pest birds away from walkways, pool steps, diving boards or railings, there's the Mini Scarecrow. It uses compressed air and sound to scatter pest birds and "convince" them to avoid the area. Like its big brother, the Mini comes to life the second a pest bird gets within 3 to 4 feet of its sensor. Unlike its larger brother, the Mini hits birds with a squeal and a harmless blast of air. You can easily adjust Mini's angle of detection and spray angle to zero in on trouble spots. Each can holds over 200 sprays.

How to Keep Birds Away from Eaves, Canopies and Awnings

 

As a homeowner, you know the problems pest birds can create when they’re allowed to roost and nest in eaves, canopies, awnings and other covered areas around your home. The beams of your patio cover, gazebo  and other elevated backyard structures offer an ideal sanctuary for birds. These areas protect them from weather and predators. Unfortunately, when  birds gather there, they create quite a mess down below—on your patio table, chairs, BBQ, walkways, spa, pool and thru-window serving bars. Kids toys can also become covered with disease carrying bird droppings.
Fortunately, there are a number of effective and humane bird control products you can use to keep birds away from your eaves, canopies and awnings:

Garden Bird Netting

A lightweight, easy to handle mesh, Garden Bird Netting physically denies pest birds access to specific areas of your home. It comes in 14 x 100-foot and 14 x 200-foot rolls and can easily be cut down to the size you need. It’s also available in three different "mesh" sizes: 1/4", 1/2" and 3/4" mesh. The netting installs easily under eaves and other areas, and bird netting clips are available to further speed installation. The best garden bird netting is made from a durable, UV-protected polypropylene. It’s strong, lightweight, designed for temporary use and practically invisible.

Bird Slope

Another bird control product that effectively denies birds access to your eaves is Bird Slope. The angled PVC panels won’t allow birds to gain a solid footing on its slippery surface. After a few tries of “squirrel-caging” on the panel, birds just give up and move on. Bird slope panels come in different colors to blend in with your home’s exterior. The panels are easy to install using glue, nails or screws and they're basically maintenance free.

Copper Stuf-Fit Mesh

If your home has a number of small holes and crevices under the eaves and other architecture, Copper Stuf-Fit mesh will keep birds out. It works great for all those tight spaces too small for regular netting or other bird control products. The mesh comes in 20-foot and 100-foot roles and can be “shaped” to conform to the area needed to keep birds out. Stuf-Fit mesh holds its shape in small, narrow areas so birds can’t “work” their way around it. The mesh can even keep birds from getting under your roofing tiles, retractable awnings, and junctions where pipes enter your siding or foundation.

No Nasty Nest

Simple but effective, No Nasty Nest uses hanging "twine" to block birds from potential  nesting sites. Confronted with working through a gauntlet of twine strips, birds will simply move on to a better nesting spot. If you had swallow mud nests under the eaves and sides of your home last year, No Nasty Nest makes a great bird deterrent. Each strip of No Nasty Nest features a self-adhering back for quick application on eaves, gables, entryways and other areas.