Stopping Birds from Nesting on Your Property

While many people don’t think of birds as threatening or risky, the fact is they can create some pretty significant damage to various properties if they aren’t controlled. For many bird types and property owners, a major key to preventing this from happening is stopping the issue at its source — and that means stopping birds from setting up nesting areas on the property before they’ve built and developed these areas.

At A-1 Exterminators, we’re happy to be one of Utah’s providers of bird control products from Bird Barrier, a well-known industry leader with proactive, cutting-edge solutions for bird control that are carried out in safe, humane ways. Many of these products or services will be geared toward stopping birds well before they take up a nest on your property — why is this important, and what are some simple tips for property owners who are looking to prevent this behavior? Here’s everything you need to know.

Why and How Birds Nest

Before we move to methods for preventing birds from nesting, it’s important to understand how and why birds choose to build nests on your property in the first place.

There are a few key reasons birds will want to set up shop on your land:

Proximity to food and water: Many birds, especially those that live in urban or suburban areas, will look for nesting spots near sources of food and water. This could include your home’s gutters, a nearby pond or lake, or even an outdoor eating area like a picnic table.
Cover and shelter: Birds also need a place to nest that offers some level of cover and shelter from bad weather or predators. This could be in the form of trees, bushes, eaves, porches, or any other type of structure on your property.
Ideal location: In some cases, birds will also look for a nesting spot that’s ideal in terms of things like temperature and humidity. This is especially true for tropical birds that can’t tolerate colder climates.
Laying eggs: Of course, birds also need a place to lay their eggs where they will be safe and protected. This is one of the main reasons they’ll build nests in the first place.

As you can see, there are a few key reasons birds might want to make a home in your area.

Why Nesting Prevention is So Important

For some people who have never dealt with a bird infestation, you may be wondering why nesting prevention is important to begin with. Why not just get rid of birds after they’ve nested? Well, for a few basic reasons:

Often illegal: In many states or cities, it’s actually against the law to remove fully-formed bird nests once they’ve been built. This is because birds are protected by state and federal law, which means you can’t just kill them or remove their nests without a permit.
Health hazard: Once birds have taken up residence on your property, they can pose a serious health hazard to both people and animals. This is because birds often carry diseases that can be passed on to humans, including things like salmonella and avian influenza.
Damage to property: Another problem with birds is that they can cause serious damage to your property if left unchecked. This is because birds will often nest in areas like gutters or eaves, which can lead to clogged drains or water damage.
Harder to remove: Finally, it’s a simple reality that once they’ve nested, birds are much harder to remove than if you had stopped them beforehand. This is because they will have built a home and will be more comfortable in the area, which makes getting rid of them that much more difficult (and often requires professional help).