There are about 850 species of birds that can be found in Australia. Many of them have adjusted to living among humans in urban areas, like pigeons, kookaburra, owls, and many more. However, since they choose to live in urban areas, they need to make their home somewhere, and for that, these feathered creatures choose to pick rooftops.
Even so, waking up with the sweet sound of birds chippering on your roof and window is sure to make your morning good and a lovely way of starting the day. However, the problem starts when instead of having a small bird family, there is a large group of birds nesting on top of your roof. This can result in damaging your roof in many ways. Here, we will cover all the things from problems caused by bird nesting, things that attract birds to make a home on your roof, and ways to get rid of birds from the roof.
Things That Attract Birds To Your Roof
The first thing you should understand is that there are some reasons why birds are making their nest on your roof. So, before we talk about how to get rid of birds from your roof, let’s know about the things that attract birds to your roof in the first place.
1. Bird Nesting Spots
The main reason birds build nests on top of your roof is because of deforestation. Since the jungles are chopped down to make urban civilisations, there are fewer trees for the birds to make their home. The roofs of houses are far up from the ground, which makes it an ideal nesting spot for birds.
2. Source Of Food And Water
If there are open dustbins or containers that have vegetable waste, then this will be a great source of food for the birds. Apart from that, yards are a great place to find lots of insects or small rodents. The gutters on your roof serve as a medium for their water supply. All of these can be quite tempting for birds, and they might start building their nest on top of your roofs.
3. Safety From Predators
The motive for birds building their nest on top of your roof is because it keeps them and their young ones safe from any kind of danger, especially from predators. Since rooftops are quite above ground level, it becomes hard for predators like foxes, snakes, racoons, weasels, and many others to climb up to the rooftop.
Problems With Birds On Roofs
Once you have understood the things that attract birds to build a nest on your roof, let’s talk about the problems that occur when birds start to live on top of your roof. Below you will see some essential points that you need to be aware of to help you better understand why birds on roofs are a big problem.
1. Family Health Risks
Having a large number of birds on your roof can seriously put the health of your family at risk. These birds have a large number of zoonotic diseases (diseases that can be transferred from animals to humans). The sources of these diseases are bird droppings, secretions, and feathers of infected birds. The worst part is that you do not need to come into contact with them to get infected by it. Simply breathing in the air that contains the dust particles of contaminated stuff can make you sick. Many of them are highly dangerous diseases that can be life-threatening, like Aspergillosis, Colibacillosis, and Histoplasmosis. So, to keep your family safe, you need to keep birds away from your roof.
2. Home Damage From Birds
Birds can also become the reason for causing a great deal of damage to your home. Many birds build their nests on gutters, as they are high above the ground and become a nice source of water. However, this results in clogged gutters. Other than that, bird droppings are quite acidic and can damage your roof and shorten a roof’s lifespan. You especially need to be extra careful if you have a chimney in your home, as there are plenty of birds who build their nest in hollow trees, so there is a huge possibility that they might make the nest in your chimney. This will eventually cause a blockage that stops the harmful smoke that contains carbon monoxide from escaping through the chimney and will spread throughout the entire home. Putting everyone’s life in danger.
3. Decreased Property Value
Having birds on your roof can be the reason for noticeable damage to your house. This will require maintenance and can also affect the overall price of your property. Bird droppings and nesting materials can cause unattractive stains and pollution. It makes your home appear less appealing to potential buyers. In addition, the cost of repairs and cleaning can prevent buyers from purchasing the house as they see the costly problems that come along with the property. With the passing of time, these issues can increase and can cause more damage to the property. It is important for you to fix this bird problem as soon as possible to maintain the beautiful appearance and great condition of your home. It will also help preserve the value of your property and make sure to remain attractive to prospective buyers.
Ways To Get Rid Of Birds From Your Roof
Now that you have learned about the risk that birds can bring into your and your family’s lives, it is really necessary to get rid of birds from your roof. Below you will find some effective ways that will help you deal with the situation.
1. Cut Off Food And Water Supply
The very first step to solving the bird problem is quite simple. All you need to do is try figuring out where the birds on your roof are getting food and water from, then simply cut off their food and water supply. Most birds take some food from the pet’s plate, and some birds are known for their cleverness as they try to open or tear a properly tied garbage bag to find the waste food materials. If you have a garden where you grow fruits like berries, then it becomes an excellent source of their food. You can stop all of these by giving food to your pet inside the house and picking all the fruits and berries before the birds get a chance. We know that cutting off the supply of food and water may sound a bit harsh, but it’s an effective and humane way to encourage birds to relocate.
2. Using a BYOP
BYOP is an acronym that stands for “Bring Your Own Predator.” This does not mean that you should keep a bird predator on your roof, like a fox, cat, snake, or any other kind of animal. This simply means that you place a statue of a predator that will work like a “scarecrow” that will scare off the birds and help you keep them away from your roof. However, finding a place to keep a BYOP can be a bit difficult, especially when there are some intelligent bird species like kookaburra, magpie, and others that can actually figure out that the predator is not moving, which means it is not a real threat. So, to avoid that from happening, you will need to put some effort into changing the position of the BYOP from time to time. This will create the illusion that the BYOP is a living being, and this will keep the birds away from your roof.
3. Shiny Objects To Scare Birds
This is quite a simple yet effective way to keep the birds from your roof. You can place some shiny objects on your roof as well as other parts of the house where birds are seen often in search of food, like gardens and lawns. The best part about using this solution is that you don’t even need to spend any money. You can easily make your home a bird-proof area by using broken and useless shiny objects that can be found in your home, like CDs, aluminium foil, broken small pieces of mirrors and glasses, reflective tapes, and metal objects. These shiny objects work as a reflective cover that is mistaken for fire by most birds, so instead of approaching your roof, they immediately turn away as they sense danger on your roof and other parts of your house.
4. Bird Repellent Sprays
The next solution on this list will make you spend some money. However, this will be so efficient that it will be all worth it. Bird repellent sprays come in various varieties, and each one of them can be easily found in the market at quite affordable rates, so you do not need to worry about them being too expensive. These bird-repellent sprays are manufactured in a way that they have a strong scent that is very unpleasant to birds; spraying them on your roof makes the surface sticky and uncomfortable for any kind of bird to be on. The sprays do not have any kind of toxic materials, so you can be sure that the birds won’t get harmed; only the smell will make them fly away from your roof. Spraying one time can last for about seven to twelve days.
5. Bird Spikes For Roofs
To keep birds away from your roof, you can install bird spikes. This is a highly useful solution that many people choose to install on the top of their commercial buildings and houses. Just like the name, this amazing piece of equipment has a spiky appearance that makes birds feel threatened and do not even try to come close to them. These spikes are installed on the edge of the building, along the fences, and around the gutters to stop birds from coming near it. It also has an additional benefit, as these bird spikes not only keep birds away but also work on other animals like possums. The spikes are made from either stainless steel or plastic, which makes them absolutely harmless. So, these spikes are not actually a threat to birds; they are just meant to scare them away.
The Bottom Line
Here, you have gained complete knowledge about the things that tempt birds to your roof to make a nest there. You also learned about the various health diseases that birds bring with them, along with the multiple damages to your home that are caused by birds staying on top of your roof. Lastly, you discovered some of the most effective ways by which you can make the birds leave your house and stop other birds from making nests on top of your roof. By using simple items like BYOP, shiny objects, bird-repellent sprays, and spikes, you will be able to easily maintain your roof and prevent these unwanted visitors. Simply implementing these strategies, you can make your roof and your entire house a bird-free zone.
Frequently Asked Questions
One of the most popular home remedies for keeping birds away is by making a mixture of kinds of vinegar. It creates a strong scent, which is quite unpleasing for the birds, so it works as a great bird repellent. And the best part is that making a vinegar mixture is extremely easy, as vinegar is quite easily accessible, and applying it is even more easy. All you need to do is create a mixture, transfer it into a spray bottle, and spray it around the borders of your property.
There are many things that birds hate so much that they mostly try to stay as far away as possible, like apple cider vinegar, peppermint, chilli pepper flakes, essential oils, and Kool-Aid. However, make sure that the Kool-Aid should be made of grapes.
There are certain ways by which you can make an effective bird deterrent. Birds despise strong scents, and most of them stay away from shiny objects. Birds do not even try to come near when they see life-threatening predators. You can easily recycle and reuse broken CDs and DVDs to make shiny objects, or you can use some vegetables like garlic and ginger to create a strong smell that birds hate so much. This bird deterrent works best for gardens to keep your garden a bird-free area.
You can prevent birds from nesting on your roof by installing physical barriers like bird spikes or you can use netting to block their access and prevent them from nesting. Other than these, you need to regularly clean your gutters and remove all kinds of materials that birds can use to build nests, like tiny sticks. You need to make sure that your roof is well maintained so that you can prevent bird activity in the future.
Yes, trimming trees near your roof can help reduce bird activity. When you cut the branches that overhang or the branches that are close to your roof, then it makes it hard for birds to look for possible nesting sites. This also has other advantages, like it makes your home look more attractive. Make sure that you regularly maintain your nearby trees, as it can effectively minimise bird activity and prevent them from getting too close to your roof.
