The Best Bird Deterrents and Bird Repellents to Use During the Summer

The Best Bird Deterrents and Bird Repellents to Use During the Summer

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Bird B Gone in Bird Repellents

Summer Bird Control: Understanding the Difference Between Deterrents and Repellents

When the summer sun comes out, properties come alive with outdoor activities, picnics, and seasonal growth. Unfortunately, pest birds are standing by to enjoy all of this right along with you. Peak summer months provide a constant supply of accessible food scraps, open trash bins, and ripening gardens, making commercial and residential spaces highly attractive targets for local flocks.

Increased avian activity throughout the summer leads to highly visible property issues, including:

  • Accumulated bird droppings that ruin curb appeal, create structural health risks, and pose slipping hazards on wet exterior walkways.
  • Accelerated structural damage caused by corrosive droppings on rooflines and mechanical equipment.
  • Disruptive noise pollution during early morning hours.
  • Debris, sticks, and straw scattered across structures from rapid nesting behavior.
  • Ruined agricultural yields and gardens from heavy feeding.
  • Customer complaints when outdoor dining areas or patios are continuously harassed by birds.

Pigeons roosting on a residential rooftop ledge

Are Bird Deterrents and Bird Repellents the Same?

Bird-B-Gone manufactures a wide range of systems designed to reclaim your property from summer bird infestations. These solutions generally fall into two categories: Deterrents and Repellents. While these terms are frequently used interchangeably, understanding the mechanical differences between them will help you select the ideal combination for your specific situation.

The Core Difference to Know Before You Buy:

In short: all repellents function as deterrents, but not all deterrents rely on repellent characteristics. Matching the correct system to your structure's specific bird pressure ensures long-term remediation success.

How Do Structural Bird Deterrents Work?

Physical bird deterrents from Bird-B-Gone are designed to modify the environment so birds physically cannot utilize the space. These are categorized by their target application area:

1. Exclusion Products (Keeping Birds Out)

When the priority is sealing off a structural opening or protecting a large open space, complete physical exclusion is the most reliable choice:

Heavy-duty structural netting protecting an exterior architectural area

  • Heavy-Duty Bird Netting: Available in options ranging from lightweight seasonal garden netting to permanent, flame-resistant commercial mesh. Netting completely seals off structural openings, eaves, warehouse rafters, signs, and open-air inner courtyards.
  • Solar Panel Mesh: The covered space beneath solar arrays provides an ideal sheltered environment for pigeons to nest. Rigid solar panel mesh clips onto the perimeter of the panels, forming an impenetrable barrier without drilling into the modules.
  • Industrial Vinyl Strip Doors: Perfect for open commercial loading docks and busy warehouse bay doors. These heavy-duty vinyl strips allow forklift or foot traffic to pass easily but are too dense for pest birds to fly through.

2. Ledge Products (Keeping Birds Off)

If birds are gathering on flat horizontal surfaces but do not have enclosed nests, ledge deterrents eliminate their landing zones:

Polycarbonate plastic bird spikes installed cleanly along a roofline

  • Stainless Steel or Plastic Bird Spikes: Our anti-perching spikes prevent pest birds from gaining a solid physical foothold on parapet walls, roof peaks, and commercial signage. They are completely humane and work by altering the mechanical landing area so birds look elsewhere.
  • Bird Jolt Track: A low-profile, flexible, electrified track system that mounts directly to complex architectural lines. It delivers a harmless, memorable static shock that conditions birds to permanently avoid the surface.
  • Bird Slope: Angled, slippery PVC panels that convert 90-degree ledges into a slick, 45-degree incline, making it physically impossible for birds to land or nest.
  • Bird Wire Systems: A nylon-coated stainless steel wire tensioned between small posts. It creates an unstable, springy barrier that birds refuse to perch on, blending seamlessly into historical or high-visibility handrails and parapets.

How Do Multi-Sensory Bird Repellents Work?

Advanced bird repellent products focus on altering a bird's psychological or sensory comfort level, forcing them to abandon the area due to perceived danger or physical discomfort.

1. Visual and Audible Scare Tactics

These systems leverage a bird's sharp vision and heightened survival instincts to create an environment that feels actively threatened:

A solar-powered spinning bird repeller clearing a flat surface

  • Holographic Flash Tape: Inexpensive and highly effective for immediate DIY applications. The reflective material flashes brightly in sunlight and creates a unique metallic crackle in the wind, mimicking a moving predator.
  • Bird Chase Super Sonic: An outdoor audio unit that broadcasts actual recorded distress loops and predator calls. This signals immediate danger to nearby flocks, causing them to flee. The unit is weather-resistant and can cover up to an acre.
  • Reflect-A-Bird and Solar Repellers: Units that utilize wind power or integrated solar cells to rotate constantly. The sweeping motion and mirrored surfaces break up flight paths and prevent gulls or pigeons from settling near pools, docks, and open roofs.

2. Behavioral and Aromatic Irritants

Sensory irritants utilize smell, touch, and taste to discourage lingering. Modern systems use food-grade formulations containing Methyl Anthranilate (MA), a natural extract derived from grape seeds. While completely unnoticeable or pleasantly aromatic to humans, MA safely irritates a bird's trigeminal nerve, causing immediate but harmless discomfort that forces them to relocate.

SpectrumV multi-sensory gel dishes spaced out across a building ledge

  • SpectrumV Holographic Bird Gel Dishes: A true multi-sensory system. These low-profile, pre-filled dishes combine a unique sticky gel texture with holographic visual elements that reflect UV light to look like active fire to an approaching bird.
  • Avian Block Repellent Pouches: Convenient pouches filled with a highly concentrated MA crystalline block. These can be easily hung inside trees, architectural eaves, or around outdoor dining areas to establish an invisible, pest-free perimeter.
  • Liquid Avian Repellent Sprays: Specialized non-toxic liquid concentrates designed to be sprayed directly onto commercial turf, expansive landscaping, or crops, preventing geese and other grazing birds from feeding on grass and plants.

Reclaim Your Space This Summer

Don't let seasonal bird pressure compromise your customer experience, property cleanliness, or health code compliance. Layering physical barriers with sensory repellents is the most reliable way to achieve lasting results.

Need support with project planning, product selection, or high-volume commercial architectural pricing? Reach out to our technical support desk directly at 1-800-392-6915 or email us at nobirds@birdbgone.com to consult an expert today.

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