Bird Repellent – What You Need to Know

Bird Repellent – What you need to know

Birds are beautiful and fun to watch…unless they have decided to make themselves at home under your eaves. When birds set up roosts under your roof, in your attic, and other places around your lawn, things can get messy. The problem is, how do you go about serving them eviction notices?

Repelling birds is a little different than repelling other creatures. Birds are fast, stubborn and immune to repellent measures that depend on scent alone. For these feisty little creatures, mechanical methods of repellent are the usual soup du jour.

The easiest and most economical method to deter birds is to install bird spikes along the surfaces they are hanging out on. Though they look like medieval torture devices, bird spikes are very effective in reducing unwanted bird populations from certain areas. As a matter of fact, they are so effective many city municipalities use them to keep birds away from traffic cameras, radio transmitters and the like. A bird spike is just what it sounds like: a narrow, flexible strip of aluminum or plastic with aluminum or plastic rods sticking out from it. The device keeps birds from landing, thus discouraging roosting. The spikes are manufactured in a variety of shapes, sizes and configurations to accommodate just about any surface you need. Though they look barbaric, very few birds ever become injured or killed though the use of bird spikes, they merely don’t land there.

Another useful method for repelling birds is the motion sensor sprinkler known as the Scarecrow. This nifty little device uses motion sensor technology to sense the incoming bird and trigger the sprinkler mechanism to spray the bird with water. One or two run ins with this beast and birds will keep their distance quickly. Of course this unit is quite a bit more expensive than the bird spikes, but it is much more visually appealing than a house that looks like it has started to grow alien antenna everywhere. It has the added bonus of acting as a lawn sprinkler as well, at least until the birds get the message.

A less effective method are ultrasonic and “noisemaker” repellents that rely on scaring the birds away. The problem with these devices is that birds are too smart for their own good and learn quickly that the noises are not dangerous. The birds will quickly begin to ignore them, rendering them useless. Unless you use these methods in conjunction with something else, you will be sorely disappointed by the results.

Last but not least, avoid the “predator sculpture” approach. Plastic owls and straw stuffed scarecrows won’t give your little unwelcome houseguests a moment’s pause. Most will even use your yard decoration as a place to sit while hunting or waiting on a spot under the eave to open up. These are a waste of money, unless you just like the pink flamingo look.
In order to be successful in keeping birds away, you must be diligent in using whatever method you choose. Birds are much smarter than most other nuisance animals and will quickly learn how to outsmart any method of repellent if you give them an out.