How to Repel Birds From the Rafters

Rafters provide lots of roosting and nesting spots for birds.

Birds can be nasty when they take up residence in the rafters of a barn, garage, factory or other building. Their droppings make a mess and can pose a health problem. To keep them out from overhead, you need to make the rafters less desirable by removing any roosting and nesting spots they may discover.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic or PVC strips
• Mylar balloons
• Strobe lights
• Bird netting
• Porcupine wire or spike systems
• Monofilament line
• Electrified wires
• Sticky repellents
• Bird of prey nest box
• Wind chimes
• Windsocks

Instructions

1. Cover doorways and entrances with strips of clear plastic or PVC about 4 to 6 inches wide. The plastic will prevent birds from entering shelters but allow vehicles and people easy access.

2. Hang visual scaring devices like strobe lights or Mylar balloons filled with helium. These devices will only work a short time but can be effective in keeping birds out while you install more permanent options like netting. [Source 9]

3. Hang plastic or nylon netting below the rafters to keep birds out. Netting should be about 1/2- to 3/4-inch square and darkly colored. Netting is a good, long-term solution according to Tom Barnes, an extension professor and extension wildlife specialist at the University of Kentucky.

4. Install porcupine wire, pin and wire or metal spikes along the beams. These devices have steel wires that extend outward to prevent birds from landing on the rafters. They can be expensive and labor-intensive to install, but will be less noticeable and longer lasting than other options.

5. Hang monofilament fishing line in a grid pattern. Lines should be spaced about 1 to 2 feet apart.

6. Hire an electrician to install electrified wire around the rafters. Don't try to install them yourself, because they can pose a fire hazard if not installed and grounded correctly.

7. Apply sticky pest deterrent substances along the surfaces. Be warned that these substances collect dirt and dust and will need to be scraped off and reapplied every few months.

8. Install a nest box to attract screech owls or sparrow hawks. Boxes should be at least 10 inches square, although larger boxes may attract American kestrels, and have 1 to 2 inches of sawdust or wood chips in the bottom. The entrance hole should be about 2 7/8 inches in diameter. Place the box between 15 to 30 feet high on the side of a barn or building or on a metal or wooden pole. Attracting birds of prey that feed on smaller avian will prevent those smaller pest birds from nesting in the area.

9. Hang wind chimes or windsocks near entrances. The movement and sound will frighten birds away from the doorways.

Tips & Warnings

• It is illegal to destroy the nests of native birds.

References

• University of Florida Extension; House Sparrow Damage Management; February 2008
• Buildings; Bird Prevention for Your Buildings; Cory Gellerstedt; June 2008
• Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management; Pigeon Damage Control Methods; David Williams, et al.
• Thoroughbred Times; Keeping Birds Out of Barns; Cynthia McFarland; March 2008
• Kansas State University; Birds, Urban Wildlife Damage Control; Charles Lee, et al.
• Iowa State University; Problem Birds Around Homes and Farmsteads; Georgia Bryan, et al.

Resources

• AvianWeb.com: Bird Houses & Nesting Box Woodworking Plan
• Missouri Department of Conservation: How to Build a Sparrow Hawk or Screech Owl House
• Illinois Department of Public Health Prevention and Control: Bird Exclusion and Dispersal