Removing a Bird Without Killing Them

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One of the most difficult pest animals to deal with, birds offer some very different challenges as they will usually be found in areas of a property which are more difficult to get to, and also because they will fly away rather than get away on the ground. There are several different methods of dealing with birds, and while some people will kill birds, this certainly isn't required when you are trying to get rid of them. There are also two main types of bird problems, with the work required when they are in a confined space such as an attic or loft space different to when birds are roosting in the higher areas of an open building.



The Challenges Of Removing Birds
The main issue with dealing with birds is that they are found in the higher areas of buildings, so either around the roof area or nesting on beams in the high parts of a building, which usually means you will be working from a ladder for some of the work. Their ability to simply fly to another part of the building means it is also more difficult to get rid of the birds, although definitely not impossible. If you do not like heights or are concerned about working on a ladder, you will find that there are plenty of commercial companies available who can help you with bird removal work if required.

Dealing With Birds In A Confined Space
This will most commonly be a situation where birds have found their way into an attic or loft space, and here you will be carrying out work to exclude the birds from this area. Firstly you will need to examine the area to find the places in the attic that the birds are getting in and out, and this will often be a broken vent or tile making the hole. You will then need to install an exclusion funnel or netting over this spot so that the birds will be able to get out, but cannot get back in. Once you are confident that the birds have been excluded, make sure you repair these holes properly so that other birds cannot get back into the attic.

Getting Rid Of Birds In Open Buildings
Work to remove birds in large buildings where they are roosting will require the installation of anti-bird netting, although where there are only a small number of beams or places for them to land, anti-bird spikes can also be effective. The netting should be installed just below where the birds are perching and nesting, and should have a fine mesh so that birds cannot get through the holes in the netting. Once in place, make sure this netting is well maintained, as birds may try to get back up to the area, and may try to peck their way through the netting.

Will A Bird Repellent Solve Your Problem?
There are plenty of commercially available repellents that will claim to be able to get rid of birds, and these will usually be either chemical repellents or audio repellents. The truth is that these will rarely be effective at getting rid of the problem for you, and are really likely to be a waste of money that will only delay the work that you have to do in order to get rid of the birds. There are some items such as scarecrows or silhouettes of animals with reflective eyes that can help to keep birds away from gardens, but these aren't really effective in attics and roof spaces.

For more information, you may want to click on one of these guides that I wrote:
How much does bird removal cost? - get the lowdown on prices.
How to get rid of birds - my main bird removal info guide.
Example bird removal photographs - get do-it-yourself ideas.
Bird job blog - learn from great examples of bird jobs I've done.
How to keep away vultures