Birds are lovely creatures that contribute significantly to our ecosystem, but the droppings these creatures leave behind are not very pleasant.
Unfortunately, not all of us here have the time to constantly clean our roofs and patios; that is why we have to take specific methods to stop birds from pooping on our tops.
One sure way to keep birds off your roof is sprinkling baking soda on your yard and shelter when you see them. These birds do not like the way baking soda feels on their femur. You can also try a chili pepper, green or red, and vinegar mix; that also works.
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What Can I Put on My Roof to Keep Birds Away?
Seeing a bird on your roof may seem like a beautiful and welcoming thing at first, but constant visits can cause them to leave poop on your top, and we all know that bird poop can cause damage to our roofs and everything stored under it.
Of course, specific laws are set to protect these birds and their nests from harm, but there are a lot of legal ways you can get rid of birds.
Whether the bird you are dealing with is pigeons, sparrows, magpies, or another different breed of birds that decide to take up residence at the top of your roofs, there are a lot of methods to get rid of them.
Some of the most effective ways to get rid of these birds are as follows;
#1. Decoys
Decoys are fake predators at the top of your roofs to scare these birds away. Birds have developed a lot of senses to keep them safe from danger, so using a scarecrow to keep them away would surely pay off.
You are making a mimic of their natural predators. You can look for the following decoys at gardens or farming supply stores;
- Owl decoys are great decoys to rid pigeons from your roof. This decoy can also work for crows, seagulls, and sparrows.
- Raven decoys work exceptionally for magpies and other smaller birds.
- Falcon decoys work great for pigeons, turtles, doves, and even songbirds.
#2. Play Sounds Made by Predators
This method is similar to making use of decoys. You can purchase loud and sonic speaker systems that play pre-recorded predator noises and distress calls.
This method works well for stubborn birds. These sounds warn them from a distance.
#3. Use Ultrasonic Deterrence
This is a good choice if you do not want to disturb your neighbors but want to get rid of these birds.
These devices play high-frequency sounds that irritate and disorientate these birds without affecting humans.
However, you should note that these devices were specifically designed to affect only birds and do not work for cats, birds, rats, or other household pets.
You can find sound-based controls from pest control companies.
#4. Install Electric Pads Over Perching Areas
Decoys do not deceive some birds, and some later get acquainted with them, so you would need a more effective method to control or stop them, and that is where electrical pads come in.
These stripes of avian-specific, low voltage electric diodes pass electricity around the areas where these birds usually sit.
This method is so effective in such a way that once the bird perches on one spot, it avoids the whole area altogether.
These stripes are typically available from stores that sell pest control, and although these shocks are unpleasant, they are not enough to cause actual harm to these birds.
#5. Install Spikes on Birds Perching Spots
Birds’ spikes, also known as anti-roosting spikes, are small thin rods that shoot upwards to the sky. These spikes were not designed to harm these birds.
Instead, they would remove their perching spots from their reach. This method is effective for narrower parts of the roofs like the gutter.
Spikes can be gotten in improvement stores and garden and home improvement stores.
#6. Cover Your Roof Tiles and Roof Shingles with Repellent Gel
A bird repellent gel is a non-noticeable repellent that turns your roof into an uncomfortable spot for birds to perch.
When applied to your tiles or shingles, this bird repellent gel causes those parts to feel sticky, making your feathered friends flee when they come in contact with the area.
You can find bird repellent gel in pest control centers and home and improvement stores, and when applied, it can last 6 to 8 months.
#7. Lay Nets Over All Perching Spots on Your Roof
If you are dealing with not just one or two birds but a flock of birds, individual deterrent methods wouldn’t be good enough.
Instead, you should purchase a long-term roll of bird netting from a garden or pest control store.
When these settings are pulled over your roof, they prevent these birds from having a stable landing and, sub sequentially, keep them away from the area.
Each net you would be getting comes with specific recommendations, so make sure you read the instructions always, and if you cannot afford the whole roll of netting for your entire roof, you can buy a little and protect critical areas like the chimneys.
Apart from applying all these, there might be other reasons why these birds keep returning to your roof.
These birds may be coming back because of reasons like;
#1. Nesting Made by These Birds
One primary reason why birds stay or keep returning to a particular area is that they have created a nest there.
They may not have formed the usual nest you know on trees but a traditional nest made with twigs, mud, and other objects. You should check your roof and remove or block it from accessing the nest.
Before doing this, you should be careful and check for laws guiding these animals in your country.
For example, in the United States, it Is a crime to remove any nest formed by a bird if eggs are still in it.
#2. Food Particles Causing It to Stay
Sometimes, these birds stay on your roof because they have been getting food there, somehow. Sometimes, this might be intentional, and other times, it is not.
So, until you stop throwing food particles on the roof and start going up to clean the roof regularly, these birds may not stop coming back.
How Do I Stop Sparrow Nesting on My Roof?
You can use many human options to stop sparrows from nesting on your property, but before taking any measure, ensure that you thoroughly clean the area from leftover food or even their poop because sparrows are attracted to their leftovers.
Some steps you can take to deal with sparrows are as follows;
- Make use of nettings to block sparrows from getting into your roof. When using these settings, you should go for one with a smaller mesh size of about 3/2″ or even smaller to prevent a little sparrow from being able to pass through.
- Treat your rafters with transparent bird gel to stop sparrows from landing softly and also causing them to be uncomfortable.
- You were installing bird slopes under the eaves of your roof to prevent sparrows from nesting.
- You should also remove food sources around your roof area; this might be what keeps bringing them back.
- You can also install a hawk decoy in the open areas of your roofs to scare sparrows away.
- Using sparrow distress calls as a sound deterrent would make them want to flee the area.
How Do You Keep Birds Permanently Away?
You do not have to stress yourself about keeping these birds away; there are a lot of solutions to keeping these animals away without hurting them.
#1. Install A Bird Repelling Flying Kite
If you want to keep birds away permanently, you would need to install something that would scare them away from a distance and can also work for an extended period; that is why you would need to install a bit repelling flying a kite.
#2. Implement Roasting Spikes
Birds enjoy resting on comfortable places like roofs, ledges, fences, and balconies, so if your home has any of these, expect them to come by more often.
But unfortunately, these bird spikes can block these birds from accessing the areas they love, and with time, these birds will get tired and stop coming around.
#3. Installing Motion Activated Sprinklers
These sprinklers are one of the safest and most effective ways to keep birds off your roof and your property.
These animals are designed to flee at the slightest sign, and danger and unexpected water are definitely enough to get them scared in seconds.
These sprinklers have adjustable settings, so you can adjust them whichever way you want.
What Scent Would Keep Birds Away?
To help deter these birds, we can also capitalize on their sense of smell. Here are some scents that these birds find unpleasant but are not so distasteful to us humans.
These smells do not harm the birds; they see them as highly horrible, but they are not toxic. Examples of these smells are;
- Garlic.
- Peppermint.
- Cayenne pepper.
- Chili.
- Vinegar.
- Lemon.
- Citronella.
- Bird gel.
Does Aluminum Foil Scare Birds?
Yes, they would. Aluminum foil is unpleasant to the beak of birds, and due to its shininess and reflectiveness, they also deter these animals because birds generally do not like anything shiny.
You can also use shiny party streamers; they would have the same effect as the foil.
Conclusion
As much as we love birds, they can cause maximum discomfort by pooping on the roofs of our houses, and for that reason, you have to get rid of them.
You shouldn’t use any methods that can harm these birds; instead, use any of the safe techniques I have listed above.
