How to get rid of birds?

[Nevadastars]

We have pair of Dove that insist on building a nest in or around our fiver. I keep it under a metal cover, and I first noticed they were building it in the pin box. I pulled all the twigs out and rolled up a bath towel and put there.

So, they decided to move it to the rolled up awning. I have a remote and kept moving it in and out to scare them away, but they always come back. Today (day 4) I pulled it out of the cover and rolled the awning completely out hoping to discourage them, but they are still hanging around. In fact one was walking around on the roof of my truck then I found the other one inside the cover I shoo'd out of there.

We plan on using it in the next week or two and don't want to drive off with a nest with eggs in it, plus they are crapping on the nose of it. What the heck can I do? These guys are persistent!

[JoeH]

donn0128 wrote:
Farmers around us this year are using strips of shiny plastic on sticks that sparkle in the wind scaring the geese. Basically anything that disturbs the norm will deter them. You can also try cut outs of owels.

The Bird B Gone tape works well for me. I hang a few strips from the rafters of my covered storage shed and it has kept them away. I got mine at West Marine, but it's available at Amazon
Bird B Gone tape

[HnAsportsmanati]

TextText

Nevadastars wrote:
We have pair of Dove that insist on building a nest in or around our fiver. I keep it under a metal cover, and I first noticed they were building it in the pin box. I pulled all the twigs out and rolled up a bath towel and put there.

So, they decided to move it to the rolled up awning. I have a remote and kept moving it in and out to scare them away, but they always come back. Today (day 4) I pulled it out of the cover and rolled the awning completely out hoping to discourage them, but they are still hanging around. In fact one was walking around on the roof of my truck then I found the other one inside the cover I shoo'd out of there.

We plan on using it in the next week or two and don't want to drive off with a nest with eggs in it, plus they are crapping on the nose of it. What the heck can I do? These guys are persistent!

Get urself a plastic owl, about 1' to 2' tall and place it over or very near to what u dont want birds around. They will not come around unless u take the owl down... Garrenteed.

[PA12DRVR]

Terryallan wrote:
Drop by Lowe's, and buy a FAKE Owl. they have them in the pest section. Set it on top of the 5er, or put it in the rafters of the shed. As dais move it every now and then.
Supposed to work, and I can say. I have less birds in my shed this year.

Folks up here in the GWN use both the owls and generic bird of prey whirling devices (i.e. fixed shape like a falcon, wing-like parts rotate in the wind) to scare nesting birds away from their aircraft. My (airplane) neighbor has two of the whirligig devices and his two $XXX,XXX Supercubs are kept free of birds nests for years at a time.

[The_real_wild1]

Shotgun

[down_home]

Doves are a good sign. They like good people.
Figure out a nesting box or two for them.

[jake2250]

SnakesFound your snakes!

[westend]

RedRocket204 wrote:

westend wrote:
For those birds like flickers and woodpeckers that make holes in siding, it is easier to remove the cause, i.e. their food. These birds are after the larvae of the Fly Wasp.

I was the one who had the flicker issue and it was not food that was causing the source of my specific issue with the flickers, it was always spring time nesting. If it was food, the potential for the problem with the flickers wouldn't be isolated to only the east side of my house. The bird netting on only the east side of my house completely solved my issue with the flickers.

Glad to hear you found a solution to your flicker problem. I mentioned the insecticide since it a fairly less invasive solution to rid houses of bird problems.
The location of nesting or feeding holes has little to do with the compass although I've found most damage is on corners facing South or Southeast.

[richardcoxid]

I had birds trying to build a nest inside the hollow pin box a few years ago, cleaned out the pin box and put in a dozen moth balls. A few days later found the moth balls out side in the middle of the lawn! So moth balls won't do the job.

[CavemanCharlie]

tatest wrote:
I bought a battery powered owl that lights up its eyes when detecting heat motion. The pigeons roosted on it.

:B 😛 Sorry to laugh but that was funny.

[tatest]

I bought a battery powered owl that lights up its eyes when detecting heat motion. The pigeons roosted on it.

[JIMNLIN]

time2roll wrote:
I have hardware cloth in the pin box.

X2.
I use galvanized hardware cloth with a small mesh size where birds or wasps can't get in.
I cut it with excess for a flange on all sides. The cloth bends easilly for a flange.
Drill holes for enough #8 or #10 x 3/4 " long machine screws to act as a stud to hold the cloth in place....no birds and no wasps in the pin box and its removable if needed.

I have two plastic great horned owls about 24" tall hanging in the tractor barn and two hanging in my rv trailer shed which helps in keeping starlings out.
One hanging owl gets a Phoebe's mud nest on his head every spring. Guess they like it up there 14' above the ground.

[RedRocket204]

westend wrote:
For those birds like flickers and woodpeckers that make holes in siding, it is easier to remove the cause, i.e. their food. These birds are after the larvae of the Fly Wasp.

I was the one who had the flicker issue and it was not food that was causing the source of my specific issue with the flickers, it was always spring time nesting. If it was food, the potential for the problem with the flickers wouldn't be isolated to only the east side of my house. The bird netting on only the east side of my house completely solved my issue with the flickers.

[westend]

Discs on a string work.

For those birds like flickers and woodpeckers that make holes in siding, it is easier to remove the cause, i.e. their food. These birds are after the larvae of the Fly Wasp. They can sense them moving under the siding and will bore a hole to get at them. Paint distributors sell a concentrated insecticide that can be either mixed with paint or applied as a wash coat to kill off the larvae.

[Nevadastars]

Well, I put the rubber lizards on each end of the awning, and they haven't been back in two days. So, either they gave up because I kept destroying their nests, or the lizards worked. Just have to remember to get them off when we take off next time.