Four Things That Will Keep Pest Birds Out of Your Vegetable Garden

Birds will soon be hovering around your vegetable garden. Just when your veggies are ripening and ready to eat—birds will beat you to them. They’ll peck and eat and, yes, poop on your prized crops.  If you’re like most gardeners, you won’t have the patience or the time to stand guard over your garden with a hose to disperse the birds. Nor will you have the cruel indifference to use poisons or other lethal means to harm the birds. What you need are humane, effective bird deterrents. Here are three bird control measures the pros recommend that will keep birds from eating what you worked all year to grow:

Sonic Bird Deterrents

Ideal for larger gardens, the Sound Bird Deterrents will intimidate any bird within earshot. The device emits bird distress and predator calls that make birds believe their safety may be threatened. The sounds broadcast are perceived as natural enemies of most birds (peregrine falcons, for example). While these sounds may strike fear in the hearts of most birds, they resemble normal bird calls to humans and pets. If your garden is being attacked by a variety of bird species, the Bird Chase Supersonic “covers all bases,” emitting distress and predator calls for 22 different species of birds. By the way, bird control experts suggest you stay away from ultrasonic bird deterrents. Birds can’t hear them and they are mostly ineffective.

Garden Bird Netting

Virtually invisible and easy to handle, Bird-B-Gone Garden Bird Netting will block birds from specific patches of your garden.  It provides effective bird barrier protection for your prized fruit trees, berry bushes and vegetables. The netting comes in 14 x 100-foot and 14 x 200-foot rolls and can easily be cut and shaped over plants and small trees. Garden netting comes in three different mesh sizes—1/4" mesh, 1/2" mesh and 3/4" mesh—depending on the specific bird you want to exclude. Unlike some netting, Bird-B-Gone high quality netting is made from a durable, UV-protected polypropylene. This is why it's so strong and light.

Visual Bird Deterrents

Birds avoid areas that are noisy and visually distracting. They hear better and react faster to danger than we do. That’s why Visual Bird Deterrents can be so effective—if they are frequently moved around so birds don’t get used to them.  Bird-B-Gone Visual Bird Deterrents include Flash Tape and Reflective Banners, which snap and crackle in the breeze and reflect sunlight. Equally effective are Scare Eye Diverters and Bird Scare Balloons, which twist and bob in the breeze to make their lifelike mock predator eyes appear threatening to any bird.

Red-Tail Hawk Decoys

Another highly effective visual bird deterrent, Red Tail Hawk Decoys are feared as predators by most birds. The Bird-B-Gone Hawk Decoy is made of heavy duty plastic to remain realistic looking through season after season of rough weather.  Just remember to move them about from time to time, or birds will eventually get to used to them.

Crows Attack Police in Seattle

As recently reported in The Huffington Post Green, crows have been attacking Seattle-area police in the parking lot of an Everett Police Department precinct station.

The aggressive black birds have been swooping down and dive-bombing officers on their way to and from their cars. One officer who was attacked by a crow, noted that the birds were behaving like velociraptors. In an effort to scatter the crows, officers turned on their sirens to frighten them. Not only did this strategy of bird control fail, the crows “decorated” police cars with droppings.

A wildlife department biologist noted that the crows are merely protecting baby crows that were ejected out of their nests and learning to fly. It’s a known fact among bird experts that crows are highly intelligent, so much so that the birds can actually recognize the individual features of people. Crows have also been known to hold grudges. So it stands to reason that if these crows perceive police officers as threatening to their young, they will attack them—or anyone else wearing a similar uniform.

Clearly, what the Everett Police Department precinct station needs to do is implement an effective bird control strategy. Fortunately, there are a number of effective and humane bird control deterrents currently on the market. Here’s what the pros recommend:

Stainless Steel Bird Spikes

Large birds like crows simply can’t get their wings around Stainless Steel Bird Spikes. The spiked strips are easy to install and can be glued down, nailed or screwed onto most any surface. They come in a variety of widths --1”, 3”, 5” and 8” --to match the area you want protect. The best stainless steel bird spikes are made in the USA and will have their spikes securely embedded in UV-resistant unbreakable polycarbonate. Approved by the US Humane Society and PICAS, the spikes are blunted at the tips and won't injure crows or installation crews.

Bird Chase Super Sonic

Easy to place on precint buildings, garages, and similar open areas, the Bird Chase Super Sonic exploits a crow’s alertness to sound threats. The device continually broadcasts pre-recorded bird distress and predator calls. These sounds resemble natural bird sounds, so humans won't be bothered by them. Because of the socail nature of crows, they will hear the distress and predator calls and send the message along that there is a threat, and the birds will flee the area.  The quality-constructed device is weather resistant and designed for outdoor use. It's easily programmed for day or night operation.

Bird Jolt Flat Track

A low-profile, electrical bird deterrent track system, Bird Jolt Flat Track imparts a mile electric shock to the feet of crows (or any bird for that matter). Birds are quickly “instructed” to avoid the surface and will move on. The shock produced is harmless to crows, yet it creates an inhospitable area to the birds. Flat Track is made in the USA and comes in six colors to match the surface onto which it is installed. The track can be easily glued down to most surfaces.

How to Choose Visual Bird Deterrents for Your Home

by Alex A. Kecskes

As a homeowner, you’ve no doubt had your run-ins with pest birds. Maybe it was geese trampling your garden and frightening your kids and pets. Or perhaps woodpeckers gave you grief, turning your nice new siding into Swiss cheese. Or swallows leaving those ugly mud nests under your eaves—the eaves you had to repaint last year because the mud nests ate into the paint. Then again, you could have been troubled by pigeons pooping all over your new patio set and BBQ—they left a disease carrying, smelly mess you had to clean up almost every week. 
No matter what the bird, your bird problem called for time and money to be spent. Time you should have spent with your family.  And money you could have used for a thousand other things.

If you’re like most homeowners, you don’t have a lot of money to spend in these tough economic times. You can’t afford to hire a pest control company to completely bird proof your home. Which means, you’ve got to find an economical way to get rid of pest birds, or at least keep them away from your home. After all, pest birds can do a lot of damage to your home.  Their nests and feathers can clog your expensive  AC unit (and you know how expensive repairs on that can be). Bird droppings can also cover you solar panels, which can drastically reduce their efficiency. And bird nests can stop up your rain gutters, causing water to overflow and your roof to leak (more expense).

The solution? Visual Bird Deterrents.

Fortunately, today’s bird control companies offer a variety of products in this category that are both humane and effective in keeping pest birds away from your home. Here are some simple guidelines in choosing the right Visual Bird Deterrent:
Flash Tape, Banners, Diverters & Balloons

These catch a pest bird’s eye and make him feel uncomfortable enough to leave. Flash Tape and Banners reflect sunlight and snap in the breeze. Scare Eye Diverters and Bird Scare Balloons feature large predator eyes to frighten pest birds. These visual bird deterrents area  inexpensive and attach easily to any elevated  point around your home or patio.

Hawk Decoys

Hawks are feared by most birds. They hunt during the day when birds are active. Hawk decoys can be very effective for both small and large pest birds. The goal here is to get the
most realistic looking decoys you can afford. Look for a sturdy, quality decoy made of durable plastic that’s designed to stay realistic looking after hot summers and winter rains. When using hawk decoys, place them in high visibility areas in plain sight of pest birds.

When using any visual bird deterrent,  be sure to move them around once a week to make birds believe they represent a real threat.

Bird Control to Keep Grackles Away from Your Home

by Alex A. Kecskes

In pairs of one or two, grackles can be entertaining to watch and fun to feed. But they often arrive in flocks of hundreds, even thousands, occupying trees and large bushes, making quite a racket and leaving a huge mess in droppings.

Grackles are blackbirds with iridescent purple-blue feathers on the back, neck and head. They have black legs and heads, yellow eyes, and a long tail. They’re not exactly small birds, either, measuring up to 13 inches in length with an 18-inch wingspan.

Most grackles are usually found in open or urban areas, in orchards and savannas, as well as suburban and agricultural settings. They prefer to gather in scattered trees. Grackles will eat insects, small fish, mice, small bats, seeds, grains, acorns, and some fruits. So if you have a fruit tree on your property, a flock of grackles can consume or destroy your fruit in a very short time.  All the more reason to use some proven bird deterrent methods to discourage them.

That doesn’t mean resorting to firecrackers, pellet guns, even poisons, for these are simply temporary measures that won’t achieve the long-term results you need to keep them away from your property. Not to mention the fact that poisons and pellet guns are inhumane and dangerous to pets and children. Fortunately, there are several effective and humane bird deterrents you use.

They include:

Sonic Bird Deterrents Encourage Birds to Leave

Grackles, like most birds, are easily alarmed. But unless you plan on banging pots 24/7, the birds will come back minutes after you leave. One solution to this problem is to install a Sonic Bird Deterrent. This device will broadcast distress calls of other grackles as well as the predator calls of a grackle’s natural enemy—hawks or falcons—day and night until grackles get the message that your property is unsafe for them. By the way, don’t bother with ultrasonic deterrent devices. These only irritate pets and birds can't hear them.

Reflective Eye Diverters  Scare Birds

These things are classified as visual bird deterrents and can be very effective against grackles when you hang them in trees and large bushes. They will scare pest birds away from trees, patios, gardens, and other areas of your property. Each diverter features a large “mock” predator eye on its shiny reflective surface. Grackles take one look and they become convinced that a big predator is sizing them up for a meal. Result: they head off to someone else’s property.

Hawk Decoys Deter Birds

Most birds fear the sight of hawks, which is why Hawk Decoys can be so effective against grackles. Strategically placed in trees and other lofty structures, Hawk Decoys can convince grackles that your property is too dangerous to occupy. The best decoys are made of heavy-duty plastic to remain realistic looking for years outdoors. For best results, move the decoy around often to convince grackles that your hawk is real.

How to Prevent Swallows from Nesting Under Your Eaves

by Alex A. Kecskes

Swallows like to build mud nests on many different kinds of surfaces. These bowl-shaped nests are built from mud mixed with saliva and grass. They are lined with soft feathers and hair. The nests can damage and deface the eaves of homes, office buildings and other structures.

Mud nests built by swallows are often insect infested, and if they are not removed in a timely manner, they will stain the surface onto which they are attached. To make matters worse, the bacteria, fungal agents and parasites found in swallow droppings and nests can carry such serious diseases as histoplasmosis, encephalitis, salmonella, meningitis, toxoplasmosis and more.

When swallows permanently leave, their nests are frequently invaded by sparrows. And when these birds leave, insects will move in and eventually enter your home or building.
If you already have swallows nesting under your eaves, you’ll first need to legally remove their nests before installing any bird deterrents. Keep in mind that you are prohibited from removing swallow nests if they are occupied by swallows or their eggs. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 makes it illegal to intentionally kill, injure or take any migratory bird, or to intentionally damage or destroy the nest, eggs, or young of a swallow while the nest is being built or in use.

Fortunately, there are a variety of humane bird deterrent products one can use to prevent swallows from nesting under eaves. Chief among these is a product called Bird Slope. Installed along the underside of your eaves, these angled, slippery PVC panels make it impossible for any swallow to gain a solid footing. They just slip and glide right off. After a few unsuccessful attempts, they give up and will look for a better place to build their nests. Bird slopes come in different colors to blend in with a building’s exterior. The panels install easily using glue, nails or screws and they're essentially maintenance free.

Another type of netting, plastic bird net, can also be used to deter swallows. This lightweight plastic mesh netting excludes swallows from eaves by creating a physical barrier that blocks the birds’ access to eaves. Easy to work with and made from durable, U.V. protected polypropylene, it comes in a 1/4-inch mesh size to stop swallows. To keep birds out of eaves, temporarily install the netting using specially designed ultranet clips. You can also use a staple gun to secure the netting around the perimeter.

Used in conjunction with other measures, consider hanging a few visual scare bird deterrents under your eaves. Included in this category of deterrents are Bird Scare Balloons, which come with reflective decals, flash tape and twine. The balloons feature large predator eyes that make swallows too nervous to nest. Bird Scare Diverters use the same principle. They feature a giant predator eye and can be hung under eaves to frighten swallows. When using visual scare devices, it’s important to move them around occasionally to prevent swallows from getting used to them.

Finally, Bird Deterrents Worth Crowing About

by Alex A. Kecskes

Some homes just attract the wrong kinds of birds. If your home is beginning to draw flocks of crows, it’s time you got some bird deterrents worth crowing about. In other words, you need effective, humane bird deterrents that will get rid of those black birds once and for all.

Crows are not dummies. They live in close communities and work together to defend their territories. Working in teams, they’ll use “spotters” as lookouts to warn the flock of impending danger. These birds are omnivorous scavengers that will devour virtually anything, including discarded food in and around garbage cans. Without effective bird control, they’ll hop on patio table and feast on your outdoor BBQ dinner. 

If no food is immediately accessible, crows have been known to tear up lawns looking for grubs. If you have this problem, treat your lawn for grubs to keep the crows from doing any more damage. Removing the source of food is one way to discourage crows, but the sure fire way to get rid of crows is to use the bird control devices today's professionals use. Here are three suggestions:

Crows Dislike Spikes

Bird Spikes have been used for years to deter all manner of birds. And they can  be particularly effective against crows. The reason is simple: crows just can’t seem to negotiate a landing on or near them. Bird spikes come in long-lasting stainless steel or rigid unbreakable polycarbonate. They also come in several colors to blend in with their surroundings. The spiked strips are virtually maintenance free. The best bird spikes come with predrilled holes and glue troughs for fast, easy installation on patio covers and rooftops.

Crows Hate Spiders

Bird Spiders have long spindly legs that flagellate in the breeze to whip crows away. Place one or two on your patio covers, near your solar panels, or other elevated flat surfaces, and crows will think twice before landing anywhere near them. Bird spiders come in several arm lengths to accommodate a specific problem area.

Scarecrows  Scare  Crows

Employing the latest in bird sensing technology, these advanced devices spring to life the second a crow enters their radius of protection.  Crows who dare to invade this protected space get hit with a blast of water and startling sprinkler sound. It’s enough to scare the pants off any bird. Using these devices is an ideal and very humane way of discouraging crows from gardens, backyards, pools, spas and many outdoor areas.

Balloons Bug Crows

Crows are nervous creatures. Predator Eye Balloons work on a crow’s fear of predators. The balloons sport a large eye, and will bob and weave in the breeze to make crows really uneasy—too uneasy to hang around. Best of all, these balloons are relatively inexpensive. And you can hang them just about anywhere. Just remember to move them around occasionally so crows don’t get too used to them.

Effective Bird Control for Waterfront Homes

by Alex A. Kecskes

If you’re fortunate enough to live in a waterfront home, you’ve no doubt had to deal with gulls, cormorants or pelicans on your property. Without effective bird control measures to deter them, these birds can create a number of costly problems. Not the least of which is the build-up of bird droppings everywhere.

Gull droppings on your roof, for example, are so acidic they can permanently damage roofing tiles. Cormorants like to build nests in lofty places, like chimneys, which can be dangerous to both bird and resident. Sometimes, gulls will bring muscles on your deck or rooftop and break them apart before eating. This can create a smelly mess, damage your roof and mar your deck.

Seaside pest birds can wreak havoc with your outdoor furniture. Canvas awnings and umbrellas can become so covered with droppings that they will degrade the material to the point of tearing. Droppings on the sides of your home, deck or boathouse can require expensive removal and re-painting.

So what can you do to protect your home from pest birds? Install some effective, humane bird deterrents. Here are few of the most popular for seaside homes:

Marine Grade Bird Spikes

These won’t allow birds to land or perch. The best bird spikes are made of flexible, marine-grade stainless steel and feature a U.V.-protected polycarbonate base. The spikes are easy to install on rooftops, decks, light posts or other lofty areas birds often choose to land. The spikes come in 3-, 5- and 8-inch widths to cover areas up to 8 inches wide. For larger birds—like cormorants—you’ll need the Mega Spike, which protects landing areas with 7-inch long spikes. To keep pest birds out of your rain gutters, Gutter Spikes feature adjustable clamps at the base. Bird spikes are blunted at the tips and are approved safe by the U.S. Humane Society and PICAS (Pigeon Control Advisory Service).

Visual Bird Deterrents

Often called Bird Scare Deterrents, these include Flash Tape and Reflective Banners than can be easily hung on decks, patio covers, and landing areas. They “spook” birds by crackling in the breeze and reflecting sunlight. Working on the same principle are Scare Eye Diverters, which sway and bob in the breeze. These teardrop shaped plastic panels feature large predator eyes to frighten birds. Finally, there are the Bird Scare Balloons, which also feature large predator eyes to keep pest birds thinking twice about landing. These visual bird deterrents can be effective, but you must move them around from time to time to convince birds they are a real threat.

Sonic Bird Control

These devices emit bird distress and predator calls that resemble normal bird sounds to humans. They make birds far too uncomfortable to stay. One popular sonic bird control unit can emit distress and predator calls for 22 different species of birds. Its built-in speaker covers up to one acre. The unit can be programmed to turn on or off at night, and you can even adjust the volume.