Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Deter Birds

Lovely as birds are, they can become a nuisance around homes and gardens.


While bird-watching homeowners like to entice birds to their homes with birdhouses and suet, others find themselves plagued with unwanted birds that damage their gardens and leave droppings on their houses. For those who'd like to keep birds away without hurting them, a number of options exist. Many of these bird-repellent products are available at larger hardware stores and garden supply stores.








Instructions


1. Secure shiny reflective foil or flash tape to appropriate outside areas. Tie this bird-deterrent tape to the branches of fruit trees, garden fencing and the eaves of your house. Sunlight reflected off the flash tape will startle birds and help keep them away from plants and rooftops.


2. Apply nontoxic, polybutene bird-repellent gel to level surfaces (such as eaves or windowsills) that you're trying to keep birds away from. Place the bird gel in a standard caulking gun and squirt it on the surface in a winding, zigzag movement; reapply every six months. The gel creates a sticky landing area that birds won't want to touch.








3. Spray trees, grass, garden areas, windowsills and rooftops with methyl anthranilate, a nontoxic, food-grade grape flavoring extract. The sweet, fruity scent is unpleasant to many different species of birds; however, the extract should be applied regularly, particularly after periods of rain, for best results.


4. Wrap fruit trees in and drape garden beds with fine-mesh bird-proof netting. The netting will allow sunlight and moisture to enter in, but will not leave openings big enough for birds to peck or claw through.


5. Place bird spike strips on home surfaces such as windowsills, rain gutters and rooftop peaks. Bird spike strips are easy to install and are not lethal; the spikes aren't actually sharp enough to skewer a bird, and the mere presence of the spike strip will prevent a bird from landing.

Tags: away from, birds away, flash tape, fruit trees, keep birds, keep birds away, Place bird