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.


 

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.

by Alex A. Kecskes

It’s springtime and you’re ready to reap the rewards of your hard work in the garden. You diligently planted, weeded, and nurtured your garden. You also kept the pests at bay with regular spraying of insecticides. But now there’s a new threat to your garden: pest birds. They’re starting to come in and destroy your flowers, eat your tomatoes, and peck at the fruits ripening in your fruit trees.

You tried squirting these annoying birds with your water hose. But they just came back the next morning. Even your dog was no help, for the birds simply waited till your dog was in the house to feast on the vegetables and fruits in your trees.

You’re at your wits end on this one. Fortunately, your neighbor told you how the professionals get rid of pest birds. They use things that are effective and humane. Here’s what you discovered:

Wrap Up Veggie Plants in Plastic Bird Netting

Easy to use and highly effective, Plastic Bird Netting keeps pest birds from getting at the vegetable plants in your garden. This barrier deterrent is ideal for smaller gardens and small fruit trees. Wrap your plants with the netting or simply cover entire sections of your garden with the netting using poles. To protect 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. Look for high quality plastic bird netting made of durable, U.V.-protected polypropylene. It's strong, light, easy to handle and virtually invisible.

Set Up a Sonic Bird Deterrent

If you have a large garden, or a number of fruit trees spread out over, say, an acre, you’ll want to invest in a Sonic Bird Deterrent. These devices emit bird distress and predator calls that convince pest birds that their natural enemy is hunting them in the area. The sounds resemble normal bird sounds, so they won’t irritate your pets, friends or neighbors. If more than one species of bird is attacking your garden, there’s one sonic system that emits 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.

Hang Up Some Visual Bird Deterrents

An economical way to go, Visual Bird Deterrents can be most effective in deterring pest birds from your garden, especially when used together with other bird deterrents. They include Flash Tape and Reflective Banners, which reflect sunlight and rattle in the breeze. There’s also Scare Eye Diverters and Bird Scare Balloons. These bob and weave in the breeze and have huge large predator eyes to frighten birds away. You can attach a number of these deterrents in high visibility areas throughout your garden to spook pest birds.

by Alex A. Kecskes

If you’re growing fruits, nuts or vegetables, you know the kind of care it takes to produce something edible and pesticide free. But now that spring is here, there are things you must do to protect your garden from invading pests. One of the biggest threats today’s gardens face is pest birds. Without effective bird control measures, your garden will have to survive attacks by the following pest birds this spring:

The House Sparrow, an abundant song bird, is a destructive forager destroying crops and gardens as they feed on seeds, fruits, and nuts. Redwings and fieldfares are nomads that will attack your berries. Flocks of invading mistle thrushes will devour your berry-clad bushes in minutes. The siskin, a small green and yellow member of the finch family, which will quickly eat all your seed producing plants.

Another bird to watch out for is the bullfinch, which can rapidly chew away 45 buds off a fruit tree in a single minute, stripping off an entire branch before you spot them and shoo them away. Starlings, common grackles and robins can destroy your blueberries. Cherries fall victim to starlings, robins, orioles and common grackles.
 
The best way to keep pest birds out of your garden is to implement the following, proven effective pest bird deterrents:

Garden Bird Netting

Opt for high quality netting. The best plastic netting for gardens is fabricated from durable, U.V.-protected polypropylene. It’s strong, light, easy to handle and practically invisible. You can either wrap your individual plants in netting or suspend the netting around an entire garden area. For 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 can be extremely effective and they’re preferred by many gardeners and growers because they cover a wide area without a lot of installation labor. Sonic Bird Deterrents emit pre-recorded bird distress and predator calls, which make pest birds feel too threatened to stay in your garden. Consider getting a versatile sonic system that can emit more than one sound—one system currently on the market can emit distress and predator calls for as many as 22 different species of birds. This system will cover an entire acre and you can program it to turn on or off at night.

Visual Bird Deterrents

Birds get real edgy and anxious to leave if they see what they think is a large predator watching them. That’s the theory behind Visual Bird Deterrents. The best of these are Scare Eye Diverters and Bird Scare Balloons, which are covered with large predator eyes. You hang them from a tree branch, patio cover or trellis and they bob and weave in the breeze to give pest birds the creeps.