Homeowners love seeing birds in their backyards. It is entertaining to watch and listen to birds sing. But once they wear out their welcome and begin wreaking havoc from the balcony, it is time to learn how to prevent birds from perching.
There are several effective ways to scare birds away from the roof or any part of your home. Aluminum foil and homemade spray are among the effective methods we have tried. Read on as we will give you some tips to keep annoying birds at bay.
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Best Way to Stop Birds Perching
Some do trial and error to keep birds from making nests in unwanted places. But with these two DIY methods, you can prevent birds from perching on the fence on the first try!
Method 1: DIY Bird Scarer
What are birds scared of? The answer is predators and any shiny objects. While you can easily purchase these items from the store, it is an effortless project to take on your own.
What to prepare:
- Aluminum foil/wind spinners
- Scissors
- Strings
Step 1: Prepare your aluminum foil
Get your aluminum foil from the kitchen and spread it out. Have your scissors ready to cut thick strips vertically. Cut enough strips to place around your property.
Step 2: Locate where birds often hang out
Find where birds often stay around your home. In the garden, you can scatter the foil strips on the ground, partly covering them with dirt just enough to keep them in place. Using the strings, you can hang the strip on high points of your backyard or trees.
Step 3: Watch birds scamper away
The shiny light reflected on the surface of the aluminum foil strips is effective in stopping the birds from coming to your home.
Note: Reflective wind spinners are also great and work similarly to aluminum foil.
Method 2: DIY Bird Repellent
What smells do birds hate? several ingredients can make birds fly away the moment they smell them. Some are chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, citrus oil, cinnamon, and essential oils.
What can I spray to get rid of birds naturally? You can find ready-made repellent spray online or at your nearest store, but you must opt for a non-toxic one. Besides, you can always concoct your own bird-repellent spray.
What to prepare:
- 4 dozen chili peppers
- Mortar and pestle
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1-gallon water
- Large soda bottle
- Spray bottle
Step 1: Prepare the chili peppers
With the mortar and pestle, crush the peppers until they are mashed well. You can also use a small bowl and a masher.
Step 2: Mix the chili peppers and water
Put the crushed pepper in the empty soda bottle and fill it with water. Close the lid and shake.
Step 3: Let the mixture ferment
Find a nice sunny place outside where you can place the container with the mixture. Let it sit for around five days to ferment.
Step 4: Add the rest of the ingredients
After five days, open the lid of the container and add the apple cider vinegar. Give it a good shake before transferring it into the spray bottle.
Step 5: Spray on bird hang-out places
The bird-repellent spray is now ready! Spritz the mixture in places where there is a high bird activity like the balcony or deck. It is safe for plants, so you don’t have to worry about spraying them with it.
[/su_box]Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my bird perching?
Perching is a bird’s behavior that shows they are safe and comfy on the railing or anywhere they are. Some will go further and tuck their head and one foot, a secured position that tells them they’ll be staying at this cozy place for a long time.
Some Common Perching Birds
For bird roosting prevention, we need to know what birds we are dealing with. That way, when one of these species lands on the porch light, we can observe them and keep birds off porch columns before they do any more damage.
Perching birds are songbirds and are found in almost every corner of the country. Here are some passerines to look out for.
- Finches
- Sparrows
- Swallows
- Crows
- Flycatchers
- Wrens
- Ravens
- Jays
- Starlings
- Cardinals
How to stop pigeons from roosting at night?
To stop troublesome pigeons from staying overnight on window sills, you can try restricting them physically by installing wires and spikes. Direct and reflected light sources also work in deterring these birds.
The spray recipe we have is also great as a pigeon repellent homemade. It is easy to find the ingredients in your home and they are non-toxic.
How to keep birds from pooping on my porch?
One of the most infuriating things about failing to keep birds out of porch rafters is poop all over your deck. To save yourself from the trouble of constantly having to clean your porch time and time again, try doing the following:
- Remove bird baths and food sources
- Put up fake predators like hawks and owls
- Hang mirrors and wind chimes on tree branches or fence
- Install an ultrasonic sound system
Conclusion
Now that you know how to prevent birds from perching, we hope you can have a more relaxing time without having to worry about annoying birds. The DIY bird roosting deterrents we suggested are specifically designed to keep birds away from your house.
Let us know how it turned out for you. If you have some tips and tricks that work and are still using, let us and our other readers know in the comment section!
George and I became friends after a birdwatching trip with our new group. And we have been enjoying every adventure together. When he told me the idea of establishing a site that shares our experiences and fun, I immediately agreed. After trials and errors, here we have Thayerbirding.