Birds are a common complaint about homeowners who will often find their property infested with the little flyers. In this article, we will explore just why birds are attracted to human properties, and what you can do to keep them away from yours.
First Things First, What’s Attracting Birds to Your Home?
Birds, like most other unwanted wildlife, are attracted to human homes for two big reasons: they provide them with a place to nest and a source of nourishment. This is why birds are often found in attics, on roofs, or in soffits, as these are easily accessible areas of your home, that the bird can use as a nesting place.
They will also be more likely to visit a home if it has an open water source, such as a birdbath, a leaky pipe, or some other water form, as well as food, like seeds, grains, and so on.
The funny part here is that one of the main purposes of the soffit is to actually keep birds and other wild animals from nesting over your roof. Yet birds, being the sneaky creatures that they are, have come to nest in the soffit space itself since it basically provides a warm, dry home.
That Being Said, What Can You Do About Birds in Your Soffit?
Thankfully, there’s a number of things you can do to protect your home from unwanted intruders, such as…
1. Build A Bird Box
Also referred to as a birdhouse, this is a specially designed box that provides a nice, cozy home for birds, as it can be quite beneficial to have them around (larger birds tend to scare other potential predators, like rats or snakes, away).
So a birdhouse might be ideal. You can either build one using a box, or some wood or else, purchase one from a specialty store. The idea behind this is that, for some reason, the birds are attracted to your home already, so you might as well give them a safe space to nest, where they won’t cause any damage. Smart, no?
2. Eliminate Food Sources
As we already saw, the number one reason why you’ve got birds living on your property is that there is an easily accessible food source. You can visit pestcontrolbird.com to learn more about what’s attracting wild birds to your house.
So a smart idea to keep the flyers away might be to simply remove the food sources, or else protect them. This can include covering any open trash cans, or ones that are easily toppled over (while birds can’t topple your bins, other wild animals, like raccoons can, and will, so this should be a worthy investment).
Alternatively, if you suspect the cause of all your problems is your garden, you could put up protective netting.
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3. Call A Wildlife Removal Company
If you’re unsure what to do about birds in your soffit, or what is attracting them, you could call Complete Wildlife Removal Wyoming, a professional wildlife removal company.
The main benefit of having a professional inspect the situation is that they will be able to identify the main attraction, as well as come up with an easy, yet efficient solution for keeping birds, and other unhelpful animals at bay.
While calling a professional wildlife removal service can be pricier than most DIY methods, it’s well worth it, since they will both get rid of your existing problem, as well as instruct you on future prevention tips.
4. Make Yourself a Shiny Soffit
It’s a well-known fact that birds don’t really like reflective, shiny surfaces, such as CDs. For some reason, they view such surfaces as foreign and instantly dangerous and tend to stay away from shiny surfaces. This is why it might be a very good idea to install reflective strips over your soffit, to keep birds from nesting there.
Alternatively, you could use aluminum foil directly, although the drawback here is that it might become damaged by the elements, and natural wear and tear, and thus become less efficient. Still, it’s worth looking into some reflective, shiny solution to keep birds from taking up permanent residence in your soffit.
5. Change Your Soffit
Soffits are, by nature, the victims of the elements, and so must be replaced periodically for maximum efficiency. When you put in your new soffit, look for a special anti-nesting option (such as ventilation in your soffit).
That way, you will have repaired the bird damage to the soffit, as well as prevented future infestations.
Also, when you’ve finally got the birds off your property, remember to inspect the area they inhabited, and conduct all necessary repairs. This is the only way to prevent future invasions (both from them, as well as other animals).
