How To Keep Birds Away (2022 Edition)

Top 7 Ways to Keep Birds Away

If you’ve found nuisance birds on your property, you’re probably wondering what kind of pest control steps you can take to protect your garden, home, and property from the damage that birds can do to your home. Unfortunately, birds can be highly destructive between their roosting habits, nasty droppings, damage to your gutters, and more.

Here are our top recommendations for keeping birds away from your home:

• Use mechanical bird deterrents.You canuse bird nettingto physically exclude birds trying to get to your flower beds, garden, fruit trees, etc. Simply drape bird nets over it, and they won’t be able to get through. Before choosing your bird netting, look at the size of the mesh on the net and consider the type of bird you’re trying to keep out. For example,a hummingbird will needa much tighter mesh than larger birds like songbirds, cardinals, robins, or bluebirds would. We also recommend using bird netting over your crops before they ripen or sprout because it’s easier to prevent birds from eating at your crops than it is to stop them after they’ve already begun. Birds can be highly persistent about going after a known food source, so prevent them from the beginning to avoid this dilemma.
• Try auditory deterrents to repel birds. Birds can hear in the1-4 kHz range, which is much better than humans can hear. Electronic pest control companies have taken advantage of this by creating sound deterrent devices that emit distress calls and predator growls, which confuse birds and scare them away from the area. Many of these ultrasonic repellents are on a set pattern, but some are motion-activated by birds or other critters coming in the nearby area. You will need to consider if you wantan ultrasonic repellentthat is solar-powered or requires an electrical outlet before purchasing. We recommend positioning them on the border of your property, with any motion sensor facing outwards, and hanging them from a tree, or placing them on top of a fence. This will diminish your chances of the motion sensor being activated by a squirrel. The unexpected noise will help keep away birds. However, birds may realize that there is only noise and no actual predator over time, so we recommend turning your device off periodically to keep it fresh and unpredictable.
• Use visual deterrents.Visual deterrents can be highly effectiveagainst a variety of bird species. Giant balloons, such as the Bird-X Scare Eye Repellent Predator Balloon, have large owl-like eyes painted on them. These balloons frighten birds away because they believe a predator will attack them. You can also try hanging shiny items, like strips of aluminum foil, old CDs, or wind chimes which will move in the wind and reflect light, scaring birds away. Reflective tape is also sold and can startle birds. Anything that moves in the wind will be extra effective at scaring birds away and mimicking their predators, such as birds of prey.
• Place bird spikes on your property.If you have aproblem with birds roostingon your property, use bird spikes on your tree branches, roof, overhead beams, and fence to repel birds away. Bird spikes are ultra-thinstainless steel spikesthat poke the bird when they try to land or roost in these areas. They don’t hurt the birds but are enough of a hindrance to prevent most birds from landing. Keep in mind that small birds, like hummingbirds and sparrows, will still be able to land between the spikes.
• Set bird traps.Trapping needs to be used alongside other preventative methods that repel birds. Otherwise, you’ll have birds constantly coming back to your property. First, you’ll need to consider the size of the birds on your property because smaller birds will need a much smaller cage than larger birds like woodpeckers. Birds are timid around new objects in their environment, so let them use the traps for the first few days as bird feeders, where they are not set to go off. Once birdseat out of the trap regularly, then you can start catching the birds and releasing them away from your home.
• Shooting pest birds.This is the least realistic of these options because most areas will not allow you tofire a weapon within city limits, and many bird species are protected by law and require a permit to kill. Shooting pest birds also requires a lot of time, effort, and clean-up, which is a lot more work than other methods of keeping birds away.

Apply professional bird scent repellents. Many scents repel birds, and there are a variety of products on the market that you can spray on parts of your home where birds land, such as eaves or window sills. Always check to make sure these are child and pet-friendly if that is a concern for you.