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How to Get Rid of Birds - 3 Successful Solutions

Pigeon on roof with bird droppings

Birds are beautiful and can be fun to watch, until they start taking over your roof and pooping all over your patio or braai area. What are some practical steps you can take to get rid of pesky birds?

Here are 3 practical and successful solutions for getting rid of birds:

1. STOP BIRDS LANDING IN THE FIRST PLACE. First and foremost, you want to stop birds from being able to land and perch. If they can't land, they won't stay! Roof tops, ledges, gutters or other surfaces on and around your home or business are prime spots where rows of pigeons and other birds just love congregating (as you have probably experienced), leaving ugly trails of bird poop down your walls and on your roof. Your goal is to stop them landing and in that way you can get rid of bothersome birds quickly and easily. 

There is one popular product that is used all over the world to stop birds landing - bird spikes - and this is, for me, one of the most effective ways to get rid of birds on your roof and other places. What I love is that bird spikes don't harm birds at all. Let's be honest, most of us don't really want to get ugly with the pesky birds, we just want them to leave us alone.

So, bird spikes work pretty much the same as thorns in a tree. Birds are not stupid, they are not going to try and land on a thorny branch. Whoever invented the first bird spike was just taking something that has worked in nature all along. No matter how persistent a bird may be, if they are used to landing on a ledge and you correctly install a row (or two rows, depending on how wide your ledge is) of bird spikes, they will find it impossible to land, and move on, leaving you with a beautiful, clean exterior, free of birds and their poop.

Another great invention is gutter clips that make installing bird spikes a breeze if you have a problem with birds perching on and building nests in your gutters.

If you need to get rid of birds in your garden, some bird repellent ideas such as scarecrows, will only work for a while. Once the birds get used to the scarecrow standing in the same spot, don't be surprised to see them landing on its head! But there are still some excellent bird repel options for you. If you have fruit trees, or a vegetable garden, bird netting works very well to cover the tree or area during fruiting season and then remove the netting once the season is over. Or, if you are a DIY kind of person, you could build a full netting cage around your vegetable garden for year round protection. Either way, at last you (and not those harassing birds) will get to enjoy the fruits of your labour!

2. FIND SOMETHING THAT SCARES THEM. Birds hate anything that flashes! If you have a fruit tree, a vegetable garden, or vineyards and orchards, that are being invaded by birds, try hanging some flashing objects in the trees. You could try tin foil or shiny round objects like cd discs that you can tie to the tree. Flashing bird repel tape is also very effective. The flashing tape can work well tied to gazebos or patios that are being invaded by birds. Just remember to tie it where they will be reflect the sunlight.

If the birds are on your roof, or trying to get in your roof, you will need something a bit more long lasting than tin foil. Flashing propeller units can be the answer when you have a wide area to cover. They work by turning in very slight breezes and, when birds fly in to land on your roof, the reflective flashes really irritate them and they fly away. Be patient with this method. Birds hate breaking bad habits, so they will keep coming back for a while. But your patience will be rewarded. Eventually, they will realise that your roof is no longer a pleasant roosting spot and they will move on. If you already have birds nesting in your roof, see solution #3 for safe methods of getting them out and keeping them out.

There are also many bird repel gel or wax options out there. Just make sure you find one that isn't sticky. The sticky ones just end up collecting dust and before long they don't work, besides in my opinion, not being a very humane option. Look for one that reflects the sunlight and works on the same principle as shiny objects. This is a great idea for balconies or areas where you want a discreet bird repel option.

3. STOP THEM GETTING INTO UNWANTED AREAS

If birds are in your roof, this will take a bit more planning and persistence to get rid of birds. The humane thing to do is to first make sure all birds are out, including eggs and hatchlings before closing up any holes where they are getting in. If this task seems too daunting for you, give your local pest control professionals a call.

Once you are sure all birds are out, the next step is to block every single hole on your roof that birds could get through, even the tiniest of holes. That means fixing any cracked or loose roof tiles and filling in any gaps under the eaves. Once again, your pest control dude can give you some good advice. Stopping birds from getting in your roof can be really daunting, It can be an ongoing process for a while until you find all the holes that birds are managing to access. In the meantime, use scare tactics such as Flashing propeller units on your roof, or bird spikes on roof ledges and gutters. This will stop birds landing and congregating and will go a long way in keeping birds away from your roof in the first place and therefore discourage them from trying to get into your roof.

Getting rid of birds might seem like a daunting task, but there are some excellent products and ideas available, you just need to find the right solution for your problem!

If you need some help deciding which bird control solution will work best for your specific problem, contact our Ecogreen BirdSpike team for advice. They have been in the business for over 20 years, so they have serious experience in getting rid of birds.

Many of our clients send photos of their problem, which helps us help you. Our team also uses Google maps to obtain a bird's eye view of your roof or building, so that we can guide you in choosing the perfect bird proofing plan. 

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