Tired of constantly cleaning up after our feathered friends, who seem to love your porch as much as you do? While birds can be delightful to watch, they can also be a nuisance. They leave behind a mess and sometimes even cause damage. But fear not, we have clever tricks, that will help you to keep birds off porch.
We will unveil the top strategies that I and homeowners just like you have tried and tested. From creating physical barriers to employing decoys, we have all the tips and tricks you’ll need.
Read on to discover how to create a bird-free zone with ease and finesse! 🐦✨
Contents
- 1 How to Keep Birds Off Porch Railings?
- 1.1 1. Hang Foil to Keep Birds off the Porch
- 1.2 2. Plant Flowers That Deter Birds
- 1.3 3. You Can Use Wind Chimes to Keep Birds off Your Porch
- 1.4 4. Sprinkle Baking Soda
- 1.5 5. Place Spikes or Rods to Keep Birds Away
- 1.6 6. Provide Alternate Housing for Them
- 1.7 7. Install Motion Activated Sprinkler System
- 2 FAQs
How to Keep Birds Off Porch Railings?
1. Hang Foil to Keep Birds off the Porch
Bright light and reflective surfaces are some of the most terrifying things for birds. If you use any reflective object, the glare from the sun will bother birds’ eyes and will stop them from landing on your porch for shelter.
To utilize this method, you can make a hole in pieces of aluminum foil or use disposable pie plates. Then thread a string through to create a loop, and hang these homemade reflectors around your porch. Doing this will discourage birds from flying towards or roosting in the area.
This method is not only cost-effective but also does not harm the birds, making it an environmentally friendly option.
2. Plant Flowers That Deter Birds
Oh, yes! You heard it right, planting flowers that deter birds is a good option to keep your porch clean. Generally, birds don’t like the strong smell of flowers, and thorny ones can hurt them. We would recommend you plant garlic, citronella, mint, basil, sage, lavender, thyme, rosemary, and daffodils. Therefore, planting a variety of these suggested plants can create a natural barrier that is likely to discourage birds from infesting your outdoor space.
Find out why do plants turn yellow!
3. You Can Use Wind Chimes to Keep Birds off Your Porch
It has been observed that wind chime sounds frighten birds away. For optimal effect, it’s advisable to hang these chimes and play thunder sounds, birds will stay away from your porch and its railings. This combination can effectively prevent birds from perching on or near your porch and its railings.
It’s important to note that the size and pitch of the chimes play a crucial role in their effectiveness. The bigger and louder the chimes, the more they’ll scare the birds.
4. Sprinkle Baking Soda
Well, this tactic is one of the effective home remedies, which you can use to get rid of birds. Sprinkling baking soda is a non-toxic deterrent to keep birds away from making a mess. All you need to do is sprinkle it around your porch, its texture will create an unpleasant structure for birds. Eventually, they will avoid coming back to your porch or sitting on your porch railing.
This one is a simple, yet cost-effective solution that won’t harm the birds. However, during monsoon, you will need to re-apply baking soda because its effectiveness will be reduced when washed away.
You can also read; 9 Tips to Keep Squirrels Out of Garden!
5. Place Spikes or Rods to Keep Birds Away
You can create a physical barrier for birds, which will stop them from landing in your porch area. Installing spikes or rods is one of the best physical barrier options you can opt for, it works as an effective deterrent for birds. These bird controls will give uneven surfaces, thus discouraging them from landing in your porch area for shelter.
From personal experience, I would recommend you to go for the spikes or rods made up of sturdy materials like plastic, and, stainless steel, so, that spikes don’t get damaged by the thunderstorm. Also, ensure that its pointers are not sharp because our goal is to deter birds from your porch railing and not to harm them.
While installing spikes, make sure you cover all the landing areas, including ledges, railings, and eaves, not leaving any space for birds to come in easily. Furthermore, regular cleaning of spikes is necessary, it will help you to stay debris-free. Such as leaves or twigs, which could provide a platform for birds to nest.
By taking these precautions, you can keep your porch bird-free.
6. Provide Alternate Housing for Them
One of the simple ways to keep birds off the porch is to provide them with alternative housing options. By doing so, you will not only keep your porch clean, but, birds will also get an appealing nest to live in, and protect themselves from predators. Before you set up an alternative birdhouse for them, we recommend you keep your porch clean and tidy. No food crumbs should be there because it will make them come back and take away nesting materials. So, it will stop them from building their home on your porch area.
Now, you can place a sturdy birdhouse in your yard or any safer location, where they can live peacefully. You can also place a nest box, along with food and water, which will help to draw birds’ attention. They will not come back to your porch railing to seek shelter.
7. Install Motion Activated Sprinkler System
Ah! This one can be costly for you. But, even after trying several tactics, if you cannot keep birds off your porch. Then we recommend you go for the motion-activated sprinkler system. This device works when it detects birds’ motion, it sprinkles water on them, and a sudden splash of water can scare them. In the initial stage, birds might love to play in the water, but, soon, they will get irritated and avoid coming near to your porch to take shelter.
All you need to buy a sprinkler system from the market, and, install it as mentioned in their booklet. For instance, AbcoTech offers a good quality sprinkler system that you can easily install in your garden or porch to keep birds away.
Also Read: What to use to keep rabbits out of garden? Why are squash leaves turning yellow?
FAQs
Why do birds keep coming to my porch?
One of the reasons might be that they feel safer, as there are fewer chances of being attacked by predators. In addition, building a nest on your porch gives them shelter to live, they can easily access food, and peacefully spend their time.
What scares birds away?
Generally shining objects like foil, pie plates, CDs, foil, small mirrors, and related items scare them a lot. This is because it reflects sunlight reflections, which helps to keep birds away from your porch railing. As we know, birds do not like bright lights, so they avoid coming near such objects.
How do I keep birds from building nests on my porch light?
Well, there are several ways through which you can stop birds from building a nest on your porch light. For instance, you can place spikes on your porch railings, it will create a barrier for them and will not allow them to enter your porch area.
How to keep birds off your porch at night?
It has been observed that birds do not like bright lights, reflective objects, and wind chime sounds it scares them a lot especially during the night, or darker times. If you wish to keep them off your porch then try these tactics, it will surely help you to get rid of them.
Hello, I’m Rose Lehman, the content writer of cozynest. I have been a gardener for over 5 years, and I have a certificate in master gardening from the Oregon State University Extension Service. I enjoy writing about all aspects of gardening, from the basics to the advanced, and from the practical to the creative. I also love to explore different types of gardens, cultures, and styles, and share them with our readers. My goal is to inspire and inform our audience, and help them grow their own cozynest.
