How to Deal With Nuisance Birds

The sound of chirping birds can be calming white noise for your garden, but sometimes our feathered friends can overstay their welcome. While yards and gardens commonly contain a bird feeder to attract beautiful blue jays and fascinating hummingbirds, they also attract birds that are more pest than pet. There are simple tricks you can use to get rid of these birds, whether you're dealing with a hawk gobbling up your winged pals or pigeons roosting and pooping on your porch.

False owl

Strips of aluminum

Reflective plastic

Bird netting

Bird spikes

Wind chimes

Move your feeder away from your house if you normally place one near the property. Moving the feeder away makes less of a temptation for the birds to roost on your roof or the rafters of your porch.

Remove the bird feeder from your garden if you find yourself being visited by hawks. A bird feeder can become a regular hunting ground for predatory raptors like hawks and owls. The raptors will simply leave once the easy meal has disappeared. Replace the feeder once the predatory birds have left and see if they return. Remove the feeder for the remainder of the season if they come back.

Place a fake owl in your garden. A fake owl, made of wood or plastic, acts as a visual deterrent to smaller birds that would be prey to a real owl.

Staple strips of aluminum foil or reflective plastic streamers in areas you wish to deter bird activity. The movement and bright reflection will scare away any birds in the area. Use a few windsocks or wind chimes in place of reflective materials to achieve a similar effect.

Purchase some bird netting if birds are pecking at your garden. Bird netting is available at home improvement stores. You can drape the netting over your homegrown crops without damaging them or limiting their growth, and it will keep the birds from getting at the good stuff.

Purchase bird spikes from a hardware store for the rafters of your porch, your doorway and your gutters if your problem with roosting birds persists. Bird spikes are rails with long steel wires that prevent a bird from landing wherever they've been placed. The birds will see the spikes and not even attempt to land. Sticky spray is also available at hardware stores and is designed to be sprayed in places where birds are unwanted. The sticky material causes great discomfort to the birds and they will immediately fly away.

Sticky spray carries the danger of damaging the bird's feathers, so use with caution and only as directed if you choose this method.