Homeowners: Keep Birds Away from Window Sills, Ledges & Awnings

Without bird control measures to deter them, birds will perch and even nest on the window sills, ledges and awnings of your home. If you have a two-story home, the upper windows and ledges make especially ideal for birds on the lookout for food and predators.

Birds and their nesting materials can damage window screens and awnings. Bird droppings can jam up windows, making it hard or even impossible to open and close them properly. These droppings can also eat into vinyl windows and painted surfaces on ledges, leaving unsightly splotches. In these tough economic times, the last thing you need is to have to repaint your home or replace the windows. Bird droppings also carry any of 60 known diseases—like E. coli, Salmonella. These can easily waft into an open window, creating a health hazard, especially to children.

The only real solution for today’s homeowners is humane, effective bird deterrents.  Here's what the pros recommend to deter pigeons, sparrows, crows, gulls, starlings and many other species of birds:

Sonic Bird Deterrents

Easy to set up on the side of your home that’s most troubled by birds, Sonic Bird Deterrents deter birds from perching and nesting on windows, ledges and awnings. These ingenious devices emit a series of pre-recorded distress and predator calls that resemble a bird’s natural enemy. If your windows and ledges are attracting several bird species, get the Bird Chase Super Sonic. It emits distress and predator calls for 22 different species of birds. It can be programmed to turn on or off at night. The sounds it emits are natural bird sounds, so it won’t irritate your pets or annoy your neighbors.

Red-Tail Hawk Decoys

The natural enemy of most birds, Red Tail Hawks hunt by day, which is why Hawk Decoys can be so effective in deterring them.  If your window sill or ledge is wide enough, place one or two in high visibility areas and birds will stay away. The best hawk decoys will be realistic looking and be made of heavy duty plastic to endure many seasons of outdoor weather. All you have to do is move them around from time to time to convince birds your decoys are a live threat.

Transparent Bird Gel

Ideal for narrow ledges and windowsills, as well as awnings,  birds hate to set foot on Transparent Bird Gel. It sticks to their little toes and makes them feel trapped (although it won’t trap them—much like Post-it Notes, the adhesive is very mild).  The gel is easily applied, practically invisible and very humane. The best bird gels will provide up to 6 months of protection.

Before implementing any bird control measures, be sure to clean away nesting materials and droppings from sills, ledges and awnings. Birds are naturally attracted to the scent of nests and droppings, so they will consider your home most hospitable.

Crow Attacks Halt Residential Mail Service

Mail carriers making deliveries in the 400 block of Ralph Avenue West in Winnipeg (the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada) recently had more to fear than just dogs. Seems  the area’s postal carriers now have a new enemy--dive-bombing crows. Even postal carriers equipped with big branches aren’t safe from these “murder of crows.” As one resident put it, “You just can’t turn your back on them’." The attacks have been so aggressive that Canada Post has suspended mail delivery due to unsafe access.

As is common knowledge, most crows won’t attack humans from the back. Which is why some have suggested that the beleaguered postal carriers wear a hat with big eyes painted on the back. Needless to say, this suggestion didn’t exactly go over well with the area’s postal carriers.

Manitoba Conservation officials noted that crows will attack as soon as their hatchlings are large enough to leave the nest. When their babies can fly, the attacks should stop, they advised. That said, area residents have noted that the attacks have continued in spite of the baby crows flying. One area resident, who often carries her lame pet dog reported that a crow attacked her and ruffled her hair.

Compounding the problem is the fact that crows are a highly intelligent species, more so than the average bird. Once attracted to an area, crows will protect themselves and their new offspring from predators and humans, even to the point of posting “sentries” to alert the flock of impeding threats. Without effective bird control measures to deter them, crows will quickly “lay claim” to an area. If your area has a crow problem, here’s what the pros recommend:

Bird Chase Super Sonic

Easy to place just about anywhere, the Bird Chase Super Sonic takes advantage of a crow’s alert nature to threats. The device continually broadcasts pre-recorded bird distress and predator calls. These sounds resemble natural bird sounds, so pets and humans won't be bothered by them. The device is quality-constructed, weather resistant and designed for rugged outdoor use. It's easily programmed for day or night operation.

Stainless Steel Bird Spikes

Ideal for denying large birds like crows a place to perch and roost, Stainless Steel Bird Spikes are easy to install and highly effective. The spiked strips come in a variety of widths --1”, 3”, 5” and 8” --to match the area you want to safeguard. The spike strips can be glued down, nailed or screwed onto most any surface. The best stainless steel spikes are made in the USA and will be securely embedded in UV-resistant unbreakable polycarbonate. Approved by the US Humane Society and PICAS, the spikes are blunted at the tips, so they won’t injure the crows.

How to Get Rid of Pest Birds Once and for All

by Alex A. Kecskes

Are you tired of all those bird droppings around your backyard? Wish you could get rid of those birds attacking your fruit trees? Or how about those birds pooping on your boat or RV in your side yard? 

Seems every few months, you have to spend hours scraping bird droppings off your boat cover or RV (not to mention, the nests and bird debris all over your RV’s AC unit). Then there’s cleaning your driveway and scrubbing bird droppings off your fence and gate. All that time wasted. If you’re lucky, you removed the bird droppings in time—before they permanently damaged anything. 

The question you have to ask yourself is, how long are you going to put up with the nuisance of pest birds? You tried hosing the birds away—but they just came back. You tried using your pellet gun, but that just sent pellets into your neighbor’s yard and caused arguments.

Speaking of your neighbor, you noticed that he doesn’t have any pest birds around his yard or home. And you wonder , why is that? Maybe he did something to keep his home and yard pest bird free.  Maybe he consulted a bird control expert who advised him on how to get rid of pest birds.

Here’s what the bird control expert might have advised your neighbor (and you) to do to get rid of those annoying pest birds:

Hang up Some Visual Bird Deterrents

The experts refer to these as Bird Scare Deterrents and they'll uses phrases like “create a visual distraction zone” or “bird intimidation.” But all you need to know is that they’re inexpensive, effective and easy to install. The best of breed in this category are the Scare Eye Diverters and Bird Scare Balloons. They feature a big, scary “mock” predator eyeball that birds think is a huge predator sizing them up for a meal.  You can hang these on the back of your boat or RV, in trees, patios, fences or any highly elevated area around your home. These balloons and diverters bob and weave in the breeze, which makes them look alive. Of course, birds may eventually get used to them,which is why you need to move them around from time to time.

Set Up a Sonic Bird Deterrent

Pest birds are ever vigilant when it comes to imminent threats. They detect sounds faster than humans. Sonic Bird Deterrents exploit these characteristics by broadcasting the sounds of distress and predator calls. Birds hear their compadres being attacked and they beat wing away from your home and backyard. The sounds resemble normal bird squawks to humans, so they won’t bother you, your neighbor or pets. One popular sonic bird deterrent unit covers up to one acre, comes with a volume control, and you can even pre-set it to turn on or off at night.