Driving away pesky birds can somewhat test your patience. You might be ready to blow each off your fence for a quick answer to your problem. But before you cock your gun, remember that many birds here in the U.S. are protected by the government. Kill them and you’ll have to pay a fine or worse, face jail time. But this doesn’t mean that you’ll let the fowls rule over your vegetable garden, roof, yard, and entire property. There are natural bird control solutions you can employ so you and the birds will be safe in the process of driving them away.
One of the major concerns of some bird watchers and homeowners is that sticky gel, suet feeder, and spikes may directly harm the birds that will try to land or feed on it. The material can stick to their feathers and disrupt their flying ability which will make them more vulnerable to predators. This is not actually a problem for unprotected birds, but for the likes of woodpecker, whooping crane, and warblers, you have to be careful.
You should use the most humane and safe mode of discouraging them to land on your property. Some households have discovered that essential oils have the ability to drive the fowls away. Most of the relaxing scents the oils have been overpowering for the birds. If you’re wondering how these works, here are some of the tried and tested methods and options.
Essential Oils
Essentials oils are dubbed as the “answer to everything”. Have a headache? Use oils. Do you want to relax? Diffuse aromatic oils! In the case of invasive birds, you can also utilize some of your old time natural bird control solutions to protect your property. May it be for your porch, window, attic, and yard, you can utilize the wonder of these oils by simply spraying or dabbing a small amount. Here are some that you can use:
Lemon oil
The citrusy goodness is no doubt one of the best oils you can find. It’s an awesome air freshener and not overpowering if you control the amount. The scent of freshly squeezed lemons sprayed on your garden or any part of the house annoys the birds. It’s too strong for them to handle so they have no choice but to fly away.
You can also dilute the lemon oil with water and spray it normally. You’ll get to wash away the scent of the droppings by doing this plus your property will also smell good.
If you don’t want the hassle of concocting lemon oil sprays, you can plant lemons on your garden as natural bird control solutions. This will work for some birds but may not for some. You should know what birds are landing on your area to have realistic expectations.
Garlic oil
If you used to have a farm pestered with birds, you’ll know how effective garlic oil is. It’s one of the best natural repellents for birds and even farmers use it on their crops. Garlic oil has been dubbed as the green pesticide since it doesn’t alter the growth of the plants nor damage its external structure. You can also use this on your garden or yard and wherever you wish to. However, some variants may have a garlic odor which may not be suited for porch use.
Before you purchase your bottle of garlic oil, make sure that you’re getting a high-quality one. Top quality garlic oil is safe to spray even near your pets or the internal areas of your house. You can spray it directly to your fruit-bearing plants in the garden without the worry of poisoning or chemical contamination. Garlic oil is way cheaper than artificial bird sprays. It’s also eco-friendly as one of the natural bird control solutions.
Peppermint oil
One thing you should know is that birds don’t have strong lungs. Their small bodies will obviously reveal it. This means that they can’t stand strong scents no matter how pleasant it is for us humans. One of these is the odor of peppermint oil which we usually use for aromatherapy. Individuals with pet birds usually use peppermint oil at a distance to avoid smothering the fowl with such strong scent.
Dabbing some peppermint oil on your porch, window, garden, fence, and more areas where the birds used to land will be an excellent solution. However, try not to over-apply since too much can cause respiratory illnesses to birds, something you wouldn’t want if you intend to be humane with their dispersal.
In case you’re planning to purchase a bottle, I recommend that you get one of the Sun Organic Peppermint Oil. It smells great and made of pure peppermint. It already comes with a pipette for convenient application.
Let your cats out
Aside from using essential oils to your advantage, you can simply let your cat take a walk in the garden. Install catwalks and let the birds feel and see the presence of a predator as one of the natural bird control solutions. It’s best if your cat loves chasing birds since this will add to the scare. You’ll observe that only a few birds (those with a different level of courage) will dare trespass on your property.
Cats are hunters by instinct and bird owners have already witnessed the carnage of keeping a cat together with fowls. This relationship between the two creatures is helpful if you’re trying to send them away from your garden or any part of your house.
The only downside to this natural method is that your cats may get used to the flyers. The furball may grow tired of chasing them. Also, they might get sick due to exposure to droppings if you don’t clean it beforehand.
Classic owl scare
The classic owl scare never gets old. Placing an owl sculpture or mechanical model will help send the birds away. However, the technique here is moving the decoy predator regularly to make it appear like the real thing. Some smart birds like crows and pigeons may grow used to the scare tactic if you just leave it in the same corner every day.
Owls are direct predators of birds and having a replica that looks right on will be an advantage. You can get a plastic mold or one with a mechanical wing that moves in the air. As one of the natural bird control solutions, it’s added scare for the birds if the seeming predator is moving.
The best catch is the Bird-X Prowler Owl Decoy. Aside from its actual owl look, it also has moving wings that make it look intimidating for other birds. Just mount it on a broom handle or a steel bar and it will guard your property. However, it’s still crucial that you change the position of the owl to make the scare method work for long.
Relocate the nest
If you’re one conscientious human being, you may not want to forcibly drive the birds away with a strong smell. This could also be the case if the birds are nesting and there are little ones on the nest. You can remove the nest carefully where it is established on your house or ask a wildlife remover to do it for you.
Such step is the best thing to do if you’re dealing with protected birds. You just can’t poke or blast them off because of the fines and legalities you will face. Practice natural bird control solutions as much as possible. Also, removing their nest from its original position in your house will stop the unending process of destroying their nest as they rebuild it.
By placing their nest somewhere else, other birds would also use the same spot if there are dry leaves and nesting materials left. In case the birds are crows and other unprotected species, you can blow them off if you have the stomach to do so.
Garden Balls
Like the owl scares, garden bowls with large eye-like circles will work as a scare tactic. You can purchase multiple balls and place them on the garden, window, or porch where the birds tend to leave their disgusting droppings. Easy natural bird control solutions.
If you have no clue what one looks like, you can check out the De-Bird Balloon Bird Repellent. This one is a yellow ball with eye-like drawings all over its construction. It also comes with strips of shiny plastic that will flutter in the wind. This yellow ball is more conspicuous and sure to drive birds away.
The De-Bird ball is made for outdoor use so it won’t fade and puncture easily. Place one on your garden and you’ll observe fewer and fewer birds pecking on your plants. You can also let some float on the pool if the birds keep on pooping or drinking on the water.
Cover it up
If you want to stop birds from perching, roosting, and nesting, you should cover the area they pester. If your vegetable farm is the common target, you can use nets to stop crows and pigeons from feeding on your helpless seedlings. The best pick is the De-Bird Garden Netting that no birds can easily peck on and destroy. It can also withstand weathering and numerous seasons before needing a replacement. One of the effective natural bird control solutions, I must say.
The De-Bird net is a 3/5-inch mesh that works on almost any use. You can use it to guard your edible plants, secure your eaves from nesting, or discouraging the likes of pigeons from taking refuge on your solar panels.
If you’re installing it in a large garden, it will be more stable if you use to wrap it in a frame. The mesh doesn’t stick, and it won’t damage your leaves. You’re free to cut it into sizes without worrying about the mesh material unraveling from its pattern.
Make a nest for them
If you don’t want the birds to nest on your house, you might as well create a safe place for them to nest on. You can purchase a nest box like the JCs Wildlife Cedar Birdhouse and place it somewhere that is far from your house. This bird’s nest mimics the eaves of a house for a feeling of security without the difficulty of creating a nest on it. JCs Wildlife birdhouse can be used for any type of nesting bird due to its open construction.
The JCs Wildlife birdhouse is made of recycled cedar wood that’s not easy to rot. It’s an eco-friendly choice since it’s handmade and doesn’t use any harmful materials.
If you’re some sort of handyman, you can always construct the nest on your own. Multiple nests set a higher chance of discouraging the birds from considering your home their breeding spot.
Keep clean
Bird droppings, dried leaves, food sources, and related items attract birds to your property. If you have a yard with unkempt leaves, the birds will love it as the source of their nesting material. They would also leave some droppings packed with bacteria and viruses that can cause different illnesses to humans and pets. You have to use some natural bird control solutions in this case.
Remove the bird dropping on the first sight of it and stop waiting for it to pile up before scraping and cleaning. This way, you’re going to remove the smell that other birds may find attractive. The result? They will poop in some other area.
Keeping your place clean isn’t just for the benefit of driving the birds away. It also makes your surroundings more suitable for living.
Alter their favorite spot
Do your eaves have a cavity that a bird can use as a nesting place? If it’s a favorite spot among fowls, block it and make it unfavorable for perching. Altering the favorite spots of the birds will discourage them to go back. You can also place a crumpled net on it in case you can’t perform a big construction revamp.
Did these points help you? Share your thoughts with us and let us help more home and building owners get rid of their bird problem.
