USA Bird Controls

by Alex A. Kecskes

Chances are, if you live in the city and lack effective bird control measures, your town home or condo will have a pest bird problem. Birds love to perch, gather and roost on a balcony, patio area, awning windowsill or rooftop (if you have a top unit). They’ll peck at your screens and damage your cloth awnings and umbrellas. Bird droppings will collect on your balcony, your plants, and your balcony furniture. Before long, you’ll have a real mess on your hands. Fail to remove these droppings and any items made of cloth or plastic will deteriorate and eventually rip apart.

Yes, birds are easily frightened away, but they come back the minute you leave. So unless you stand on your balcony and wave your arms or clang pots and pans 24/7, birds will return. And they’ll return in larger flocks. Because the scent of bird droppings, nesting materials and debris will attract more birds.

So how can you keep pest birds away from your townhouse or condo? After all, you don’t own the entire building, so large-scale bird control measures may not be allowed by your homeowners association. Here are two proven effective bird deterrents you should consider:

Red-Tail Hawk Decoys

These decorative red-tailed hawk decoys are barely noticeable by humans. Yet most pest birds fear them and will quickly get the message: “a predator is just waiting you eat you.”  Result: pest birds will simply move on to someone else’s balcony. Hawks are the natural predators of most birds and they do their hunting during the day (not at night when most birds are taking a nap). When choosing a hawk decoy, it’s best to go for quality and realism. While they have little birdbrains, birds are not dummies. They can spot a cheap phony bird in a heartbeat. Also, look for decoys fabricated of heavy-duty plastic, which will allow them to stay realistic looking after several rainy seasons and hot summers. The other thing to keep in mind is to move the decoys around and reposition them every week, lest birds get used to them.

Sonic Bird Deterrents

Your average bird has supersensitive hearing. It’s to give them the earliest possible warning that danger is near. Bird control experts were aware of this fact when they developed Sonic Bird Deterrents. These devices reproduce and broadcast previously recorded distress and predator calls that create a sense of urgent alarm in birds. The sounds generated resemble normal bird sounds to humans, so you don’t have to worry about neighbors complaining.  One popular sonic bird deterrent can generate distress and predator calls for 22 different species of birds, so it pretty much covers any bird problem you may encounter. The best sonic device will include a built-in speaker, a volume control and the ability to turn itself on or off at night.

by Alex A. Kecskes

Many homes, especially in the south, have beautiful front porches. These areas are perfect for relaxing with friends and neighbors, especially in the evenings when cool breezes waft across front gardens and rustle through the trees. But unless you implement some effective bird control measures, your beautiful front porch may be covered with disease-carrying bird droppings, nests and nesting materials. You’ll also have to put up with birds zooming in on any snacks you may have placed on a table.

Without adequate bird deterrents, you’ll have birds nesting on your front roof, in alcoves of your front porch and even in your gain gutters. As pretty as some birds are and as melodious as they sound, birds can become a nuisance around your front porch.

Yes, you can shoo them away, squirt them with a hose, or even try bird poisons, but these methods are typically ineffective and inhumane. The only solution is to use proven bird deterrents. Here are three bird deterrents the pros use most often on homes like yours:

Red-Tail Hawk Decoys

As decorative as they are effective, Red-Tail Hawk Decoys have been widely used to discourage many a pest bird from specific areas around a home. Hawks, you see, hunt during the day when most pest birds are active, so using hawk decoys is a better deterrent than owl decoys, which hunt at night when most birds are asleep. Opt for the most realistic looking decoy you can find. And make sure it’s made of heavy duty plastic to stay real looking after several seasons outdoors. Finally, move the decoy around frequently to convince curious birds that the decoy is more than a dummy.

Plastic Bird Netting

To deter pest birds from specific areas of your front porch, you should use Plastic Bird Netting. This barrier bird deterrent can also be used to protect any fruit trees, bushes, and gardens around your front porch. Plastic netting usually comes in 14 x 100-foot and 14 x 200-foot rolls. Mesh sizes vary according to the specific bird you need to block out. You would  use a 1/4-inch mesh for small birds like starlings, and perhaps a 3/4-inch mesh for crows. High quality plastic bird netting is made from durable, U.V.-protected polypropylene and comes with a 1-year guarantee. It’s strong, light and virtually invisible. One manufacturer even offers handy clips for fast, easy installation.
 
Sonic Bird Deterrents

If you you have a large front  porch area, Sonic Bird Deterrents are the way to go. They broadcast bird distress and predator calls that sound like normal bird activity to humans. So they won’t annoy your pets, friends or neighbors. One highly versatile sonic system can emit distress and predator calls for as many as 22 different species of birds. It covers up to an acre and can be programmed to turn on or off at night.