We do love birds. Honest. We really do. We even had a bird feeder in Illinois that we set out every winter. However, here in Hawaii, they can be a problem.
We dealt with petite Java sparrows who were working hard to make a nest in our attic by poking holes through the roof vent screens. Painters had to be hired to add these bird guards.
It's been aggravating mom who takes care of the yard.
She's seeing the persistent mynahs trying to build a nest every morning on that thin ledge that just keeps getting blown away leaving a huge scattering of debris on the ground. (We did discover that they were mynahs when we caught them in the act.)
We decided it was time to do something about this daily problem.
We've seen these stainless steel bird spikes at the outside mall of Costco. Hopefully it will work. The directions do say that it probably won't work for small birds. We're hoping it will discourage them.
Art got on a ladder and installed them.
And the other day, Art was looking out our window and saw this in our gutter. Apparently, it must have been there a long time.
Sigh.
We decided it was time to do something about this daily problem.
Fingers crossed.
OK... Now we have a few more ledges that will probably need the same deterrent. We'll see where the birds choose to roost next. It's not easy to keep up with bird brains.
POSTSCRIPT: (One week later)
Are you kidding me?!? 😣
We were having breakfast and mom called us to display another bucket of debris she found on the ground.
Sigh...
Art went to check. He couldn't believe it!
Now what?
The battle of the birds continues.
We once had an older home in which the alcoves by the attic windows were very attractive to the pigeons.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I don't like about birds: I have to park my car below the phone wires and dropping keep covering my car. I've been looking for a cover.
ReplyDeleteToo early in spring to have nesting issues here but we will see if they like our eaves. Though looking out the window above my desk I don't see any ledges they can use. We did have a robin in the barn trying to go out through a window. We sent oldest granddaughter in to get behind it to scare it out. That worked though she said it pecked her hand.
ReplyDeleteWe need more trees for them to nest in
ReplyDeleteDear Christine, perhaps human habitations are coveted by birds because houses and sheds offer more cover from predators.
DeleteMy guinea fowl will often roost over the concrete slap in the barn. They have their own house but will insist on changing place often. They are not polite at all with their droppings. Maybe these spikes would work to deter them from roosting over the slab.
ReplyDeleteResourceful little buggers. I chased a pair of mourning doves off the hood of my car the other day. They were standing there, I swear, discussing building a nest in the well for the wiper blades.
ReplyDeleteOoh, I was hoping you had an answer. I have birds that roost at night on my ledges and leave droppings on my walls. Let us know if you find something bird proof.
ReplyDeleteI think battling birds is part of home ownership. We have robins that try every year to build a nest on a security light leaving a pile of twigs for me to pick up before mowing. They've never successfully built one there in the nine years of us living here but they try every year.
ReplyDeleteI know a few people with those bird spikes and they seem to get mixed results. Others try hanging strands of dental floss or string and say that works better but to me, it seems like it would only last until the first windy day.
When we bought this place, we wondered why there was wire netting on places like that. Didn't take us long to figure it out. LOL Just cover the area where you don't want birds. It works.
ReplyDeleteI work for a company that instructs airports on how to deter wildlife to make the air safe for planes. Those are called bird exclusion devices. Google them and see what you can come up with. Good luck beating the bird brains!
ReplyDeleteThose smaller birds who are still trying to nest there are probably appreciating the rakes for keeping their nests from blowing away. Maybe they are saying thank you. :-)
ReplyDeleteFortunately we have plenty of trees, shrubs and bird houses for our birds to nest in. None have decided to lodge on our house.
Try nailing hardware cloth up there. The building can breathe and the birds can't get in. I believe you can paint it.
ReplyDeleteHardware cloth sounds like a great possibility. We’re getting so many good ideas.
DeleteWe have had problems with birds nesting on our window ledges. They used to gather on our lanai railing until we tied tsuji - fishing line above it so they couldn't perch.
ReplyDeleteWhen the painters came and set up their ladders, I asked them to run the tsuji over the windows and they inserted eye hooks to tie them on. However, the eye hooks were less than an inch so the birds (mostly doves) kept building their nests. While the painter was doing this, he said one of their customers painted the ledge red and that kept the birds away.
I bought rubber bird spikes from Daiso. They worked but the wind would knock them off.
So I am now making ceramic ones with pointy spokes that the wind can't really blow. So far, so good! If you want to try the Daiso bird spikes, lmk and we can meet up. And I can show you my ceramic ones that look dangerous.
Thinking back, we should have tried painting the upper ledges red.
Art does have a Plan B and C to consider. Granted we just did B and hope that works. It usually takes the mynahs or bulbuls a week to figure it out.
ReplyDeleteBirds shall be birds.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that when these nests are destroyed that the birds don't move on.
ReplyDeleteWe once had pigeons that nested in our water spout. We got rid of them by putting a bottle brush inside and that took care of it. I don't know what you might do but I know it's a bit hard. I hope you find a solution.
ReplyDeleteStrange..Birds don't bother my apartment at all.
ReplyDeletelife is surprising in its number of surprises...lol!
ReplyDeletePersistent buggers!
ReplyDeleteKeep us posted 🐱
ReplyDeleteMany years ago a carpenter built some triangular shaped wedges that fit onto some ledges under the front porch. He called it a 'bird slide'. The birds don't have a perch or level spot to build. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteM in NC
Art did put up a slide with aluminum sheets before, but they deteriorated and when we had our house painted a year ago, the slides were taken down. Actually, Plan C was/is to make the slides again, but paint them this time.
DeleteI also have a love/hate relationship with birds.
ReplyDeleteThey are very persistent aren't they!
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan