Ushering ‘porch birds’ to a different locale

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Published Date 4/23/2024

You may see it as a sign of good luck when a wild bird or two visits your porch. But when their friends decide it’s a great place for an Alfred Hitchcock-style convention, you won't appreciate the “gifts” they leave behind.

Bird droppings are unsightly, the work involved in cleaning them up is tiresome, and leaving them there is a mistake since they contain an acid that can damage or stain the building materials used to construct porches, patios, and decks.

How do you keep the critters at bay? First, it’s good to educate yourself about your winged friends. The Spruce’s David Beaulieu says not all birds are problematic for porch owners. “You generally have to worry only about the birds in your area that hang out regularly in flocks and do not mind being around humans.”

Porch-loving birds include crows, pigeons, sparrows, starlings, grackles, and gulls. Keeping them off your porch means using a combination of sights, sounds, and smells.

“Birds dislike shiny objects, especially if they are moving,” says Beaulieu. “You can buy such objects (pinwheels, for example), but it is cheaper to use something you have right in the kitchen: aluminum foil. Cut strips of it and hang them up around the porch. The breeze will blow them, which the birds find disorienting.” For a sound-based repellent, try wind chimes. And some smells also act as bird repellents. For example, birds do not like citrusy smells. Spraying some lemon oil on your porch can keep birds away.

Dogs or cats on your porch or nearby scare them away (and in most cases will go nuts trying). “While it would not make sense to buy a pet for this specific reason, take advantage if you already have one,” says Beaulieu. “Make your porch area pet-friendly and give your canine or feline friend a lot of porch time.”

As for predator decoys — like those fake creepy owls you see hanging around? While they aren’t terribly decorative, they’re practical, deployed to scare birds and other pests away.

Ah. The many uses of baking soda. It’s a product you probably have on hand and believe it or not, it’s effective in bird control. Spray a solution of it on areas of your porch where you know birds like to perch. Your winged friends dislike the feel of the baking soda on their feet. Mix 5 spoonfuls of baking soda into a glass of water, pour the solution into a bottle with a spray head, and shake it well before spraying on porch banisters, etc.

Then there are motion-activated repellents that repel a variety of unwanted visitors, including birds. Set one up on the lawn near your porch. When these devices detect motion, they shoot a spray of water or make a noise that will scare the birds. Just be sure to locate a device with a sprinkler far enough away from the porch to avoid soaking the porch.

Don’t forget that birds also offer benefits to your yard, including natural pest control, pollination, and — of course — pleasure.

Some birds choose to nest or roost on a porch or even simply visit to gather nesting materials that have blown onto the porch or household/landscape materials that somehow end up there. For example, birds use twigs, dried grass blades, and dried tree leaves to build nests. But they will also make use of dryer lint and strings of frayed tarps.

“Tree branches overhanging a porch can also attract birds to the area,” says Beaulieu. “So can tall shrubs around a porch. Birds love the cover provided by such things: They are less likely to hang out in areas where they are exposed and feel at risk for predator attacks.”

If you feed the birds and/or provide water for them in a birdbath, the source of your problem could be as simple as that you have located the feeder and/or birdbath too close to the porch. To prevent your feathered friends from returning, sweep your porch frequently so that potential nesting materials are not present. Remove any existing nests (only after the nesting season and the nest is abandoned) or nests that are in the building process, cut down branches that overhang your porch, and locate any feeders farther away.

TheSpruce, TBWS

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