From March into early April, this is the prime time of the year when lovebirds get together to make some new babies…literally.

As much as we love hearing the birds call out to each other in the woods, it’s another thing entirely when they decide your home is their desired place for nesting…and feeding, and breeding, and pooping too! Varmint birds such as crows, seagulls, English sparrows, and flickers to name a few can’t ever be completely deterred, but there are ways to ensure your home is less than desirable to them. Without further ado, here are some tips on keeping that potential bird infestation to a minimum.

When to call for help

Sometimes an actual professional pest control company is your best bet to prevent birds from nesting where you don’t want them to. You definitely should consider the possibility of calling them if the following situations apply:

• A pretty obvious sign: you see lots of birds hanging out on the roof or in the yard.
• Droppings. Like, a million of them.
• Noises. Not just every hour on the hour, but practically every 5 seconds or so, especially from baby chicks.
• Property damage. Specifically to your own sidewalks (droppings contain uric acid, which corrodes concrete), or on the house exterior, or to your garden’s first prize berry bushes.
• Nest and feather debris. These can clog up your home’s drain pipes and guttering.
• Nests in unsafe places. Birds don’t understand things like fire safety and preventing danger, meaning they can build their nests in very unsafe areas. Dryer vents are a biggie, and so are gutters, chimneys, pipe fittings, and any small holes leading into your home’s attic or any other rooms and spaces they’re not welcome in.

Prevention tip 1: Trees

Sadly it always seems birds will get first pickings when it comes to our fruit trees, and in almost all cases they do. Trimming the tree branches every spring is one way to make sure the birds keep off of your trees. Another method is to use specially made netting. This can be placed over top of treetops, bushes (birds love to eat berries, especially blueberries), and flowerbeds.

Prevention tip 2: Never feed a bird you don’t want around

Birds have the uncanny ability to remember someone who has fed them willingly…with that in mind, is this you?

via GIPHY

Just kidding!

That being said, regardless of who you are and the birds you love, they’ll definitely flock to you if you feed them, but then they’ll remember you as a resource for food, and they will keep coming back for more!

So, rule of thumb for your friends and neighbours: don’t feed the birds. There are usually signs all around Vancouver BC too in the park or by the beach (it’s a pity some people who don’t know any better don’t pay attention to them!)

Prevention tip 3: Garbage

Yep, just like their raccoon friends a crow or seagull gravitates towards your trash, and the stinkier it is the more likely they’ll find something good. Crows feed on carrion and they’re scavengers by nature like their raccoon buddies.

It’s a good idea to ensure all your trash bins have sealed lids and clamps to help the lids stay down (only if at all necessary). Take your trash and recycling out every time there’s a pickup to prevent buildup, and keep your recycling out of sight from the neighbourhood wildlife.

Prevention tip 4: Wards (maybe)

We all know about the iconic scarecrow in the corn field, but do they really still work? If you use them right, then sure… but only just. If you put up a ward such as a plastic predator bird, only to never ever touch it afterwards, what happens is that the birds grow used to the ward as opposed to fearing it every single time they see it. So, if you really want this strategy to work, move the plastic predator every so often as opposed to just the one time. That way the birds will tend to avoid going near them.

If you failed at moving the wards around though, and you’re still seeing a lot of birds, then the ward has failed at its job. Time to call in the pest boss, in that case.

Prevention tip 5: Check on those birdhouses

There are some birds out there that are fantastic for our ecosystem and environment—we’re not denying that. What we are saying is that not all birds are the ones you want hanging out nearby. With that in mind, it’s a great idea to check on any and all birdhouses you may own.

If you see birds you don’t want hanging out, you should try and make the entry holes in the house smaller to deter larger birds, such as woodpeckers, from cozying up with your friendly neighbouring birds.

Bird prevention tips we don’t recommend

• Never remove a bird’s nest yourself! You could not only make Mama Bird incredibly angry but also do some serious harm to the eggs and the nest…which, in addition to Mama herself, are regarded as protected by law according to the Migratory Birds Convention Act.
• Don’t cut off a healthy tree branch; leave the pruning for early spring for best results.
• Don’t place any toxins or pesticides on top of your trees and plants; birds are very likely to spread these onto the other animals and insects, and the toxins can create some more harm than good to your garden and home!
• Never use any one of the following items to remove birds: poison, traps, spikes, and sticky gel. These can harm all of the birds, not just the ones you’re trying to get rid of, plus they are inhumane to use in the first place. Responsible bird control people know better than to use these (that includes our pest boss).
• Never apply DIY techniques for bird deterring that could potentially harm not only the birds, but also yourself and your family.

We’re not a totally heartless pest and bird control company; we understand that birds have their value to our ecosystem and killing birds outright is wrong (not to mention it’s illegal in BC). That being said, too many flocks of a feather hanging out in the same area, whether it’s a bunch of adult birds nestled on the roof or a mom and her babies on your windowsill, can lead to a big mess you didn’t ask for. If you need safe and eco-friendly bird removal service from your home or commercial building, give your local Pest Boss a call. We’ll get you, feathery varmints!

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