If you’re having problems with bird nests in your yard, then keep reading. I will be giving tips on how to get rid of unwanted bird nests.
Birds are among the most gracious and beautiful creatures on Earth. Hardly could you consider birds a pest, but what if they begin nesting in areas that can cause damage to your property or infrastructure?
The Problem With Bird Nests
Birds build nests for the sake of laying and securing their eggs until they are hatched. Where they site the nests will depend on the species of bird.
Many nests on tree branches, while others can nest right under the roof of a house. Other nesting areas include the gutter, vents, and in the ground.
While the birds mean no harm, their nests can cause quite a few problems for homeowners. Birds that nest in vents block the airflow, while those that vent in gutters clog the drains.
Besides cutting off both air and water flow, birds that are nested on trees release droppings that stain property in your yard. These include garden chairs, tables, and vehicles.
Bird droppings on cars can cause the paint to wear off, as it contains uric acid.
In general, bird nests around your yard can cause damages that will require you to spend thousands in repair.
It could also be a problem if an aggressive bird species builds a nest in your yard.
Mother birds usually protect their eggs at all costs, but aggressive bird species go the extra mile by attacking perceived intruders, sometimes even when they are just walking past.
There have been many reports of bird attacks on humans who were just taking an innocent stroll past a nest.
Follow these tips to control birds on your property.
How To Keep Birds From Making Nests In Unwanted Places
Prevention they say is always better than remedy. Keeping the birds from building their nests in the first place is always the better option than having to deal with the damages the nests can cause.
Most nesting birds are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This means you will be breaking the law if you were to remove or damage an active bird nest or its eggs.
Having this in mind, you would agree that preventing them from nesting around your yard or home is the most logical thing to do. You can do this by making your environment unappealing to the birds, to the point they won’t even consider your home or garden a suitable option.
There are simple steps you can take to keep birds from building their nests in your home.
Prune Your Trees
A tree that is left bushy and unkempt will make a good home for a bird with intentions to build a nest. Bushy trees provide more than enough shade to keep the eggs cool, and away from the eyes of potential predators.
The mother bird knows this, and that is why she will gladly build her nest in a bushy tree.
However, you can make the tree less appealing to her by pruning the trees appropriately. A well-pruned tree has spaces between the branches and does not provide the kind of cover a bushy tree does.
A tree with neat, spaced out branches will mean there is more airflow passing through the tree, and the mother bird knows this can knock down her nest when built.
Keep your tree well pruned to remove it from a mother bird’s options.
Use Make-Believe Predators
No mother bird wants to build a nest where there are lurking predators. You can use this knowledge to your advantage by fixing dummy predators along the branches of your trees or other areas where you don’t want the birds to nest.
You can go to a store and buy dummy snakes, hawks, and eagles of large sizes and place them in the areas you want to be free from bird nests.
When a mother bird arrives and spots the “fake” predator, she will have no second thoughts about leaving immediately, especially if she’s a small-sized bird.
Seal Possible Entrances
Cavity nesting birds will explore as many options as they can while in search of a good place to build a nest. These include chimneys, compact holes that lead to other areas of the home, pipe fittings, and vents.
Sealing these entrances is an ideal way to keep them out. Depending on the size of the entrance, there are many items you could use to seal off the holes.
You can use hardware mesh, wood scraps, expanding foam, as well as other blockages that can keep them out.
Before you seal off the entrances, you have to make sure there are no birds currently inside the cavity, trapping and suffocating them is also illegal.
How To Deter Birds From Nesting Under Eaves
If you want to keep birds from building their nests under eaves, then there are a few things you can do. Follow these tips.
Slope The Ledges
A lot of birds are fond of building their nests on ledges beneath house eaves. For obvious reasons, you cannot remove the ledges from your home. What you can do, however, is to keep the edges slope.
When hedges are sloped, it will become almost impossible for a bird to nest on it. To create a slope, simply add a board, block, or other material that’s steeper than 45 degrees so that the birds won’t be able to build a nest on it.
How To Get Rid Of Birds Nest In Gutter
Gutters are very necessary installations to have on the roof as they allow rainwater flow to the ground instead of remaining on top. A bird nest would make the water flow more difficult than you would like.
Keep in mind, removing an active nest is against the law, so it is in your best interest to keep them away from building the nest in the first place.
Follow these tips to keep birds from building nests in your gutter.
Set Up Tree Houses On Roof
When a mother bird perches on your roof in search of a nesting place, one of the most convenient places to nest will be in the gutter of the roof. It’s not like it’s the best place to nest, but it’s one out of very few options.
But what if you gave her another option, like a birdhouse for instance?
You can construct one yourself using some pieces of wood, plastic, and tree debris. If you’re not a DIY person then you can just go ahead and buy one.
Also install a bird feeder too, as a combination of the house and feeder will give the bird a safe place to lay her eggs and feed.
Hardly would a bird in its right mind pick a corner inside the gutter as it’s nesting point over a beautiful, spacious, well-roofed birdhouse.
Nesting in a birdhouse would not cause you or your infrastructure any damage whatsoever.
Cut Off Tree Branches That Are Close To The Roof
If you have outstretching tree branches that have begun to make contact with your roof, then you need to trim them away. Indeed, birds do not need tree branches to gain access to your roof, but leaving the outstretched branches there will only make their job easier.
Leaves, sticks, pine needles, and other forms of debris can drop from the outstretched branches onto your roof, and these are the exact nest-building materials the mother bird needs.
Replace Your Old Gutters
There are newer models of gutters, which are specifically designed to prevent birds from nesting in them. To keep birds from nesting in your gutters, these are the ones you should consider installing.
This will cost you quite a sum of money, but it’s a problem solved at the end of the day.
Install Screens Inside The Gutter
Replacing your roof’s gutter system as a whole would cost you a decent amount of money, and you may not have the cash readily available to do so. A much cheaper option would be to install screens inside the gutter to keep the birds from gaining access.
There are gutter guards that are made of different materials that you can install. Some are made of wire mesh, while others are made off plastic or surface tension materials.
How To Keep Birds From Nesting Under Roof
Right under your roof is an ideal resting point for birds. To keep them from nesting under your roof, follow these tips.
Remove The Nest Materials Before Completion
In most states, it is perfectly legal to remove nest materials before the nest is complete. This means you have to observe your roof closely and watch for signs of nest building.
If you allow the nest to be completed and the bird lays its eggs, then it would be too late.
You can simply remove the building materials by hand.
Conclusion
It is illegal to remove an active nest, so the best way to avoid the inconvenience is to prevent the birds from building the nest in the first place.
I hope the tips provided here on how to get rid of bird nests have been helpful.
Good luck!