The Best Bird Deterrents and Bird Repellents to use during the Summer

When the sun comes out, everybody comes out and so do the birds. Days are filled with picnics, pool parties, ball games, and boating. Gardens are bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables just waiting to be picked. And birds are standing by to enjoy all of this right along with you. In fact, pest birds love summertime maybe even more than you do. After all, the plethora of outdoor activities makes food extremely plentiful and incredibly easy to find. And birds aren’t bashful at all about helping themselves to the treats in your picnic basket, the leftovers in the trash bin, or the berries on your vines.

Some Common Bird Problems You Might Have

Birds roost and nest prolifically throughout summer months, which leads to common nuisance bird problems, including the following:

• Bird droppings that look terrible, pose a slipping hazard in wet locations, and pose a significant health risk especially when they are found near food or ventilation
• Physical property damage from accumulated droppings or from other behaviors such as pecking
• Noise, especially in early morning hours
• Messy nests that leave sticks and straw all over the place
• Crops ruined by greedy, hungry birds
• Complaints when customers are unable to enjoy their food or other activities without being harassed by birds

Are Bird Deterrents and Bird Repellents the Same?

The good news is that Bird B Gone has the tools and techniques you need to keep the birds from interfering with the joys of summer. These solutions fall into two general categories: deterrents and repellents. It’s common, and not necessarily wrong, to use these terms interchangeably, but there are actually some meaningful differences. Understanding those differences will help you get the products you need to address your pest bird problem.

Here’s the easiest way to think about deterrents versus repellents:

Deterrents are physical things used to discourage, inhibit, or entirely prevent specific behaviors. Repellents are a specific type of deterrent that prevent behaviors by making them disgusting, distasteful, or otherwise completely unappealing. In sum, all repellents are deterrents, but not all deterrents are repellents. The key to successful bird control is to identify the problem and determine which products are best suited to the circumstances.

How do Bird Deterrents from Bird B Gone work?

Let’s take a closer look at the many types of bird deterrents Bird B Gone carries and where they are most useful.

Bird Exclusion Products – Keeping Birds Out

When keeping birds out is the goal, the solution is to exclude or block their access to certain areas. Examples of exclusion products include the following:

1. Nets. Our netting options include everything from lightweight garden netting all the way to permanent, heavy duty netting. They can be cut to size and used to protect areas large and small. Bird nets block access to chimneys, vents, eaves, signs, canopies, courtyards, and more.
2. Solar Panel Mesh. Solar panels are especially susceptible to damage as birds love to roost and nest underneath them. Solar panel mesh provides a strong barrier against birds getting under solar panels.
3. Vinyl Strip Doors. Small birds love to sneak into warehouse and other similar spaces. These sturdy vinyl strips are too heavy for birds to move and they can’t get past them. 

Ledge Products for Birds – Keeping Birds Off

Sometimes you need to keep birds off certain areas such as ledges, rooftops, railings, signs, lights, boats, and more. In these cases, you have the following deterrents to choose from:

1. Bird Spikes. Bird spikes from Bird B Gone prevent birds from gaining a foothold on horizontal surfaces. The spikes are totally harmless and totally effective and making it impossible for birds to perch or roost. Spikes can be temporarily or permanently mounted on almost any horizontal surface.
2. Bird Jolt Track. This electrified track can be mounted easily on a variety of surfaces. It gives birds a gentle, harmless electrical shock when they attempt to alight on a surface, training them to go elsewhere.
3. Bird Slope. Bird Slope changes horizontal surfaces into slanted surfaces that birds can’t sit on. Garages, I-beams, windowsills, and other similar locations are perfect candidates for Bird Slope.
4. Bird Wire. Our bird wire creates a stretchy, unstable perch that birds refuse to use. It works well on parapet walls, handrails, rooftops, and other location where birds want to land.
5. Bird Gel. Bird gel is a harmless, sticky substance that drives birds crazy. It’s easy to dispense on any horizontal surface where birds are tempted to roost. It lasts about 6 months, depending on weather conditions. You can also find gel in our SpectrumV discs. These discs are prefilled with sticky gel and can be quickly glued down at regular intervals to provide lasting deterrence. 

How do Bird Repellents Work? Keeping Birds Away

Bird Repellent products are all about keeping birds away. Birds are repelled in basically two ways: scaring them or irritating them.

Scare Tactics- Visual and Sound Repellents

Scare tactics are typically visual or audio deterrents that are designed to frighten birds. Examples include the following:

1. Flash tape. Long strips of holographic tape move in the wind work well to scare birds away.
2. Bird Chase Super Sonic. This auditory device plays prerecorded avian distress signals that will cause most birds to flee the area. These are audible bird sounds so you will be able to hear them.
3. Reflect-a-Bird & Solar Bird Repeller. These devices use continuous motion to frighten birds and deter them from landing.
4. Hawk & Coyote Decoys. You’ll find a number of decoys at Bird B Gone designed to mimic the look of predators and make birds think twice about hanging out on your property.
5. SpectrumV Gel. We know we mentioned this product earlier, but it’s a favorite because it checks a number of boxes. Yes, it keeps birds off ledges because of the sticky gel, but it also contains holographic bits that create a strong visual presence that scares birds away. It can also be placed into the irritants category below, using visual, touch and smell to discourage birds. 

Irritants - Gels, Sprays, and Aromatic Bird Repellents 

Irritants from Bird B Gone utilize touch, smell, and taste to repel birds. Gel products contain proprietary blends to irritate birds when they land on or near the area. Sprays and aromatics contain a substance called Methyl Anthranilate (MA). MA is extracted from grapes seeds. It’s completely harmless, but it irritates a bird’s trigeminal nerve and causes discomfort to the eyes, noses, and throats.

Birds respond to MA kind of like humans do to pepper spray. Humans and land animals can’t detect MA, or, if they do, it smells like grapes. But birds can detect it and they don’t like it at all. We carry a range of MA products suited to a variety of applications.

1. Gels. Our bird repellent gels come in caulking tubes or in easy to install dishes like our SpectrumV Gel. Gels will help discourage birds from coming back to these areas to perch.
2. Avian Block pouches. These bird repellent pouches contain blocks of concentrated MA. They are easy to place or hang anywhere birds tend to congregate such as trees, eaves, outdoor dining, and more.
3. Liquid Sprays. Our bird repellent sprays come in different concentrations and quantities for treating turf, gardens, or other agricultural areas to prevent birds from grazing and feeding.

Keeping Birds Out, Off, and Away

Bird B Gone has been helping our clients keep birds out, off, and away for nearly 30 years. Regardless of the solution or solutions you use, you can be certain you are getting the highest quality, most humane bird control products on the market. We offer innovative, industry leading bird control techniques proven to protect your property from nuisance birds. Our experts are here to teach you all about deterrents and repellents and to make sure you get the combination of products that will solve your pest bird problem.

Call us today to see how we can help you enjoy your summer without birds getting in the way. If you rather contact us electronically you can Ask our Team of Experts any bird control question you may have.