Birds are very pretty in nature and there are plenty of people who have taken up watching them as a hobby but when you have a lot of them in your yard, it might be more of a hassle than anything else. It is not like watching the cartoons but it turns into a real-life nightmare. There are many types of birds that might have a desire to take over your home and there are different ways of dealing with each one.
- Feral pigeons are the number one bird pest, which are known for their debris. This debris collects on roofs and in gutters, drain spouts, as well as other various places. This debris can then damage these areas. The feces are corrosive aside from it adding an unpleasant sight to the area but is also the carrier of various health risks because of various parasites and fungi that live in it. To keep them away, you can try using netting but it won’t come without a battle. They do like to stay where they originated from.
Starlings and sparrows while they are beautiful birds can cause the same damage as pigeons but they also tend to drive the native birds to extinction. This being said, unlike the pigeon, they can be trapped and relocated but they may be quickly replaced with another group. Starlings are however easily spooked by loud noises and both starlings and sparrows can be deterred by mild electrical shocks. Once the birds have been removed, the nests should also go.
- Gulls can also cause the same problems as pigeons but they are mostly located near coastal areas or various bodies of water. They can be deterred through various means such as electrical shock, netting, noisemakers or by shapes of their natural predators.
- Canada geese are more of a nuisance for farmers when they are migrating north or south. They like to eat and trample the crops. They are also worse for air safety than even the gulls are and they can become aggressive during mating season. There are fencing systems that can work as well as the visual and/or audio systems that you can use. Denying them access to the water source such as ponds as well as the grassy areas can also be effective.
- Woodpeckers cause damage to trees and to homes but can be deterred with protective coatings being put on the wooden areas effected as it leaves a bad taste in their mouth.
- Grackles and blackbirds do similar activities as the starlings do but they also make a lot of noise. Electric shocks, irritant fogs, visual fright devices as well as noisemakers work well in getting rid of these creatures.