Pigeons, sparrows, crows, and many other birds love to sit down on your porch and just rest. If you have spent a considerable amount of money on building your porch, the last thing that you would want is to go out one fine morning and see it covered with bird droppings.
These smelly droppings will simply harden over time, and your porch will lose its color and sheen as well. The acidic content in these droppings is also quite high, so you have to know that it won’t take long before the color on the porch also starts to fade away.
Remember, the porch plays an important role in the curb appeal of your property. If a person walking by sees a porch that is littered with bird droppings and feathers, they will create an image in their minds that the place is equally dirty on the inside.
First impressions matter, so if you are having guests over, you wouldn’t want them walking through a porch that is covered with bird feathers and droppings. More importantly, the smell of droppings is incredibly harsh, so you will have a hard time just staying out on your porch.
If you are frustrated with the number of bird droppings all around, there are a number of different tips and techniques that you can try out. Instead of letting your winged friends have their way with your porch, you can take several steps to limit their presence on your porch.
Here are just some of the simplest techniques that you can try to get rid of the birds on your porch.
1 – Install a Bird Feeder at a Distance
If you have a spacious garden, one of the best things that you can do is install a bird feeder that’s located away from the porch. If you are continuously feeding the birds near the porch and then expect them to not flock over, you are making a mistake.
If the birds still continue to flock to your porch, one of the best things that you can do is place a bird feeder at a distance. For instance, you can choose a corner in your backyard to place the bird feeder.
It won’t take long before the birds find the feeder in a less invasive position, and they are going to move away. However, you should know that while the number of birds will reduce, it won’t drop to zero.
You will find a few droppings every now and then on your porch, and you will have to clean them up. To create another diversion and prevent the birds from perching regularly on your porch, you should consider placing a birdbath nearby.
Keep the birdbath close to the feeder so that all of the birds are going to be isolated within a specific area of the property. You have to make sure that the birdbath remains full of water as it’ll provide a perfect place for the birds to cool down.
Remember, you also have to get rid of all the food sources from your porch. If there is food strewn around the porch, the birds will simply nest and start pecking on the porch instead of eating from the feeder.
This is a pretty simple and effective way of getting rid of birds on your porch.
2 – Get Rid of Any Materials That Birds Can Use for Building a Nest
One of the main reasons why you usually have birds flocking around your porch is because there are different kinds of materials that the birds can use for building their nest. If the birds see anything that they can use for building their nest, they are going to revisit the place again and again.
It is one of the main reasons why birds usually flock to such places, despite the risks. For instance, if there are twigs or dried leaves strewn all over your porch, you can expect the birds to return to that place again and again.
Contrary to what most people think, these birds don’t really target your porch as their personal toilet. They don’t want to intentionally carry about their business there, but it usually happens because they spend so much time on the porch.
If you can keep your porch clean on a consistent basis, you will notice that the number of birds will decrease by a considerable margin.
It’s also important to check for tree branches that are extending closer to the main structure of your house. If there are, there is a pretty high chance that the birds resting on the branches will drop some unpleasant souvenirs on your porch.
It’s best to trim the overextending branches so that direct sunlight hits your front porch. The sunlight is going to take care of the smell of the droppings if you don’t get a chance to clean on a regular basis.
After a few days, you will also notice a significant drop in the number of birds flocking on your porch. If the birds have already built a nest on your porch, it might be a wise idea to call a wildlife removal expert.
There might be little birds in the nest, so it would not be a wise idea to try and take it down all by yourself. You should know that the adult birds usually fly away during the day to forage for food and bring it back.
The last thing that you would want is to bring a nest down with baby birds, and for the mother bird to return to an empty nest.
3 – Install a Wire Mesh
If you want to take some drastic action and are really tired of having these birds all over your porch, one of the best things that you can do is to install a wire mesh and a screen door. You may not want to install one because of the aesthetic appeal, but a wire mesh and a screen door combo also has its benefits.
When you install the wire mesh and screen door, it’s going to completely cut off entry for the birds. They won’t be able to sit on the railing around the porch, and they won’t be able to find a way in.
It’s a costly installation, but it’s definitely worth the money. More importantly, a thinner wire mesh is also going to keep flying insects away from your porch. You don’t have to worry about mosquitoes flocking all over your porch.
If you like to spend your evenings outside on your porch, this will ensure that the place remains completely neat and clean. The wire mesh is going to prevent blowing dust from entering the porch, and it will keep all other things at bay.
Wire mesh is a permanent solution that’s going to keep all birds at bay. However, you have to understand that installing a wire mesh will limit your view of the outside.
If you have built a gorgeous porch and invested a considerable amount of money, it’s going to give the whole place a slightly “cagey” feel to it. It’s something that you have to consider because you simply can’t get the best of both worlds with a wire mesh.
4 – Install a Repellent Device
If you don’t have the patience to opt for methods that will divert the birds from your porch, you might want to consider installing a bird repellent device. Bird repellent devices are available from a number of local companies, and you can easily buy one at an affordable price.
Bird repellent devices are either powered by plugging them straight into an electrical socket, or you can buy a battery-powered option. The basic principle that they work on is pretty straightforward.
The human hearing spectrum is slightly limited, and birds are able to hear sounds at much higher frequencies as compared to humans. These bird repellent devices simply emit the sounds at much higher frequencies that birds usually find annoying or scary.
You won’t hear a thing, but you will notice a major reduction in the number of birds flocking to your porch. As soon as you turn on the device, the birds are going to fly away.
However, there is a downside to using bird repellent devices. If you have a cat or a dog, the high-frequency sounds that are emitted by these devices will also annoy them.
But, this won’t be a problem as long as you keep the animals inside. These are short-waved emissions, so they aren’t going to pass through the thick walls. As long as you keep the windows shut and keep your pet in a different room, you are good to go.
The best thing about installing a bird repellent device is that you don’t have to keep it turned on all the time. Birds, like most other animals, are creatures of habit.
If they visit the porch a few times and hear these annoying sounds, they are going to leave. You won’t find them returning to the place again and again.
5 – Hang Some Reflective and Shiny Things
Most people generally don’t want to go through the trouble of installing a bird repellent in their house because it annoys their pets. Obviously, you won’t find the time to constantly supervise your cat or dog.
But, that doesn’t mean you can’t keep away the birds using alternate methods. If you have multiple dogs or cats in the house, it will be incredibly hard to use a repellent device, so your only option is to look for an alternative.
One of the best things that you can do is hang a few reflective and shiny things out on the porch. You can hang them around the fascia or the soffit. It’s pretty easy to find different kinds of shiny products that are designed to proof your house against birds.
There are simple spiraling rods that you can add on the porch that make a chiming noise whenever the wind blows. They are only going to improve the aesthetic appearance of your porch and will also add a calming effect.
More importantly, during the day, they are going to shine bright as the light of the sun reflects on the surface. These things will only add a decorative effect around the porch.
The sparkling rods or other shiny things serve to disorient the sense of direction of these flying pests, so to speak. They are also going to be frightened because of the shiny trinkets, especially if they are moving about in a fixed place.
Owl bird repellents are also available, which can be used to further enhance the effectiveness of the trinkets that you hang up.
6 – Change the Light Fixtures
Now, if you have trimmed the branches extending from your trees and made sure that the porch remains clean, and still have birds flocking to your porch, it’s probably because of the light fixtures that you have added to your porch.
The light provides a warm and a safe place for birds to nest, and this is one of the main reasons why birds usually choose to nest near light sources. Because of the amount of heat generated by these light bulbs, birds usually prefer leaving their eggs nearby.
Now, a lot of people often think about removing the light fixtures altogether. That’s not a wise move because your entire porch will be dimmed in the night. Instead, you make the light fixtures a bit more irritating.
For instance, you can buy bird spikes or install them around the light-bulb. If there is a small ledge or a hold near the light bulb, remove it so that the birds don’t really have a place where they can build a nest.
There’s no reason to install harsh metallic spikes; simple plastic ones are a wise idea. The spikes should be around 50 cm long, and you can always place them around the light fixture to ensure that all areas are covered.
If you buy a bunch of different spikes, you can also add them around the railing. If you have birds sitting on the railing every now and then, adding the plastic spikes all over the railing is a simple and highly effective way to get rid of birds on the railing altogether.
7 – Go with Wind Chimes
If you don’t mind a bit of sound, wind chimes are a great idea. They are an excellent investment and are going to help you get rid of birds that tend to sit around the porch.
Birds are generally scared of the sounds that are produced by the wind chimes whenever they start chiming due to the wind. As mentioned above, you can always buy shiny wind chimes for a double effect.
Instead of using harsher sounds to divert the birds, you should consider using wind chimes because the sounds that they produce are generally pretty low and also pleasant to hear. There is also a pretty simple way to make your own wind chime using a bit of old CDs and some other things that have a sparkly surface.
8 – Let Your Cat Out
As mentioned previously, birds are generally going to start avoiding an area if they have had a few unpleasant experiences in a particular spot. One of the best ways to keep the porch free of birds is to let your dog or your cat out and roam the porch.
If you have a fenced yard, you can simply let your dog or your cat out. You can also install a catwalk on your porch to further deter the birds.
Cats are natural predators, and they are going to chase the birds (and might kill a few as well). Needless to say, once the birds realize that there is a natural predator roaming around the porch, they are going to avoid the porch.
More importantly, you should know that cats and dogs have a heightened sense of hearing. While the dogs are simply going to chase the birds away, the cats will actively try to prey on them.
But you have to understand that if the cats realize that the birds are just a bit out of their reach, they will get bored of them after a while. Ultimately, they will stop chasing the birds altogether.
This is one of the main reasons why you should not think of this as a primary solution. You have to make sure that you complement this by adding a bird repellent device as well.
Another excellent way to get rid of birds from your porch is to add a citrus-based repellent. Birds do not like citrus fragrances and are generally going to avoid landing on the porch if they can smell it.
On the other hand, humans don’t really mind the citrus fragrance; it actually smells pretty good. It’s a simple, affordable, and highly effective method to get rid of birds.
These are just a few tips to help you get rid of birds from your porch and keep it neat and clean.
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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