We now have 3 nests is various locations around our patio. Two of them have been here for several years and continue being used each Spring. However, both are near doors/lights/foot traffic and the eggs don’t always hatch. Interesting how birds keep using them over and over. The third nest is new this year…hummingbirds in a potted ficus tree. The eggs did hatch and the nestlings flew off.😊 I didn’t realize how fast that can happen with hummers.

I put rubber snakes on light fixtures, ledges and in plants on my open air porch. The first 4 years after building this porch, i had to fight them building nests constantly. I’ve used these the last two years and the birds quit building nests. They fly in and leave immediately

How about cutting and hanging small pieces of netting, like the kind sold for tossing over fruit trees.

I have some birds that build a nest over the ,light at my front door. This has been going on for years. I look for thm every year. We generally use the kitchen door so its not a problem, although we do scare the bejabbers out of each other when i get the mail.

I considered stuffing steel wool in the space they use but decided not to.

I'm super thrilled when the finch has come to build her nest on my porch, but for the past few years she keeps building it on the windiest day of the spring?! You might think these animals will be smarter than we are about their own young?

I want to help them, just like you want to help them, but I just wish they would help themselves.

I love birds so wherever they build, I'm thrilled they picked my yard.

Mylar helium balloons tied nearby will deter them. I've used them to deter woodpeckers determined to level my cedar shake covered house. Even when they deflate (which takes quite a while) the wind will move them with the slightest breeze and they also make noise as they move.

I found that spraying my lights with WD40 so the surface was slick helped keep the doves, which have to be the dumbest birds on the planet, from building their nest on my lights and the niche above the front door. I can see how shiny balloons would work or maybe something like this Bird-X tape - LINK

I also stayed vigilent about removing any nesting material before it became a nest. After two years or so, the birds stopped trying to nest there.

I think you can skip the spray. My understanding was birds don't have much of a sense of smell. You may just have to keep taking down the nest attempts or put something in their way temporarily so that they can't build.

No longer than most are there sitting on eggs and waiting for babies to fledge, had you ever thought about putting an appropriate for your species bird house up for them close to their chosen spot or would that detract too much at your entrance, look too bad to guests.

I have a swallow and two chickadee houses on both ends and one side of my garden shed. We just noticed activity from the chickadees at those two bird houses last week. The 'kids' will be gone and flying by the end of May - and the chickadees don't seem to make any mess on the siding which matches my house in material and color - no messes landing on the plants under them either. DH does have to take out a ladder to take the houses down and clean them each Fall but he rather likes chickadees.

Get to the nests before any eggs might be laid if removing them. Not legal to do so after eggs are laid or have hatched. Not that any of us would call the bird police on you 😊

Finches like to build nests in my lovely (expensive!) wreaths hanging on my porch. Then they proceed to deposit bird poop on the wreath, the side of my house, and porch floor.

I wedge a small cheap mirror in my wreaths. It keeps the birds away because they think there’s already another bird there.

My parents’ house had a flat roof over the front entry, and twice a goose built a nest and laid eggs! The first time she vanished before the eggs hatched, then something got to one of the eggs, and eventually the landscapers removed the whole thing. A couple of years later, it happened again, but this time she stayed there! Even through a hail storm! We had the roofer out to inspect and he used a drone. As I pulled in the driveway I could see the goose stretched up as high as she could go, flapping her wings and squawking as loud as the drone! The roof guy was freaking out, too. He landed the drone and she sat back down but on high alert for the rest of the day.

And yes, eventually the eggs hatched. Did you know the goslings leave the next within 24 hours after hatching, never to return? Good thing, since they wouldn’t be able to get back up on that roof. And they are designed to fall several feet without getting injured.

@morz8 - Washington Coast, the WD40 application is to make it difficult for the bird to stand on the slick surface. It has nothing to do with scent. I learned about it because that's what the park service uses to keep the pigeons off the Statue of Liberty.

We had birds nesting on our front porch where there was a ledge from how the trim was installed over the stonework. So I had DH take care of that with a downward slanted trim piece they couldn't nest on. So then we see them hanging about and hear them, and finally saw doop on the stone work. Would you believe they somehow crawled up in a small gap between the stonework and the trim and found enough of a ledge under the board to nest??? Crazy!

🧨

There are bird deterrent spikes you can purchase that keep them from perching, but if it's a small space, this article shows how to DIY some little ones:

https://rediscover.co.nz/diy-bird-deterrents/

P.S. Bird netting can be hazardous, even fatal, for other creatures, IMPE.

carolb, did you see my question? I'm curious about what personal experience you have with using netting to deter birds from nesting.

The answer is easily found on the internet:

In my case, it was harmless black racers caught in bird netting on my blackberries - one died before I found it.

We tried bird netting once to keep them from our blueberries. In a very short time a tiny sparrow was caught up in the netting. Fortunately my pup noticed & pointed the poor captured bird out to me. My DH donned gloves & held the bird while I cut away the netting. Happy ending. The bird flew off and we removed the nettting & cut it up to dispose of it. Never used again. No blueberries for us anymore but oh well. We did just recently have a robin start building nest on the nice protected ledge at base of our transom window above patio door. Fortunately I saw it early. I placed a 6” decorative concrete owl figure on the ledge & robin left. They try to build nests in the elbows of our back of house downspouts too. DH has hung old hard drive discs inside the elbows - they turn in breeze & reflect light. No more robins there either. An old CD or DVD could also serve this purpose. We have lots of trees for them to nest in. The problem with nesting around lights etc on house is the bird poopy mess on sides of house & ground below.

We have a vineyard next door and there is always birds caught in the netting. I hate to see that happen.

Wrap the area with aluminum foil (that's what my friends do).

"What's the"personal experience" you refer to"

No one owes you answers just because you think you are entitled to them and you demand it from them. It doesn't matter. Just stop it.

We had a robin several years in a row build a nest on top of a tire on our spare truck, right on top of the tread.

All one needs to do is type in 'animals harmed by bird netting' in a search engine.

There are also posts in the gardening forums here.

Elmer J Fudd

2 days ago

How about cutting and hanging small pieces of netting, like the kind sold for tossing over fruit trees

Obviously this is a bad suggestion.

So be it, no problem. I don't have fruit trees and also don't have the problem, I mentioned something I'd seen others do.

A digression about birds and fruit trees.

There's a boutique orchardist in my area (Andy's Orchard in Morgan Hill, for anyone in the area or passing through, it's a worthwhile stop. Check the website for dates and what fruit is available when).

Andy is a descendent of the Mariani family that became well known for its stone fruit orchards that the Santa Clara Valley was once known for before it became Silicon Valley. The Mariani family long ago sold its orchards and moved out of the area (the land was more valuable as building sites) but Andy growing up got the proverbial dirt under his fingernails and continues the orchard tradition. One bit of trivia - one portion of the Mariani orchards in Cupertino became the site of Apple's first HQ campus.

Andy grows heirloom and other varieties of plums, apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines, pluots, etc. His fruit is outrageously delicious. He ships his fruit and there's a store at the orchard, as would be expected. He opens the orchards to guided tours and fruit tastings during the summer. He's well known and respected in the stone fruit hobbyist community, many of whom show up to act as docents for the orchard tours.

Anyway, one time when I was there and taking the guided tour. I thought to ask him about whether birds were a problem. I said "Andy, do you have to do anything to discourage birds?" He smiled and responded - "Look at how many pieces of fruit are on each tree, look at how many trees I have. Think of how many birds would have to show up to cause me problems, it doesn't happen. It's a numbers game and I win.

Perhaps at a vineyard as caflowerlvr mentions it would be different; the fruit is small.

It’s spring and the trolls are out! Posters beware.

You're having a bad day?

I like CWs

RABBITS are our problem. Last year they ate newly planted vinca to the ground.

I'm tempted to try the rubber snakes. Is there a way to 'animate' them?

Would Olychick's mylar balloons work? It seems they 'move' as they deflate.

i've never tried this but i've heard people swear by using human hair to keep rabbits out of gardens/flower beds. i'm told they just have their beautician sweep it into a trash bag and save it for them. 🤷🏻‍♀️

i don't know of any way to "animate" things like rubber snakes and such. we are overrun with rabbits out here. i can't plant any flowers because my boy dane lifts his leg on everything.

Have you tried hanging baskets, Nina?

🙂

anything in baskets or pots would be a lot of work for me. i live on sand and during the summer, anything not planted in the ground requires watering at least twice a day, so i just concentrate on keeping the birds fed. my yard is getting very colorful now with rose breasted grosbeaks, lots of baltimore orioles, indigo buntings, gold finches, and various woodpeckers. :)