by Alex A. Kecskes
Many homes, especially in the south, have beautiful front porches. These areas are perfect for relaxing with friends and neighbors, especially in the evenings when cool breezes waft across front gardens and rustle through the trees. But unless you implement some effective bird control measures, your beautiful front porch may be covered with disease-carrying bird droppings, nests and nesting materials. You’ll also have to put up with birds zooming in on any snacks you may have placed on a table.
Without adequate bird deterrents, you’ll have birds nesting on your front roof, in alcoves of your front porch and even in your gain gutters. As pretty as some birds are and as melodious as they sound, birds can become a nuisance around your front porch.
Yes, you can shoo them away, squirt them with a hose, or even try bird poisons, but these methods are typically ineffective and inhumane. The only solution is to use proven bird deterrents. Here are three bird deterrents the pros use most often on homes like yours:
Red-Tail Hawk Decoys
As decorative as they are effective, Red-Tail Hawk Decoys have been widely used to discourage many a pest bird from specific areas around a home. Hawks, you see, hunt during the day when most pest birds are active, so using hawk decoys is a better deterrent than owl decoys, which hunt at night when most birds are asleep. Opt for the most realistic looking decoy you can find. And make sure it’s made of heavy duty plastic to stay real looking after several seasons outdoors. Finally, move the decoy around frequently to convince curious birds that the decoy is more than a dummy.
Plastic Bird Netting
To deter pest birds from specific areas of your front porch, you should use Plastic Bird Netting. This barrier bird deterrent can also be used to protect any fruit trees, bushes, and gardens around your front porch. Plastic netting usually comes in 14 x 100-foot and 14 x 200-foot rolls. Mesh sizes vary according to the specific bird you need to block out. You would use a 1/4-inch mesh for small birds like starlings, and perhaps a 3/4-inch mesh for crows. High quality plastic bird netting is made from durable, U.V.-protected polypropylene and comes with a 1-year guarantee. It’s strong, light and virtually invisible. One manufacturer even offers handy clips for fast, easy installation.
Sonic Bird Deterrents
If you you have a large front porch area, Sonic Bird Deterrents are the way to go. They broadcast bird distress and predator calls that sound like normal bird activity to humans. So they won’t annoy your pets, friends or neighbors. One highly versatile sonic system can emit distress and predator calls for as many as 22 different species of birds. It covers up to an acre and can be programmed to turn on or off at night.