Blue car covered with bird droppings causing the owner to wonder how to keep the birds away from his house.

How to keep birds away from your house

Are birds turning into a nuisance on your property? These bird deterrents will help you keep unfriendly fowl at bay.

Although birds can bring music and color to your yard, they can also cause chaos by eating plants, roosting in trees and leaving potentially dangerous droppings.

You can help protect your property against such problems, but note that some wild birds are protected under federal or state laws. Forced removal or harm of any protected bird may require a permit. Check with local officials or a licensed wildlife removal service before attempting to remove birds.

How to keep birds away

Remove the reason the birds are on your property

Is it food, water or shelter? The easiest way to remove nuisance birds is to eliminate or block the resources your yard offers.

  • Water features: If you have a water feature, birds like geese will likely find it. Drain or cover the feature to keep birds out.
  • Food that birds eat: Avoid plants that grow berries or cover them with fine metal netting. If a flock of birds is dominating your feeder, ask your local wildlife service what type of seed they won't eat.
  • Places they can roost: Keep birds away from trees and bushes by pruning them often to remove the cover birds seek.

Things to scare birds away

Fright is another bird deterrent, no matter their motivation for making your property a home. Below is a list of potential solutions:

  • Flags that move in the wind are the cheapest, most effective ways to scare birds.
  • Predator statues such as lifelike scarecrows, owls, coyotes, snakes or cats that can be moved around every few days.
  • Shiny objects such as old CDs, foil pans or silver reflective tape.
  • Large colorful balls placed in the garden or from trees will look like eyes to birds.
  • Flashing lights.
  • Loud noise, such as a wind chime.

How to get rid of birds naturally

  • Baking soda: Sprinkle baking soda where you have noticed birds in your yard. They don't like the feel of it under their toes.
  • Chili pepper mixture: Mix 24 chili peppers (green or red) with half a gallon of water and a quarter cup of vinegar. Warm the mixture either in a crock pot or naturally outside in a container. Once mixed and cooled, add to a spray bottle and spray the contents on the areas the birds like to perch on. Respray every few days or after It rains.
  • Bird netting: Place some bird netting over the area you want the birds to stay out of.

Enlist local help to remove the birds

Bird control requires experimentation, patience and, often, money. If your bird infestation is too great to manage on your own, contact your local animal control or pest control. Some cities even offer specific bird-removal services. Remember to check with local officials before attempting to remove birds.

How to get rid of geese

Geese tend to be pesky, aggressive, loud and leave plenty of evidence from their visit. Here are a few ways to discourage geese:

  • Visual scare tactics, such as those listed above, work well with geese.
  • Nets, fishing line and wires strung in the affected area create a barrier that is difficult for geese to cross.
  • Liquid goose repellents contain a chemical that geese hate. Read the label because these may need to be used frequently.
  • Bird experts recommend a variety of these techniques, as birds tend to adapt to situations quickly.
  • Geese are protected by federal law so check with local officials before attempting to remove or control geese.

Check out these other pest management tips for moles and deer.

The information in this article was obtained from various sources not associated with State Farm® (including State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates). While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. State Farm is not responsible for, and does not endorse or approve, either implicitly or explicitly, the content of any third party sites that might be hyperlinked from this page. The information is not intended to replace manuals, instructions or information provided by a manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional, or to affect coverage under any applicable insurance policy. These suggestions are not a complete list of every loss control measure. State Farm makes no guarantees of results from use of this information.

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