Mid-Atlantic Wildlife Control has been providing Maryland bird removal services for years. We evict unwanted birds nesting in gutters, vents, rafters and similar areas. But now we are also happy to offer bird control services to help get rid of birds that may not be living inside your home, but like to gather on it leaving an unsightly mess. We are talking about pigeons, seagulls and sparrows that tend to hang out in groups and can cause quite a bit of damage. This behavior is called “loafing” and often takes place after birds are done gathering food and take the time to digest, clean themselves and socialize.
Common Loafing Spots
Quite often, we find nuisance birds loafing in these areas of your home’s exterior:
- Balconies
- Chimneys and skylights
- Gutters
- Roof-top HVAC units
- Exterior windowsills
- Deck railings
- Roofs and roof ridges
- Exposed rafters and other architectural features
Why Are Birds Attracted to My Home?
There are many behavioral reasons why nuisance birds maybe “hang out” on your roof versus another structure. One of the reasons is that your roof provides a perfect observation spot for birds to look out for food and be on alert for predators at the same time. On the other hand, such areas as roof overhangs and windowsills provide comfortable shelter and protection from the elements as well as potential predators. Your roof may just be the tallest or the warmest structure around, which makes it perfect for loafing.
Deterring Nuisance Birds
Loafing birds wouldn’t be such a big deal if it wasn’t for the fecal mess they leave behind. And bird feces are not only foul-smelling and unattractive but also contain a variety of nasty microorganisms that may lead to serious illnesses if ingested. In addition to that, bird feces are acidic and able to corrode almost any building material, including stone and metal. So what can you do to keep your home free of these nuisance loafers? The modern wildlife control market offers a variety of solutions for dealing with nuisance birds. Just to name a few:
- Special netting can be installed over balconies to keep the birds away.
- Spikes, wire, shock strips, or coil can be installed on ridges to take away the birds’ landing area.
- A smooth bird slide can be added to the ledges to create slippery angled surface birds can’t land on.
- The bird-off gel can be used on any surface to ward off the winged menace.
Some of these solutions may sound cruel, especially spikes and shock strips, but they actually don’t cause any harm to the bird. Spikes are rather thin and simply prevent the bird from landing. And the shock strip provides a very small zap that’s only enough to disturb the bird and make it look for another loafing spot.
Why Hire a Professional
It may seem like these bird control products are rather easy to install, and that’s true—no rocket science required! But the reason you need a professional is to know where exactly and what kind of device to use in order to ensure that your bird-proofing efforts last. Different birds have different habits and require different approaches. It took us years of experience to be able to advise our customers with confidence, which we’ll be happy to do for you. Contact us today to learn more about bird control solutions in Maryland.