If you’re like most homeowners, you want to keep the outside of your home looking fresh and clean. But pest birds can change all that. Their droppings and nesting debris can quickly deface and often damage your home. Areas most vulnerable include siding, windowsills, patio cover, decorative weather vanes, solar panels, skylights, awnings and fencing.  Birds that typically cause problems include pigeons, sparrows, starlings, swallows and gulls. To keep bird pests at bay, the bird control experts at Bird-B-Gone have four suggestions that can help.

1.    Remove Attractions. Get rid of standing water, keep trashcan lids secure, clean up any leftover food after parties or get-togethers, and trim plants and vegetation.

2.    Install Bird Spikes. Bird-B-Gone Stainless Steel Bird Spikes won’t allow pest birds to land on or near them. These humane, highly effective bird deterrents feature rows of stainless steel spikes embedded in a UV-protected polycarbonate base. This makes them highly durable and ideal for outdoor use. Bird spikes are used worldwide to keep bird pests off ledges, rooflines, eaves, windowsills, awnings and canopies. The spiked strips come in two-foot sections and three different widths—3-, 5- and 8-inch—to match the width of the “problem” area. The base of each spiked strip is just 1.5 inches wide, so it’s easily installed on narrow surfaces using screws, tie downs or glue.

3.    Install a Sonic Bird Deterrent. Bird-B-Gone’s Solar Bird Chase Super Sonic broadcasts distress and predator calls that intimidate birds. You can set it to scare any of 22 specific bird types or choose the general setting to intimidate virtually all birds. Scientifically developed with the help of ornithologists, Solar Bird Chase Super Sonic repeats these calls every 10 minutes to convince birds that dangerous predators are near. Unlike ultrasonic devices that emit high-frequency sounds birds can’t hear, the Bird Chase system is fully audible to birds, yet it won’t annoy pets or neighbors. The device comes with a built-in speaker that will cover up to an acre.

4.    Create Visual Distraction Zones. Bird-B-Gone Visual Bird Deterrents will scare birds away. The most basic is Flash Tape, a 50-foot roll of iridescent foil tape that you cut into short strips. Hung in high visibility areas, the strips crackle in the breeze and reflect sunlight to scare birds away. No less effective is the Scare Eye Diverter, a tear-drop-shaped iridescent foil deterrent emblazoned with a large “predator” eye. The same holds true for the Bird Scare Balloon, a large inflatable “beach ball” that also has a big predator eye. When the Diverter and Balloon bob and weave in the wind, birds regard them as predators. For best results, Bird-B-Gone suggests that visual bird deterrents be moved around so that birds don’t get used to them.

So, hey. You got people coming over. The boss and his family. Your mother in law. The kids’ teachers.  They’re all coming for your big BBQ or pool party this summer. You did the right thing--cleaned up your backyard, the BBQ, the pool and spa. Now you’ve got to keep it clean. So the last thing you need is a flock of birds pooping all over your yard, pool, BBQ, chaise lounges, tables and chairs.

Bird droppings are bad news, and not just for pool and spa owners who have to clean their pools and restore pH levels. Bird droppings carry diseases like salmonella. Not good if you’re having a party with lots of open food sitting around. And if you’ve ever tried to clean dried bird droppings off a patio chair or chaise lounge, you know what a pain that can be.

You can stand outside with a hose 24/7 and blast any bird that dares to enter your backyard. Or you can do the smart thing and get the latest technology in bird control—The Bird-B-Gone Bird Chase Super Sonic.

 Science Meets Bird Psychology

The Bird Chase Super Sonic has been scientifically designed to keep birds from landing, roosting and nesting near your BBQ, pool, spa, patio table, chairs, gazebo—anywhere in your backyard. How does it work? Simple. It fully exploits a bird's natural fear of predators and a bird’s acutely sensitive hearing. It broadcasts distress and predator calls (falcons and hawks) that signal bad news for birds. The little critters can recognize and remember these sounds. They can also process sounds 10 times faster than we can. So in the time it takes us to hear one sound, birds could hear up to ten separate notes. Some birds, like pigeons, hear much lower sounds than we can. Like humans, their hearing is most sensitive between 2,000 Hz and 4,000 Hz. Which is why ultrasonic bird deterrents seldom if ever work. Birds can’t hear them. They just annoy the heck out of dogs and cats.

Deterring All Manner of Birds

The Bird Chase Super Sonic is extremely versatile. It emits distress and predator calls for as many as 22 types of birds. The calls resemble normal bird calls to the human ear, but strike fear in birds. That means they won’t annoy your pets, neighbors or party guests. The bird calls are repeated regularly--about once every 15 minutes. So any pigeons, crows, starlings, swallows, gulls, woodpeckers, sparrows, grackles, cormorants or most other birds within earshot will not want to hang around. The Bird Chase Super Sonic sound bird deterrent covers a wide area—up to an acre. If you have a big spread, you can add more satellite speakers to cover up to five acres. The Bird Chase unit is ruggedly constructed of UV-protected materials (sun & weather resistant) to last for years outdoors.

While the sounds of birds chirping by your window may be pleasant, the damage birds leave behind may not be. Birds can ruin the appearance of your front porch, back patio, gazebo, pool or spa. They can peck and nest under your roofing tiles causing leaks. Bird droppings eat into paint, wrought iron, patio furniture, cushions and BBQs.

Cleaning bird droppings can get very messy. Everything you wash them off with should be disinfected or thrown away. If you try to simply brush droppings off when they’re dry, you'll aerate the germ-filled dust, which can carry some very nasty diseases—like salmonella.

So how do you keep birds away this summer—without harming them? One very effective and humane solution uses a sound approach. It’s called the Bird Chase Super Sonic.

The Science of Sonic Bird Deterrents

Scientifically designed to keep birds from landing, roosting and nesting on your property, the Bird Chase Super Sonic fully exploits a bird's heightened sense of hearing and its natural fear of predators. Birds can recognize and remember sounds in absolute pitch (the ability to reproduce a tone without reference to an external standard). Birds can also recognize 'timbre' (a fundamental note combined with harmonies). And birds hear shorter notes than humans. We process sounds in bytes about 1/20th of a second; birds just need 1/200th of a second. So in the time it takes humans to hear one sound, birds hear up to ten separate notes. Some birds, like pigeons, hear much lower sounds than humans. One thing birds have in common with us is range of hearing, which is most acute between 2,000 Hz and 4,000 Hz.

Using Distress and Predator Calls to Deter Birds

The Bird Chase Super Sonic can broadcast the distress and predator calls for 22 different species of birds. This includes the sounds of Peregrine falcons (a pigeon's dreaded enemy) defending their territory. Or the sounds of predator hawks screeching and gulls under attack, sounds that strike fear in the hearts of starlings and seagulls. Which means the Bird Chase sound bird deterrent can be set to deter virtually any bird that has become a problem on your property--pigeons, crows, starlings, swallows, gulls, woodpeckers, sparrows, grackles, cormorants and many others. And since it continually alters the pitch, frequency, timing and intensity of these sounds, the "threat" is kept fresh and alive to deter birds that may quickly get used to repetitive sounds. The distress and predator calls are repeated regularly--about once every fifteen minutes.

Non-Annoying to Humans and Pets

Another key advantage of the Bird Chase device is that the sounds it emits resemble normal bird calls to humans. And pets aren’t bothered by them. What’s more, unlike ultrasonic bird deterrents that emit sounds birds can’t hear and do annoy pets, the Bird Chase unit is fully audible to all birds and thus very effective.

If you own a home in the country, you know the problems you can have with unwanted birds, small animals and critters. Scrounging through trash cans and other areas of your property, they can create quite a mess. This in turn can draw other critters. While some property owners resort to lethal means to get rid of pest birds and critters, there are non-lethal means available.  These deterrents are both effective and humane. Here are a few you might consider:

Bird-B-Gone Sonic Shield™

This specially designed pest control device frightens birds and other unwanted critters using sound and light. The Sonic Shield™  is completely self-contained and totally portable since it runs on 4 AA batteries. This means you can set it up almost anywhere you have a pest bird or critter problem. You can run the Sonic Shield™ two ways for complete 24/7 pest deterrence: there’s the daytime mode to repel pests using loud dog (a predator for most birds) and barking dog sounds; and a nighttime mode that repels pests using only flashing LED lights—recommended for areas where night noises are not allowed. The Sonic Shield™ is both safe and humane for birds and critters.

Bird Spikes

Proven effective in installations worldwide, Bird Spikes will keep large birds like crows, gulls and pigeons from perching around your home. The spiked strips are easily installed on fencing, rooflines and chimneys using glue, screws or tie-down straps. Bird spikes come in rigid UV-resistant unbreakable polycarbonate or high strength, durable stainless steel. Plastic (poly) spikes are slightly less expensive and ideal for use on long fences. The best bird spikes are made in the USA and will have a flexible base that conforms to flat or curved fencing.

Transparent Bird Gel

Ideal for use on flat fencing and other extended areas where birds tend to perch, Transparent Bird Gel leaves a sticky surface birds won’t want to set foot on. The best bird gels remain sticky for up to 6 months after being applied. Bird gels have shown their effectiveness in deterring a wide range of pest birds—including  pigeons, sparrows, crows, gulls and starlings. 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 and will regard the area as non-threatening and habitable.

Bird Chase Super Sonic

Ideally suited for large acreages found around country homes and estates, Bird-B-Gone’s Bird Chase Super Sonic will keep birds from gathering around “problem areas” of your property. This scientifically designed device emits a series of pre-recorded distress and predator calls that birds consider their natural enemy (e.g., falcons and hawks). If your property is being invaded by several bird species, the Bird Chase Super Sonic emits distress and predator calls for 22 different species of birds. So you’re covered for a full range of winged critters.

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.

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.

by Alex A. Kecskes

Tired of hosing off bird droppings from your car/SUV/camper or boat? Have you run out of car soap in scrubbing off bird poop? Unless you’ve implemented effective bird control measures to keep pest birds off your vehicles and boat, these acidic droppings will eat into the paint and cause permanent damage. So you’re more or less stuck whipping out your hose and sponges every day, cleaning off those smelly droppings—droppings that can carry any of 60 known diseases.

Bird droppings damage paint when the cooling paint lacquer contracts and hardens around their deposits. When exposed to sunlight, bird droppings dry and harden. At the same time, paint lacquer heats up in sunlight, causing it to soften and expand. When the paint lacquer cools down at night, it contracts and hardens around bird droppings. Left for any length of time, the droppings will eventually etch the paint.

Some vehicle and boat owners have resorted to canvas covers. But these, too, must be cleaned often or the bird droppings will harden, weaken the fabric and cause it to rip and tear. Vehicle covers, especially boat covers, are not cheap.

Fortunately, there are a number of bird deterrents you can use to keep pest birds off your vehicles and boats parked in your driveway. The two most popular bird control measures include:

Sonic Bird Deterrents

While they may not have raebbit ears, birds have very acute hearing. They’re always on the alert for a fellow bird in distress or the threatening shriek of an approaching predator. Sonic Bird Deterrents deliver the message, broadcasting recorded distress and predator calls that make birds far too nervous to stay around your driveway. The sounds they emit resemble normal bird sounds to humans, so you don’t have to worry about neighbors complaining or your dog or car rushing for cover. The best sonic deterrents will be versatile enough to emit a number of sounds. One sonic bird deterrent currently available can generate distress and predator calls for 22 different species of birds. It’s basically “dial sound” and forget about pest birds. Look for sonic deterrents that feature a built-in speaker, a volume control, and one that lets you program it to turn on or off at night.

Bird Scare Deterrents

If you’re on a budget, these versatile bird deterrents will keep pest birds away from your vehicle or boat. They include inflatable balloons--covered with predator eyes—that sway in the breeze to convince pest birds there’s a big predator just aching to eat them. Scare eye diverters are similar to balloons in that they feature a big eye that spooks birds even thinking about landing on your car or boat. For best effect, you would typically hang these deterrents from your garage (for cars/SUVs), or tied to your covered boat or camper. Just make sure you move them about from time to time or birds will get wise to them.

by Alex A. Kecskes

A beautiful garden can be a joy to behold. It reflects the hours of work and care you put into it—the feeding and weeding and spraying for bugs. But unless you exercise some form of effective bird control, your well-tended garden can quickly be ruined by pest birds. Vegetable and fruit gardens are particularly vulnerable. While a few songbirds can add a certain ambiance to a garden, gathering flocks of birds—like crows, pigeons, finches—can destroy ripening fruit and vegetables. They can leave droppings everywhere, turning your garden into a smelly, disease-carrying mess.

The only way to protect your garden is with proven effective bird deterrents. And the best way to ensure your garden won’t be attacked by flocks of pest birds is to implement these bird deterrents before your fruits and vegetables ripen.

Here are three of today’s most popular and effective pest bird deterrents:

Plastic Bird Netting

Creating a physical barrier that denies birds access to specific areas of your garden, Plastic Bird Netting offers a humane, low profile bird deterrent. The netting usually comes in 14 x 100-foot and 14 x 200-foot rolls and three different mesh sizes. There’s a 1/4-inch mesh for smaller birds and a 1/2-inch mesh and a 3/4-inch mesh for larger birds. The best plastic bird netting is fabricated from durable, U.V.-protected polypropylene. This netting is strong, light, easy to handle and virtually invisible.

Install bird netting before your garden bears fruit or vegetables. Suspend the netting over your bushes or vines by at least 6 inches. Protect vegetables by wrapping individual plants in netting or suspend the netting around an entire garden area. To safeguard fruit trees, measure the circumference of the tree and cut the net to size (allow at least one foot extra around the circumference). Secure the netting with twine, zip ties, or hog rings.

Sonic Bird Deterrents

These devices broadcast bird distress and predator calls that make birds feel too uneasy to stay in your garden. The sounds resemble normal bird sounds, so they won’t irritate your pets, friends or neighbors. One highly versatile sonic system can emit distress and predator calls for 22 different species of birds. This unit covers up to an acre of land and can be programmed to turn on or off at night.

Visual Bird Deterrents

Ideally, you would want to use Visual Bird Deterrents in conjunction with the two deterrents mentioned above. These consist of Flash Tape and Reflective Banners, which reflect sunlight and snap in the breeze to make birds too nervous to feed. Also included in this category are Scare Eye Diverters and Bird Scare Balloons—both feature large predator eyes to intimidate pest birds. Visual bird deterrents attach easily to patio covers, gazebos, tree branches, or any elevated area in your garden. Just remember to move them around frequently to convince birds they are “live” threats.

by Alex A. Kecskes

As a homeowner, you know that pest birds can cause considerable damage to your garden. Fruits are especially vulnerable and can be quickly ruined by even a few birds.

Today, 95 percent of all American gardens grow tomatoes. One woman in North Texas suffered extensive damage to her tomato plants by mockingbirds. As soon as her tomatoes got red, ripe and ready to pick, the birds would take bites out of them. They would continue to nibble on her tomatoes all day long. A great-looking tomato, almost ready to pick in the morning, would be ruined with bite marks by late afternoon. Effective pest bird deterrents would have saved her tomatoes.

A sure sign that birds are attacking your fruit is the presence of holes throughout. Starlings and blackbirds can eat the fruits and vegetables you worked so hard to grow. Canada geese will munch on your grass and leave nearly a pound a day (per goose) of droppings. Birds can also damage your favorite trees. They’ll rip through bark searching for bugs. Few plants are safe from pest birds. They’ll use their beaks to rip, tear and tug your plants pieces.

The temptation is to resort to lethal bird control measures—like BB guns and poisons (avicides). But if you have pets or children, these methods are highly undesirable as well as being inhumane to birds. Fortunately, there are a number of bird deterrents on the market that are both effective and humane. They’re ideal for keeping pest birds out of your garden.  Here are three proven bird control measures:

Lightweight Plastic Bird Netting

Plastic bird netting lets you exclude pest birds from garden, enclosed courtyard, patio or similar area. The netting comes in various mesh sizes to block out pigeons, sparrows, starlings, seagulls and other birds. The best high quality bird netting is available in various colors to blend in with your garden’s décor. One manufacturer offers a bird netting kit for fast, easy installation. The kits include perimeter cable, cable crimps, turnbuckles, intermediate attachments, hog rings, and accessories and tools.

Sonic Deterrents

These devices generate distress and predator calls that make birds too scared to hang around and feed. One commercially available system can generate such calls for 22 different species of birds. The calls, repeated every 10 minutes, resemble natural birdcalls to humans and won’t irritate pets. You can set a volume control to generate from 65-105 decibels, and you can program the unit to turn on or off at night. The best bird sonic units come with a built-in speaker that protects gardens up to an acre.

Bird Scare Deterrents

These inexpensive bird deterrents create an “Optical Distraction Zone” that makes pest birds too nervous to hang around your garden. They consist of reflective foils, shiny tape banners and balloons that are easy to install. Some balloons have giant predator eyes to give birds that “spied on” feeling. Balloons can also be filled partially with water to skim the surface of swimming pools, spas and Koi ponds.

by Alex A. Kecskes

Let’s say you own or manage an open-air produce market, the kind that’s becoming increasingly popular as today’s quality conscious consumers shy away from big chain supermarkets.

You pride yourself on the fresh, clean appearance of your store, something that draws a discriminating clientele to shop there, week after week. What you don’t want to draw are pest birds. They not only bother your customers, but they can ruin the image of your store with their smelly nests and droppings. Droppings that can contaminate your produce, deface your signage and awnings/umbrellas, and create filthy walkways your customers will sidestep to avoid. Worse yet, bird droppings on open-air produce can bring a citation or two from health inspectors who can easily shut you down.

So how do you get rid of pest birds? BB guns, poisons, noisemakers--they’re just too dangerous or intrusive to be practical. The only viable solution is modern effective bird control. These devices and systems have been specifically designed to deter pest birds from commercial premises like yours. Here are a few of the more popular pest bird deterrents:

Bird Spike. Pest birds love to loiter on roofs, parapet walls, signage, awnings and other lofty areas. From there, they can “dive bomb” onto open food carts and displays, pick food off tables and chairs, and scavenge for scraps on the ground. Bird spikes deny them these loft perches, making it impossible for birds to land on or near them. Ideal for pigeons, crows and other large birds, bird spikes come in strong, rigid unbreakable polycarbonate or flexible stainless steel. The best spikes are made of marine-grade stainless steel and feature a U.V.-protected polycarbonate base. You can also get bird spikes with a crush proof, non-reflective metal finish. If you opt for less expensive plastic bird spikes, you can choose from a variety of colors--like white, tan, gray, black, brown, brick red and crystal clear. To keep birds like crows and pigeons out of your rain gutters, you’ll need the Gutter Spike, which has an adjustable clamp at the base for easy attachment to the lip of a gutter.

Bird Spider. To protect specific areas of your market from pest birds, Bird Spiders can be quite effective. These portable devices can be easily moved onto most lofty areas birds like to frequent. They include a glue-on base, which allows them to be permanently affixed to flat most surfaces. Place one or two on a roof or fixed awning and birds will definitely avoid the area. How do they work? Simple. Bird spiders use long spindly spider-like arms that whip about in the breeze, making pest birds too nervous to land near them. If your market has outdoor seating areas, you can temporarily place a spider on an outdoor table or two before opening hours to keep pest birds from landing on them. Spiders come in several diameters (arm lengths) to discourage many types of pest birds--typically, 2-, 4- and 8-foot arms to cover increasingly larger areas. Ideal for use against pigeons, seagulls and larger birds, spiders have no moving parts to wear out, so they’re basically maintenance free. Look for bird spiders that have a U.V.-protected polycarbonate base.

Bird Sonics. Certain sounds can be perfectly innocuous to humans while at the same time striking fear in the hearts of pest birds. Bird sonic systems have been scientifically designed by ornithologists to do just that. These systems and their portable speakers are easily mounted on storefronts, patio covers, and under eaves and awnings. They can keep pest birds away from outdoor areas by emitting predator and distress calls most birds find alarming and disturbing. Once installed, they’re designed to ward off all manner of birds--including pigeons, crows, starlings, swallows, gulls, woodpeckers, sparrows, grackles, cormorants and many others. One super-flexible sonic system emits distress and predator calls for 22 types of birds. Something to keep in mind if you’re being invaded by several bird species.