5 Easy Ways to Keep Birds Away

Birds visit your home and garden looking for food, shelter, and nesting areas. Keep birds away from your plants by netting them, pruning dense shrubs and trees and removing their food sources like garbage.

Visual deterrents, like fake predator animals and owl statues, can startle birds. Shiny objects, such as a mylar balloon with owl-like eyes or reflective tape, and wind chimes that move in the wind can also scare them away.

1. Bird Spikes

Bird spikes are long rods made of metal or plastic that can be positioned on the ground or attached to the ledges and overhangs of buildings. They are not sharp enough to hurt birds that land on them but they make it uncomfortable for them to roost or nest there. If you need additional reading on birds, click here.

For homes and businesses that are plagued by pigeons, sparrows, or other pest birds these spikes can be a great solution. They can also be used around gazebos, above porches, or other roosting areas where birds are causing a mess or damage.

Another great visual deterrent is a fake owl, which frightens the birds by imitating the appearance of their natural predator. Some have flashing eyes or move their heads in the wind to add to their realism.

2. Terror Eyes Balloons

This menacing predator balloon frightens birds away with markings that exaggerate the glaring stare and gaping mouth of natural predators. Its holographic eyes also move organically with the wind, increasing efficacy, and is easy to inflate and hang.

It can be hung anywhere that is visible to pest birds such as pigeons, seagulls, sparrows and woodpeckers. This includes preventing damage to crops, equipment, patios, homes and gardens. The bird deterrent can even be hung around airports, granaries, car parks, motorway and bridge underpasses, boatyards, docks and warehouses.

To get the best results, hang the predator balloon close to roosting birds with good line-of-sight. It is recommended to periodically relocate the device as birds may become used to it. This can be done either manually or with the help of a spring, helping the balloon to bob and sway more randomly.

3. Flying Kites

Birds are naturally apprehensive of things that move weirdly or seem unnatural. That's why these flying kites work so well. Designed to look like the streamlined silhouette of a falcon, these kits need very little wind (2 miles per hour) to self-launch and flutter ominously overhead, scaring birds away without ever coming near your property.

The company that makes these kites offers a similar device called a Fright Kit, which uses propane-powered sounds to sound booming predator noises at random intervals. This randomized setting prevents birds from becoming accustomed to the noise and allows you to adjust the frequency of the booms to your liking.

If your unwanted visitors are roosting on rooftops, porches or walls, try installing a roll of Roosting Spikes. These metal rods are too thin for them to grip and will discourage avian roosting.

4. Bird Roosting Spikes

If you are sick of the bird droppings and nests being defaced on your home or roof, then you can take a long-term approach to dealing with these pest birds by installing bird spikes. These spikes are long metal rods that prevent birds from landing or roosting on areas like ledges and windowsills. The spikes are easy to install and will last for years without needing maintenance.

Birds can also be deterred by using sound-based repellents such as sonic or ultrasonic bird sprays. These repellents mimic the sound of natural predator birds like owls or hawks and will scare away any roosting birds.

Other non-lethal methods include using reflective bird tape, which flashes sunlight into the eyes of any roosting birds to distract them and discourage them from hanging out on your property. You can also try placing fake predator animals like scarecrows or owl statues to scare the birds.

5. Baking Soda

Baking soda is an effective tactile deterrent for birds that repels them by creating a gummy feel under their feet. You can apply it to places where birds tend to land like the railings of your porch or other structures on your property. However, this method is not permanent and you will have to replace it after rain or snow.

Other types of tactile deterrents include citrus (such as lemon oil), paprika, and pepper spray. These repellents are easy to make at home with ingredients that you already have on hand.

You can also use light to deter birds by hanging objects that reflect the sun’s rays. Shiny objects such as foil, pie pans, tin cans, old CDs, small mirrors, and unwanted CDs can be hung around your yard to help keep nuisance birds away.