Learn how to safely remove bird nests from your property. Explore effective methods and considerations for promoting both human and bird safety.
Most people don’t think of birds when they think of getting rid of pests, but getting rid of birds is a type of wildlife exclusion. Even though birds are usually harmless to people who live in a house, they can be bad for both houses and health.
Birds can make a lot of noise, especially if they build a nest in or on your house. They can hurt your house, car, and other things.
Their nests can get in the way of stove, dryer, and fan vents, which can cause fires and make the appliances useless. Their nests can also get stuck in gutters and drains, which can cause water to pool and cause damage to your roof. Their droppings have uric acid in them, which can hurt your car’s paint.
Washington State University states that germs and viruses that are harmful to people can be found in bird droppings.
Pathogens like histoplasmosis can also be found in the droppings of birds. Mites, parasites, and ticks can also be found in bird nests, and they can stay there even after the birds have left.
It’s not enough to just figure out how to get rid of a bird nest to get rid of birds. According to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, many species are protected. This law says that it is illegal to take, possess, import, export, transport, sell, buy, trade, or offer for sale, buy, or trade any migratory bird or its parts, nests, or eggs, unless they have a valid permit issued by the Federal government.
Birds have been known to build their nests in and around homes in some very inconvenient places. They are often found above doors, over garages, in sheds, and other places where people walk a lot.
They can also nest in dangerous places, like on top of lawnmowers, heat pumps, and other things.
When To Take The Bird Nest Down
After you’ve done some of these things, think about whether or not the nest already has a mother bird and her unhatched eggs. In this case, the nest should be left alone. But if the nest and its inhabitants are likely to be in immediate danger (from things like home pets or outdoor equipment), suggests moving the nest in a safe way.
And if you happen to find an empty nest while doing spring cleaning, to make sure the nest is really empty before doing anything else. Young birds will sometimes go back to the nest for a few days to get food from their parents.
After a few days, though, they will leave the nest and not go back. If so, the nest is okay to throw away.
Also Read: How To Get Rid of Biting Flies: Effective Removal Methods
Even though it may seem easy to decide to get rid of the bird’s nest, there are Federal rules that make it illegal to get rid of certain species of birds or their nests. Before you try to remove bird nests from your home, it’s best to check with a wildlife control company first.
If you have made sure that the type of bird that is building a nest on your property is not a protected species and that removing the nest is legal and important, here are some steps you can take to make sure it is done right and safely.
1. Staying Safe
The best way to get rid of bird nests on your land is to stop birds from making them in the first place. Take away any food scraps or trash that is out in the open around your home, as this will attract them. Make sure the trash cans are closed tightly.
Bird feeders and baths should be put away from the house and further out in the yard. You should only put out enough food for a few birds, and you should clean up any messes often.
If you don’t want birds to nest in your gutters and downspouts, you might want to place gutter guards. Birds often build their nests in vents, so put covers and screens on them.
If you need to, you can use perch repellents. These are rows of bird spikes that you put on ledges, window sills, and around the edge of the roof to keep birds from landing on perches. You can also use things like fake owls, hawks, snakes, and even coyotes to scare them away.
If you use sight deterrents, move them around often so the birds don’t get used to seeing them in the same place. You can also use strings to hang bird deterrents on your porch.
When a nest is still being built is the best time to get rid of it. If you see a bird nest being built or take one down this season, keep an eye out in the same place next season and stop it before it’s finished.
2. Check For Activity
Make sure a nest is empty before you move it or take it away. If there are birds or eggs in the nest, don’t try to move it or remove it. The best time to move or remove something is after nesting season.
If there are eggs in a nest but no signs of the parents, that doesn’t always mean the nest has been left. The parents might be out getting food, or they might have left to let the eggs cool down.
3. Wait For The End Of Nesting Season
After nesting season is over is the best time to get rid of or move a nest. Most bird species only nest once a year, but some do it four or five times. How long it takes depends on the type of bird.
If you don’t know the type of bird, it’s hard to know when the best time is to move or remove the nest. A professional can help you figure out what kind of animal you are dealing with and when the best time is to get rid of the nest.
4. Use Proper Precautions When Removing Birds Nest
Once you know for sure what kind of bird it is, if it is allowed to move the nest, and if there are no eggs in the nest, you can move or remove it. Bird nests can be home to other pests and leftover bird poop, which can have dangerous diseases for people.
Make sure to protect yourself by wearing long arms, long pants, latex gloves, and a face mask. Check the nest carefully to make sure there are no eggs or birds in it. Use a spray that kills germs to clean the nest. Once the nest is dry, take it out and put it in a container or trash bag with a tight lid.
Put it in the trash somewhere away from the house. Use a strong cleaner to clean the area where the nest was. Take off your gloves and throw them away. Get dressed and wash your clothes right away in hot water. You should wash your hands well.
5. Call A Professional
It can be hard to tell if the bird nest in or on your home is legal to remove and how to do it in the best way. If you have a bird nest that is causing problems in or on your property, call a professional wildlife exclusion company.
They will be able to tell you for sure what kind of bird it is, remove or dispose of the nest properly, and help you find places where nesting could be a problem in the future.
6. Deploy Bird Roosting Spikes
If your house has flat ledges on the outside, birds are probably already a problem. They like perching on rocks because they don’t have to worry about what’s behind them. If they sit there often, they will nest there.
The counter: Put up roosting spikes, which are a set of metal spikes that are crisscrossed and connected to a metal base. They come in kits that you put together to make lengths of 10 to 100 feet.
You use a nail gun to put them up. Don’t worry, the birds won’t get hurt. They just make it hard for birds to land on your flat rocks, so they can’t build nests there.
7. Keep Birds Away With Foul Odors
A lot of smells that people like are annoying to birds. Lemon and peppermint are two of these, which is interesting. If you don’t want birds to nest on your porch (on top of the light is a popular place), make a repellant and spray it on your porch often.
This is what Wild Wild World says you should do: In a mix of 1/4 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup water, add seven drops of lemon oil and seven drops of peppermint oil. You can put the solution in a pump or soak cotton balls in it and use them where you need to.
8. Clean Up Your Yard
When you cut back thick growth on your plants and trees, you take away places for birds to nest. However, this could make your house an even better place for birds to nest.
On the other hand, birds are less likely to come to your land in the first place if it doesn’t have much cover. Pruning is also good for the leaves on your plant, so you should give it a try.
Pick up loose twigs, dried leaves, and other things that birds can use to build their nests while you’re working in the yard. Also, keep your trash in a safe place because birds can make nests out of paper and other fibrous trash.
9. Hang Shiny Objects That Catch The Wind
Some people are drawn to shiny, moving things, but birds avoid them. Putting up old CDs, strips of aluminum foil, or strings of shiny beads has been used for years to keep birds out of the yard and away from the house.
When you hang shiny things in places where there is a lot of sun and wind, they work best. Both the movement and the reflection warn birds that there might be danger and keep them away.
Wind chimes can be even more effective because they make noise, which is another way to keep people away.
10. Don’t Feed The Birds
If you don’t want birds around, it goes without saying that you shouldn’t do anything that would draw them. If you like watching birds eat in your yard but don’t want them to nest there, put bird feeders far from the house.
Scavenger birds are another reason to keep your trash covered and away from the house. Stop feeding your dogs outside and do it inside instead. Jays and crows, which are both protected species, especially like to eat pet food.
11. Install Motion-Activated Lights And Sprinklers
Motion-activated lights can scare away birds at night, and sprinklers that turn on when they move do the same thing during the day. The key is to be able to surprise people.
FAQs
Read on for answers to some of the most common questions about removing bird nests, like when is the best time to do it and how long does nesting last.
Q. At What Time Of Year Can You Remove Bird’s Nests?
The best time to get rid of bird eggs is after nesting season, which can be different in different places and for different kinds of birds. The later breeding season starts, the farther north you live.
Q. What Happens If You Destroy A Bird’s Nest?
Some birds will leave their nest if it gets destroyed, but other birds will just build a new one nearby.
Q. Can Birds Find Their Nest If It’s Moved?
If you move a bird’s nest, the bird might not be able to find it because its settings have changed. If a nest is near where it used to be, birds might be able to find it. The best time to move a nest is after the young birds have left.
Q. Is It Illegal To Disturb A Bird’s Nest?
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA) protects many birds and their nests. People are not allowed to destroy or remove a bird’s nest or take birds away.
Q. How Long Does Bird Nesting Last?
Depending on the species, birds can nest for anywhere from two to ten weeks.
Q. Do Mother Birds Sleep In The Nest With Their Babies?
Yes, but only for a few days after they hatch. Mother birds don’t usually sleep in the same nest unless it’s so cold that it puts the young birds in danger.