When we think of “pests,” we normally think of rodents or of insects like termites, ants, spiders, bed bugs, mosquitoes, or bees/wasps.

But in reality, certain bird species can also qualify as pests, especially if they are littering your property with their droppings, spreading diseases, or swooping at customers on your business property or at kids (or you) in your own back yard.

3 Humane Bird Control Methods

Some of the worst pest birds in New England are the sparrow, starling, and pigeon. These birds are not “bad” in general, but they do become a nuisance to humans under certain circumstances. You want to solve the problem, but without hurting the birds — how do you accomplish that?

1. Use “Deterrents”

One simple, and preeminently “mechanical,” bird control method is to set up bird deterrents throughout your property. Make “your place” unappealing for birds by putting up bird slopes and spikes to discourage birds from landing/perching. (The spikes do not harm birds’ feet.)

You can also use strategically placed netting near your building, which will not catch or bounce birds but simply force them to fly higher (over your roof). Finally, an advanced electric track system can be used to nudge birds away with a very mild, low-volt electric shock.

2. Habitat Modification

While habitat modification can include use of deterrents as mentioned just above, it goes further. It involves a detailed assessment of your property (from a bird’s point of view) and the elimination of anything that seems inviting to birds. This means eliminating food and water sources, nests and nesting materials, and sealing up any entry points that birds have found on your building.

Anywhere a bird can build a nest (like eves with holes in them) must also be changed. This is clearly work for an experienced bird control professional.

3. Use “Scare Tactics”

If you feel averse to baiting birds or simply want to double down on scaring them off of your property, there are other ways to do it. By installing speakers that play recordings of distress calls of specific nuisance bird species, you can scare the real birds away. Or, you can play recordings of birds of prey. And projecting shadows or installing dummies that give an appearance of a hawk or raptor, for example, can create a perpetual “Halloween” for your pest birds and keep them at a good distance.

Finally, note that these three tactics need not be used in isolation — you can mix and match or do all of them simultaneously to enhance the overall effect. A pest management professional at Bain Pest Control will know how to best approach your specific situation, in a way that solves your bird problems but does it without harming the animals.