Many people love watching birds in their natural habitat, and countless homeowners even supply birds with food, shelter, and birdbaths to keep them returning to their yards. While birds can be an incredible benefit to many homes and gardens by offering natural pest control, some species of birds can be seriously problematic.
Every year, birds cause millions of dollars in commercial damage to homes and properties. So, how do you maintain your bird-watching habit (if you have one) while also protecting your home and property from nuisance birds?
1. Modify Their Habitats
If there isn’t anything in your yard to attract birds they will be less likely to hang around. Most birds require freshwater to survive. Substitute saltwater for freshwater in your fountains and water features so birds won’t be able to drink from them. If you feed your pets outdoors, remove or cover their food and water dishes as soon as they’re done with them. Make sure pet food is kept in airtight containers. Birds also like to take cover in grass and other landscaping, especially in windy or stormy conditions. Make sure grass is kept mowed and hedges and trees are kept trimmed to help reduce cover. If you see a bird actively building a nest, use a long stick to dismantle it. Once you do this a few times, the bird will move on to a new nesting site. If the nest is already built or occupied by the bird, don’t attempt bird nest removal yourself.
2. Aluminum Foil
One of the easiest and cheapest natural bird repellents is aluminum foil. There are several different ways you can use aluminum foil to keep birds away. If birds are disturbing your garden, you can place strips of aluminum foil under the surface of the dirt or around any plants they are bothering. Birds don’t like the feel of the foil under their beaks and will stay away. You can also hang strips of aluminum foil (or shiny party streamers) from the trees or other high points around your home and garden. The sun reflects off the shiny surface and bothers their eyes, deterring them from coming near. If woodpeckers are around, hang an aluminum pie plate to the tree where you see them most often. The reflection off the plate will scare the woodpeckers off.
3. Bird Repellent
Pestman Bird Repellent uses a bio-sourced repellent active ingredient, the main active ingredient of which is methyl aminocarbonate (MA), a food grade flavouring. It is non-toxic, non-corrosive and very safe for birds, animals, humans and the environment. Combined with other natural flavours, Bismarck bird repellent uses smell, taste and sight to repel birds, making nuisance birds so uncomfortable that they will not fly back to the treatment area during the memory period, and is an effective repellent that does not harm birds. It can also repel bats and hares from the airport.
The dose is determined by the size of the infested area. 1 litre of bird repellent needs to be diluted with 250 litres of water and it can be used on a hectare of infested area, as long as it is sprayed on areas where nuisance birds are staying or roosting.
Bismarck Bird Repellent can be used in residential yards to repel urban pigeons, or in airports, warehouses, docks, boats, electrical installations, temples, scenic spots and other building facilities.
Many nuisance birds don’t migrate, so in order to prevent a future bird problem, the best thing you can do is to ensure your home is not an inviting place to them.
