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Controlling Birds
Birds create problems for homeowners through their nesting and feeding activities for many homeowners. Birds are a very diverse group. Each species represents a different potential problem. They are, as a group, problematic to deal with because:
Birds are highly mobile and can reach heights with ease.
Many bird species are protected by law and it is illegal to harm them.
Relocating birds does not work well. Birds are too mobile and will beat you home.
Due to these factors a completely different set of tactics have to be used with birds than mammals. Each species is a different case and control work has to be tailored to the species and situation.
Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers – Birds feeding on insects that destroy wood in your home sounds like a good thing until the splinters start to fly as a woodpecker hammers away at the exterior of your home. When working on homes it is easy to find tunnels left by carpenter bees if the exterior of the home is exposed wood. Once the bees construct a gallery, this is an attraction to woodpeckers who want to feed on the larva. Unfortunately, the woodpeckers only add to the destruction that the bee has left behind. Other wood-destroying insects can damage homes and create a similar situation as well. Insect damage does not have to be present to invite damage from woodpeckers. Voids in plywood left during manufacturing, for example, can also create false galleries that woodpeckers decide to explore.
Woodpeckers also create issues during nesting season. They may decide to excavate nesting cavities in walls. Unsurprisingly, wooden homes, especially those in forested areas where woodpeckers already live, can appear attractive to woodpeckers and be targeted. Occasionally, wood peckers may cut through exterior walls and decide to nest in the space between the exterior and interior wall. This does happen, but is not one of our most common calls. Soft woods, stucco over Styrofoam, and other relatively soft “peckable” materials are vulnerable.
Woodpecker problems are more likely to start when human activity is low outside the home. Woodpeckers feel much freer to work on their “home improvement” projects while no one is around. Once the woodpecker begins to “forage” or create a nest cavity in a home, it will be much harder to convince the animal to leave.
Woodpecker Control
Woodpeckers are protected and cannot be killed or trapped. Penalties for harming one of these animals are harsh. In reality, these options are not really viable, but something needs to be done. The woodpecker may nest or try to feed on what it believes are insects in your home and this activity may continue on and off over time. Developing a plan for dealing with this issue is critical. Each situation is different and requires a custom solution. Dealing with the issue promptly is important. If dealt with, the bird is less likely to develop an attachment to the site. In addition, other animals like starlings or squirrels may decide to use the hole that the woodpecker left. If they do, they will stuff it full of grasses, use it as an avenue to enter other parts of the house, and leave behind deposits of feces.
Good woodpecker control focuses on non-lethal tactics. The best long term solution is to screen the woodpeckers out of problem areas. Unfortunately, this tactic at times might not be feasible. If the entire surface of the home is constructed of a vulnerable product, it is not feasible to screen the entire outer surface of the home. Other tactics might include changing out the vulnerable building material that is attracting the woodpecker. Usually I recommend that the first thing to try should be the most inexpensive. This means using some type of hazing or scare tactic. Hanging plastic owls and beach ball scare eyes are not effective. If you need help developing a plan, give us a call.
In dealing with woodpeckers there is almost always some type of patching work to be done. We are always glad to help a homeowner with this and usually include it in our service.
Starlings
Starlings are one of several species that are commonly called “black birds”. Starlings are an introduced species brought here near the turn of the last century. The story goes that a group of people in New York were dedicated to introducing all the animals to America that were mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare. Evidently Mr. Shakespeare mentioned starlings and we now have millions of this species here in the U.S. These are the birds that you see in the fall wheeling around in the sky synchronized as though they were an individual organism. They can form up into massive flocks and create unsanitary conditions under their nightly roost where droppings accumulate. Their dropping carry with them a risk of Histoplasmosis as do other bird species and this may become an issue especially if large amounts of dropping accumulate.
Starling Nest
Starlings take up nesting in almost any type of cavity with the right size of entrance. They are far from fussy, highly aggressive and will route other more desirable bird species from their homes. Their nest are constructed with grasses. Their nest, if the nesting cavity permits, can be quite large. I have seen nest where these birds came through louvered vents into an attic. In this case the birds had an almost unlimited “nest cavity” and did their best to fill it. They had stuffed the equivalent of almost two bushel baskets of nesting material into this attic. . Starlings have quite a bit of feces in their nesting material are not good at keeping a sanitary nest. The nesting material was badly crusted with feces and “poop dust” from the nesting material was easy to stir up into the air if handled incorrectly. This situation carries the same risk of Histoplasmosis mentioned above.
Starling Control
Many times bird issues involve nesting inside some type of man-made structure. Nest sites can include anything from a hole in the side of a home to the grill shown below. This makes dealing with starling issues a little easier than other bird species. Simply sealing the entrance will usually do the job. Once this is done the problem should be solved. Starlings can excavate their own nest if they find a substrate that is soft enough. If this is the case and there is not a single entrance to be sealed, things will be more complicated. Starlings are considered a pest species and are not protected by law.
In some situations starlings can be trapped. Several trap styles can be used. Some styles are designed to mimic a nesting cavity. Others use bait and the starlings’ willingness to flock in large groups. This style of trap can remove large numbers of birds but is not simple or easy to set up and maintain.
Starlings entering a soffit.
Starlings are far from fussy about their nesting site. Starlings nest can be large and will be soiled with feces which may become airborne and become an inhalation hazard.
Pigeons
Pigeons originally escaped captive breeders and established wild populations here in the U.S. Originally this species nested in rocky cliffs; but today it makes its home on bridges, facades of buildings, etc. It has a close association with man and has been both a benefit and a pest. The very pigeons that cause problems have carried messages, have been a source of food, and have been bred for their showy plumage.
Pigeons are more likely to nest in the spring and fall; but unlike other species, pigeons can raise young at about any time through the year. The female lays one to two eggs per clutch. The young are fed “pigeon’s milk” which is regurgitated from the crop of both parents. Additional eggs can be laid before the first clutch leave the nest. Pigeons feed on seed and are able to utilize food sources that are a long distance from nesting and roosting areas.
One major issue with pigeons is their droppings. Bird droppings from any species can carry risk such as Histoplasmosis, a potentially serious fungal disease that affects the lungs. Bird droppings also cause issues with items on which they collect. Bird droppings have uric acid in them and are actually corrosive. They will corrode metals, degrade the surface of masonry, and make a general nasty mess where ever they land. In the case of pigeons, the problem is more significant because pigeons generate such large quantities of poop and they pick special roost and loafing spots where the droppings tend to accumulate in large quantities. Most other bird species tend to spread their poop all around as they move about and do not concentrate it.