Birds are beautiful and endearing to look at, as long as they do not make themselves at home on your porches. The beautiful creatures can become a menace once they build their nests in your yard.
Birds usually settle in places they like in herds. When settled in herds, these birds make a lot of noise, causing an eternal commotion in your life. Furthermore, a few more aggressive birds may peck at your head and even steal away your sandwich.
These pretty nesting species are capable of creating a lot of mess and will leave no other choice for you but to think of ways to get rid of birds. Birds tend to hate reflective light and other such elements. Getting rid of them requires a few unique tricks to incorporate into your porch that will efficiently scare birds away.
How to Keep Birds Off Your Porch?
There are three types of major deterrents for keeping birds off your porch: visual, auditory, and tactile. In addition to these three basic methods, there are other ways to serve the purpose using a combination of these basic methods.
You should keep switching your methods of deterring birds so that they do not find ways to get settled to your method used. Incorporating some unique elements in your land will effectively deter these beautiful problems from coming to your deck, patio, backyard, and porch.
Firstly, figure out reasons that welcome these birds to make bases at your property and try to get rid of those bird-friendly elements. This might include some naturally comfortable spots, water accumulation acting as bird baths, or other unique factors that might be enjoyable for birds.
After removing these elements from your property, if these birds are still found on your deck, then know that you have to incorporate advanced methods that will best act as a bird repellent.
Put a Fake Owl near Your Porch to Scare off Birds
One of the most effective tricks of scaring birds away is by putting fake predator animals at the favorite spot of the birds. Birds are most afraid of scarecrows and owls. Placing a scarecrow requires more effort, so the best and most effective choice is to simply place a fake owl with a vibrating head so it seems a bit real.
Similarly, placing statues of wild birds like eagles and vultures will also help prevent birds from visiting your porch. Keep varying the position and the placement of your fake owl so it may seem like the owl is alive and has the ability to change location.
Deter Birds with Noise (Wind Chimes)
Another effective method of deterring birds from building nests is the installation of wind chimes in your most visited corner. Birds hate the sound of wind chimes, especially the sound of metal wind chimes. This sound keeps the birds from landing at your property, owing to its distasteful auditory impact on birds.
In addition to being a deterrent for birds, these wind chimes are available in attractive bright colors and styles, and their sounds are mostly loved by children. Furthermore, these wind chimes add to the beauty of your porch, deck, or patio and make it more refreshing to look at.
If you are an owner of a larger house, then place multiple wind chimes, each 10-15 feet apart. Among the different kinds of wind chimes, the metallic ones are the most effective as they reflect light in sunlight, creating a visual effect for birds that they find really annoying.
Annoying Light (Hang Foil or Pie Plates)
Another idea for keeping these birds away is to use different types of materials to flash light into the eyes of birds to cast them away. Just like humans, birds are also annoyed while getting dazed by bright beams of sunlight into their eyes.
There are several tricks to create impactful flashes of light into birds’ eyes, and the most effective reflective measures are mentioned below.
Small Mirrors: Hanging small measures on your porch railing or the corners of your yard will best serve to deter these uninvited guests. These mirrors, when hanged, will create an unpleasant strong flash of light into the eyes of the bird to instantly force it to leave.
Reflective Tape: A reflective tape is made of metal and is super shiny, which is not pleasant to look at. The tape also makes sharp noise in the wind. Simply hang them at the affected zones and let the material do its magic by not just creating a visual deterrent but also an audible one.
Pinwheels: These are beautiful to place in your garden and will seamlessly create a visual deterrent to the birds. You simply have to mount them on your deck railing. The only drawback of using a pinwheel is that it requires wind to rotate. So it has to be placed at places where enough air flows.
Move Bird Feeders or Bird Baths Away from Your Porch
Bird baths or bird feeders at home will attract birds to land on your porch. If you want to feed birds, then choose a more appropriate space to place the bird feeder, far from your porch. Keep these feeders at least 9.1 meters away from your land.
Also, remove any bird baths that may also attract wild birds to your space. You can move bird feeders or bird baths near the areas where bird poop gathers, which will definitely force these birds away.
Sprinkle Baking Soda
Another effective way to repel birds from building nests is by sprinkling baking soda at their favorite spots. Birds hate to land on areas having baking soda. So, you can sprinkle baking soda on your deck, patio, or perch to discourage birds from perching on your land.
The only trick is to keep replacing baking soda after rain and snow. Also, you will need to replace baking soda after intense wind. Birds are annoyed with the way baking soda feels on their feet and tend to avoid such spaces. Therefore, it is a quick and cheap method to get rid of these birds.
Use Gutter Clips to Install the Spikes onto Your Overhang
Installing bird spikes to keep birds from nesting is another way to keep away these birds from landing in your zone. These bird spikes are also called anti-roosting devices. These strips are made of metal and are usually shaped like strips that are several inches long and are easy to install onto your overhang.
These long metal rods attach to the base and act as a deterrent to these birds that keep bugging you. These rods are easy-to-install bird spikes and are conveniently available in any grocery store. Birds spikes do not harm birds in any way, given that they are installed carefully. Simply install bird spikes around your house in places like gutters to discourage the birds from nesting in your area.
Narrow Set of Bird Spikes
Bird spikes are available in different sizes, and choosing the narrow set of bird spikes will be most effective in doing the magic. Birds are never comfortable around areas with spikes, and installing these spikes can flawlessly keep away birds.
These bird spikes are available in three sizes: small, medium, and large. The best choice is to get the narrowest set of these spikes to target, not just the sparrows but also the smaller songbirds. This way, you can get rid of all sizes of birds.
Bad Smell
In addition to visual, tactile, and auditory deterrents, unpleasant smells will also help to keep away these birds. Just like humans, birds also hate foul odors and will most likely escape such places having bad smells. You can either buy bird repellants or make your own sprays. Just keep re-applying the sprays.
The best ways to create your own bad smell sprays are through the use of the below-mentioned ingredients:
Garlic: Crushed garlic mixed in olive oil is enough to produce a powerful and repulsive scent.
Citrus: Mix lemon in water to prepare a smooth scent that is mostly unpleasant for birds. This mixture will discourage birds from visiting your porch.
Paprika: Mixing paprika or red chilies in vinegar and water will produce another agent of foul and repulsive smell for the same purpose.
Other Means to Keep Birds Away
In addition to the above-discussed tips, there are more ways to stop birds from residing in your garden. These less common ways are mentioned ahead:
- Get a cat to get rid of these agents of mess. (Considering the alarming numbers of birds killed by cats, it is crucial to implement creative techniques that can ensure the safety of birds from cats. By doing so, we can preserve the beauty and wonder of birds for generations to come.)
- Use the fishing line trick, as most restaurants use, to keep birds away from your porch.
- Install a water sprinkler system for a sudden shower of water on these birds when they are least expecting it.
- Hang foil that may reflect light on the ceiling of your front yard.
Final Thoughts
Birds are beautiful until they start to stay. The moment they begin to feel at home at your place, they will become a nuisance for the mess they are capable of making. Also, these birds will most capably destroy your peaceful life if you love quiet.
You can address the menace by incorporating ways to repulse these pesky birds. As discussed in the article, you can easily find means to keep birds off your porch and garden. You can make visual, tactile, and auditory deterrents to discourage the birds from nesting in your garden.
Encounter the problem before the birds lay eggs in their nests present at your place. This way keeping these birds away from your yard will be less difficult. Simply follow the simple steps and witness the magic.
