How to Get Rid of Birds and Nests
Rising with the sun, enjoying the brisk morning air and hearing the morning song of the local avian population is all well and good until these birds begin to become pests, over-populating your bird feeders and your backyard. You can get rid of unwanted birds and their nests with these simple steps that drive them away but do no harm. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Remove food supply. Most people don't know that they are providing food for local bird populations. If you are actively feeding the birds using bird feeders, simply remove them. Additionally, a lot of birds feed on the grubs and bugs in the grass; putting down grub killer is a great way to make your lawn healthier and to remove a food source for the birds.
A final food supply that could be removed are plants that drop seeds. When the birds finally discover that the food is scarce, they will move along to another backyard or area.
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Buy a cat or let your cat hunt for birds outside. Many homes are bird-free due to the constant patrolling of pets, especially cats. But be careful. Cats are great bird deterrents, but they are also responsible for killing off a lot of native bird populations. A declawed cat is perfect for getting rid of birds because the threat is there but the actual danger to the bird is not. Birds will sense the cat is a predator and not stay in the area.
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Use a visual deterrent. Birds are easily scared by things that resemble predators. Placing life-sized statues of owls or hawks on the roof of your house can be enough to get the birds to steer clear of your property. Also, a rubber inner tube cut in half and placed in tree branches resembles a snake. Snakes are natural predators to birds.
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Remove nests. Another way to get rid of birds is to remove their nest. This works especially in late fall and winter when nesting materials are scarce. If they cannot rebuild, they will move on. To get rid of the nest, you'll need to wait until the nest is empty (removing nests in the spring isn't recommended because these nests will be occupied by baby birds or eggs) and then remove it while wearing gloves and a face mask (this is in the case of any fecal contamination in the nest). Place the nest in a sealed trash bag and place in a trash receptacle.
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Take pre-emptive measures. Remove or seal up any areas where birds can create nests. Wreaths, crevices in the building, holes that lead into a dark space and bird houses are all places birds will target when deciding where to build.
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Tips & Warnings
Removing a nest can be dangerous business because harmful bacteria can be present in the bird's fecal matter. Inhaling the bacteria can lead to lung infections, intestinal infections and in some cases, death.
