Ask an Expert: What to do when doves cry

A:  Birds.  They’re just about everywhere.  Look up, you’ll no doubt see a bird.  Most of the time, birds can be inspiring and beautiful and serene and majestic and sometimes, well, delicious.  Unfortunately, some birds can also be a terrible nuisance.  Unlike other common pests such as rodents and insects that may infest your home and garden, exterminating birds is a big no-no.  Besides the questionable legality (and morality) of killing birds (this depends on state and federal law), extermination can be a health hazard and really, it just doesn’t work.  Thankfully, there are a few efficient ways to handle a bird problem depending on the specifics of the situation at hand.  Let’s examine some of my favorites together!

Bird Spikes

Bird spikes are great.  The most common variety are available in 12” long sections that can be cut into smaller pieces or snapped together like a jig saw puzzle.  If you have an area where birds are congregating (window ledge, AC unit, etc.), you just screw or glue an appropriate length of bird spikes around the perimeter.  Birds don’t like getting poked with sharp objects any more than you or I, so they are almost always 100% affective.


Bird-Off / Bird-Be-Gone / Sticky Foot

Bird spikes aren’t always the best solution.  Sometimes you don’t have the room to attach them and if they are highly visible they can look not-so-nice.  When that’s the case, using a sticky bird repellent is your answer.  Sticky bird repellents are sold in squeeze and gun tubes just like house hold caulk.  Simply apply a bead in tight areas or a zigzag pattern in wider areas where you don’t want birds to go.  Birds hate standing in icky goo, so as long as the mercury stays above the freezing mark, sticky bird repellents will keep birds at bay.

Scarecrows

Scarecrows aren’t just for pumpkin patches and Technicolor movies.  Most hardware stores and garden suppliers sell decoys that can be excellent for chasing birds away.  My favorite type of scarecrow is the garden owl.  Garden owls work best when you change their location every few days.  If you leave your owl in the same place for an extended period of time, the birds you’re trying to scare away may get wise to your ruse.  If you need to place your scarecrow in a place that isn’t easily accessible, I recommend buying one with a rotating head.  There are even some high tech models that come with built in motion sensors.

Have a question for Nathaniel? Email it to us and you may just find your answer here next Saturday morning!