How to Scare Birds From a Backyard

A dog can help scare birds from your backyard.

Birds that set up shop in your backyard can become bothersome. Their feathers and feces soil your property and can be a health hazard. Additionally, the bird's chirping may be disturbing, and the damage they do to your growing crops is costly. Most bird species are protected by federal and state laws, which dictate that killing and trapping them, without the required permit, is illegal. To get rid of pest birds, without harming them, use scare methods to repel them.

Things You'll Need

• Reflective foil
• Fake owl or hawk
• Threatening-eye balloons
• Motion-activated sprinklers
• Bird distress call generator
• Exploding device
• Dog

Instructions

1. Lay out parallel rows of reflective foil tape across your backyard. Birds detest the crackling sound of the foil in the wind, and the flickering of the foil in the sun frightens them. As an alternative, hang strips of reflective foil from trees in your backyard.

2. Install visual frightening devices in your backyard. Set up a fake owl or hawk, or hang up threatening-eye balloons. These items intimidate birds and scare them away. Keep in mind that these visual scare devices only work for a short period of time, because birds tend to get used to them. For the best results, combine visual scare devices with other frightening methods.

3. Use water to deter birds. Set up a motion-activated sprinkler system in your backyard. When birds enter your yard, their movement sets off the sprinklers. The birds get squirted with water, which scares them off.

4. Use a bird distress call generator to warn birds to stay away. Program the electronic bird distress call generator to plays bird cries from the species that frequent your backyard. When the birds hear the alarming cries, it warns them to stay away because they're nearing danger. The birds get scared and disoriented and relocate elsewhere. Frequently move the location of the bird distress call generator, because if birds get used to hearing the cries, the item's effectiveness diminishes.

5. Incorporate an exploding device to combat flocks of pest birds in your backyard. The loud cannon-like noise generated by the device doesn't harm the birds, but scares them off.

6. Consider becoming a dog owner. Allow your dog to roam around the backyard and teach it to chase and scare away birds.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase scare devices from your local farm supply store or garden center.

References

• Iowa State University: Problem Birds Around Homes and Farmsteads
• All Pest Control: Tapes As A Scaring Device For Bird Deterrence
• Illinoise Department of Public Health: Bird Exclusion and Dispersal