Are you wondering what keeps birds away from your house? Bird droppings can clog your gutters, affect your home’s paint, destroy any fabric awnings, and even damage electrical equipment.
You may also find that birds nest inside your attic rafters, ripping electrical wiring, a potential fire hazard. They can destroy insulation, which means your best bet is to prevent local avian nesters from entering your home in the first place.
You can keep birds away from your house with some DIY measures, but you may find that
a professional pest control company in Sparta, NJ, needs to remove any animals nesting in your roof, attic, gutters, and so forth. However, there are some helpful tips and tricks to keep them from your property.
What Smells Will Keep Birds Away?
If you’re wondering what to use to keep birds away, scent can be a powerful deterrent. For example, birds dislike garlic. It has a very strong odor that may work to keep them away, so you could always make a spray using garlic and olive oil.
Just be mindful that
garlic is toxic to dogs and cats, so always keep it far from where an animal can access it. You could spray it around your attic if this is where birds are nesting.
Cinnamon also deters birds from coming around your house. It has a strong, spicy smell that birds find particularly off-putting. If your pet accidentally gets into
the cinnamon, small doses usually won’t cause any harm. But large doses of cinnamon should always be avoided, so be mindful of where you sprinkle this scent.
Vinegar is another scent birds avoid. Locate areas where birds hang out and spray some vinegar and water solution. It’s non-toxic to pets, making it a great bird deterrent.
How to Scare Birds Away
Birds like water features, so if you have one in your yard, consider turning it off or putting it away. Additionally, if you notice birds are in your attic, you can place bird spikes on your rafters. They’re generally safe with dull tips but dissuade birds from perching on your attic beams.
You could also place flags around your yard. When the wind blows, the movement scares these animals. The same goes for CDs or anything reflective. Hang them from tree branches to distract birds and prevent them from landing on your property.
Wind chimes may also stop birds from entering your yard, as the noise keeps them away. You could also sprinkle baking soda wherever they land, as they dislike the way it feels under their feet.
As with other deterrents, baking soda is non-toxic to your pets, but only if it’s in small doses. As such, be mindful when trying these DIY bird repellents.
Do Birds Carry Disease?
Now that you understand what keeps birds away, it’s important to learn if these
wild animals carry disease.
Birds can carry any of the following diseases:
- Histoplasmosis
- Cryptococcosis
- Candidiasis
- West Nile Virus
- Salmonellosis
- Avian Tuberculosis
- Colibacillosis
- Psittacosis
- Cryptosporidiosis
- Avian Flu
- Avian Pneumonencephalitis
- Bird Mites
- Bed Bugs
- Allergic Alveilitus
- Lice
- Fleas
- Chicken Mites
- Yellow Mealworms
In addition, birds can carry ticks infected with Lyme disease, meaning they can also put you, your family, and your pets at risk of contracting this disease.
Keep Birds Away From Your House
If you want to keep birds away from your house, you can try some of the DIY tips and tricks mentioned in this article. However, you may find that you already have an issue within your walls, on your porch rafters, in your shed, in your garage, or your attic. If this is the case, you may need a professional to safely — and humanely — rehome any birds or other pests.
Serene Property Services has the knowledge and experience to handle any type of pest infestation. We service all of Sussex County, NJ, and Warwick, NY.
Check out our Facebook page to see how we handle local pest infestations or contact us at (973) 222-8799.
