You’d think them harmless when gazing upon them in the wild, but birds can be a real pain when they intrude into your space. Pest birds will cause a number of serious problems when they move into your property.
Some of these problems include:
- Noise. Birds are very noisy, especially when gathered in large numbers, which can make it hard for you to relax or concentrate on a task.
- Disease risk. Birds are capable of spreading a number of diseases to humans such as Salmonellosis, Candidiasis, and Histoplasmosis among others.
- Property Damage. Bird poop is acidic, which makes it corrosive, and will eat away metal and stone, and damage the paint. This could leave you with a hefty repair bill.
- Safety hazard. When wet, bird poop can be extremely slippery and can cause slip and fall accidents that could result in serious injury.
- Secondary pests. Birds will sometimes have other smaller pests on them such as mites, ticks, and fleas which they could spread.
Because of all the problems birds can cause, it is important that you take action to get rid of an infestation as soon as it starts. In Australia, common pest bird species include the Pigeon, House Sparrow, Common Myna, Sea Gull and the English Starling.
Preventing a bird infestation
Before we get to the different methods of controlling a bird infestation, let’s first look at some of the measures you can take to ensure you don’t get a bird infestation to begin with.
- Remove or protect water sources on your property that could attract thirsty birds.
- Keep your trash covered and your property free of food.
- Never feed birds on your property as this encourages them to hang around.
- Keep your gutters clear to eliminate standing water.
- Cover gaps and openings in your building that birds can use to gain entry.
Controlling a bird infestation
If you already have a bird infestation on your hands, there’re several control solutions that you can use to get rid of these pesky pests.
They include:
- Bird netting. These nets are pretty similar to regular nets in appearance but quite different when it comes to the build materials. Bird nets are made using strong, durable materials capable of withstanding the elements. Bird netting works by denying intruding birds access to the areas where they’re not wanted. The control solution is effective and inexpensive.
- Bird spikes. These devices feature projecting rods attached to a solid base that makes landing and roosting impossible for birds. Bird spikes are easy to install and maintain and are discrete enough to ensure the aesthetic of the protected structure is not ruined.
- Repellers. These devices use unpleasant stimuli to get rid of intruding birds. Examples of bird repellers include sound repellers, ultrasonic repellers, and water jet repellers. Repellers can either be motion-activated or programmed to go off at pre-set intervals. These devices are normally solar-powered and weatherproof which makes them ideal for outdoor use.
- Deterrents. Bird deterrents prevent birds from invading your property by scaring them away visually. They include strobe lights, holographic tapes, and bird scarers that resemble predatory birds or humans.
Depending on your circumstances, you can either use one or a combination of several of the above control methods to rid your property of birds.