News & Articles

Humane Bird Control Options For Your Yard

Posted on August 28, 2020
closeup-of-flowers

Many people enjoy bird watching and agree they are a wonderful part of nature. However, when they start to make homes in your yard and pick apart your gardens, you begin to disagree with how charming they are. Birds can carry diseases, poop on everything, and tend to wake you up too early in the morning. These issues alone are enough to want to call in the professionals for bird control and rid these flying fiends from your space.

When it comes to bird control most people don’t want to use harsh pesticides in their backyards to get rid of their new squawking neighbours. Humane bird control can be done. We are here to talk about the importance of keeping your yard bird free and how to do it safely.

Damage & Disease Caused By Birds

Though many birds are often harmless and just pop by for a quick visit in your yard, others can prove to be peskier and more dangerous.

  • Many birds can cause significant damage to gardens by foraging on berries and seeds and even displace more desired songbirds from flying by.
  • In rural areas, they can forage on livestock feed and contaminate it.
  • A variety of species of birds will build nests in or on buildings, causing fire hazards and other pest infestations and causing noise pollution.
  • Bird droppings can be acidic, and dependant on the bird can ruin and damage property.
  • Often birds can carry diseases, parasites, and bacteria such as lice or mites, Salmonella, Lyme Disease, Avian Pox, and West Nile. They spread it around your yard to other critters or even to you or your family.
Bird Deterrents
Visual Scares
scarecrow-visual-deterrant

A visual scare is what people typically think of when they see a scarecrow. Visual scares are something to irritate or frighten the birds by making them feel unsafe. It will deter the birds from roosting your yard. Visual scares can cover large areas. However, you have to move them around the yard frequently for them to remain effective.

Examples of these visual scares would be:

  • Plastic Predators, Such As Owls & Coyotes
  • Shiny Objects That Will Glint And Flicker In The Sun, Such As Shiny Tape Or Hanging CD’s
  • Terror Eyes Balloons
Taste Aversions

Taste aversions make foliage birds graze on in your yard taste or smell bad. You can spray a chemical compound throughout the yard that will deter birds. It is very effective at protecting your fruits, grass and even crops. Most taste aversions sprays are made from methyl anthranilate, which comes from concord grapes. Methyl anthranilate will not harm the birds, humans, or other animals, such as your pets. The only downside is that you have to reapply the spray application every once in a while to ensure it hasn’t faded or been rinsed off due to rain or watering.

Roost Inhibitors
bird-control-spikes

Roost inhibitors include things such as:

  • Spikes
  • Chemical Barriers, Which Are Invisible But Case A Stickiness To Walk Through Which Birds Dislike
  • Netting To Surround Specific Areas From Allowing Birds To Enter.
Sound Repellents

Sound repellents will emit loud noises that will frighten the birds (a predator’s noise) or coax the birds away with a distress call.

There are two types of sound repellents, sonic repellents and ultrasonic. Sonic repellents can randomize frequency, pitch, timing and other factors that can annoy and disorient the birds, making them want to avoid your yard.

Meanwhile, ultrasonic repellents will emit pulses that bother birds similar to the sonic repellents, but humans won’t be able to hear these.

Humane Bird Elimination

Some people may want to prevent birds from entering their yards while others already have a bird problem and need them gone.

Humane ways of eliminating your bird problems and humane bird control products are:

Caulk Or Seal Openings
caulking-small-vent-opening-sealed-off

This method proves useful when birds have already roosted in places like your shed or garage. Smaller birds can get in through tiny cracks holes, and therefore by permanently covering the areas of entry, you can become bird free.

Block Openings To Your Eavestroughs, Gutters & Downspouts, Decks & Lofts

Birds often build nests in these places. Nests can cause damage to your home and property if not taken care of properly. Nests in eavestroughs can block drainage and cause overflow into your home instead of away from your home. Netting is usually the best choice for these spaces because it’s still covered while still allowing flow.

Door Strips

Door strips can also keep smaller birds out of the garage, shed or home. These plastic strips are hung from doorframes and can prevent birds from entering the premises without closing off the entryway for people and pets.

Nest Removal
baby-birds-nest

The removal of a nest can ensure a decline in population for your yard. Be sure to call fish and wildlife first before removing nests yourself to ensure it is safe and legal to do so. If you don’t want to be in charge of such a delicate task, get a professional to come and take a look at the situation. Martin’s Pest Control has years of experience and will ensure your yard is bird free and stays bird free.

Live Traps

Setting live traps can also be smart for ridding yourself from birds setting up camp in your yard humanely and effectively. These traps are great, especially if some of the repellent methods have failed to work. Using live traps will keep from endangering non-target birds so they can be released safely back into the wild. Just make sure to release them far enough away from your home. Birds can find their way back up to 80km. It is also good to rid the area of anything that will draw them back to your home so they can start a new roost elsewhere.

Call The Professionals At Martin's Pest Control
bird-behind-net

For more information on bird control in Calgary and Airdrie, Contact Martin’s Pest Control We are a family-owned and locally-operated pest control services business. We know pest control and the environment certain methods work in to solve your pest problem as efficiently and effectively possible. You won’t get better service than you will with Martin’s Pest Control. Call today, (403) 460-7213.