Bird Control Ideas

Photo (Courtesy of Bird Control Ireland) : The Hawk Kite. Kite flying,  and you get to scare the birds too.

I personally welcome any bird into our garden.  I enjoy looking at the crows pulling off moss from the garage roof and even the magpies chasing the dogs away from their bones amuses me when I am washing the pots and looking out of the kitchen window. Thankfully we don’t have any birds that cause damage to the vegetables or that nest in the eaves which could cause a lot of damage, especially to your nerves as the birds scratch about when you are trying to sleep.  We have a couple of wood pigeons that float past occasionally and, as these produce my favourite bird noise, I enjoy them being around. I find their cooing very relaxing. 

Not everyone shares my enthusiasm to attract our feathered friends onto the garden, or any public space for that matter. There was a young entrepreneur in Nottingham kitted himself out with a large compressed air, pigeon-scaring machine that emitted a large bang every 60 seconds. He would set it up in the market square and eventually after a few days of constant banging, the birds would all disappear. Bear in mind that this doesn’t kill the birds, it just scares them off. Therefore the pigeons would move to the next county which would pay handsomely to have them ‘removed’. The birds would then fly a bit further south to the next county until eventually they went full circle back to Nottingham the following year. This man has been travelling around the midlands now for fifteen years moving this flock (and their offspring of course) from one county after another charging the taxpayers to get rid of the same birds... Why didn’t I think of that?

There are more and more inventive ways to keep birds away from your garden and to help me this week I have enlisted the help of BirdControl Ireland.

Birds in the Garden

It’s not all about keeping the birds out of the garden.  Many birds are beneficial so bird boxes can be placed in nearby trees making sure the holes are the correct size for the specific species you would like to attract. 

Birds Hitting Windows

Huge numbers of birds are killed by striking windows each year. Reflected foliage or sky fools the birds into thinking it is safe to fly into.  Try Window Alert Decal. These are sticky transfers designed to show birds that the glass is a solid object. You can choose from Butterfly, Humming Bird, Maple Leaf, Modern Square or Snowflake designs.

Birds Pecking Windows and bonding

Rooks, Magpies and Jackdaws are associated with this problem. The birds are attracted to the soft putty or silicone and keep pecking away at it causing a lot of damage. Many people get an early morning call with birds pecking windows as they fight themselves. If this is an issue, try the battery operated ‘Attack Spider’. This scary device is said to chase away nuisance birds. Activated by sound, the spider drops down on an 18 inch string while making a loud noise. Then it climbs back up the string, ready to attack again. Fun for kids too I’ll bet.

Herons raiding Fish Pond

Valuable carp collections can be decimated by Herons and Cormorants. The "Scarecrow Deterrent" will clear these raiders away with minimum fuss. The Scarecrow, shaped a bit like a water sprinkler with a face,  uses a combination of sudden noise, unexpected movement, and a startling blast of water to create a memorable and unpleasant experience for the trespasser.

Bird landings

In some urban areas, birds will land on patio tables, flat roofs or raised beds. The solar powered "Solar Bird Repeller" is a useful device that will humanely clear the birds away. The two adjustable “arms” cover up to 5ft in diameter by turning continuously at 30 RPM’s. A solar panel powers a heavy duty, brushless motor which will store energy. The Solar Bird Repeller is portable, and can store energy to keep it lasting into the night.

Birds attacking soft fruit, flower beds

Using something called the ‘Repeller Ribbon’, similar to an unwound video tape but thicker and more colourful,  will stop birds from eating and pecking away at fruit. This is a bright flashing, holographic tape fixed just above the bed or in through the bush is very good at keeping many small birds at bay. 

Bird Chaser Balloons

A bit like fairground balloons with clown faces, these Bird Chaser Balloons will frighten birds immediately. Made of durable vinyl, the Bird Chaser is effective when used in a variety of outdoor locations such as home orchards and gardens, berry patches, decks and patios. 

Galaxy Spinner

The Galaxy Spinner workes by spinning action contains holographic strips that reflect in the wind. The visual deterrent scares birds off.

There are a couple of products suitable for larger areas and effective enough for farms.

Bird Scaring Hawk Kite.

This device will keep birds off Bales, Crops, Maize/Silage Pits and Pasture.  It is suitable for crows, Pigeons, Geese and Gulls.

This is a Self-Launching Kite with 10m heavy duty telescopic pole. It is easy to set up and use and can  protect up to ten acres. Simply erect the pole and the kite will fly in the breeze scaring away any pesky birds. This comes at a price though and you won’t get much change out of €190, but it is getting great reviews although you will need to move it every day and take it down if the wind gets above 30mph.

Other products.

There are also one shot bird scarers and scarecrows that emit bird distress calls to make a hostile environment. The latter are solar powered so you can move them anywhere. There are also bird wires, bird proof netting and bird spikes to stop them settling on window ledges. If birds are a real problem for you and you would like to find out more visit - birdcontrol.ie.