Birds landing on your fence and roof can be a massive nuisance, especially when they start pooping everywhere. Their droppings look obscene and can carry parasites. Birds make a lot of noise throughout the day and especially in the early morning while you are trying to sleep. Every day, I get emails from desperate homeowners who feel like they have no idea how to get birds to leave their homes alone.
So, how do you stop birds from landing and or pooping on your fence and roof? The 4 most effective methods to stop birds from landing on your fence and roof are:
- Bird spikes
- Bird repellent gel
- Predator decoys
- Scare tape & Scare Rods.
However, there are other methods available for you to try.
While that is the simple answer, there is so much more information for you about how to keep birds off of your fence and roof. After all, you shouldn’t have to just deal with the presence of pests; you should have the tools to get rid of them, and keep them from coming back!
Table of Contents
6 Ways to Stop Birds From Landing on Your Fence and Roof
There are multiple ways to scare and deter birds from landing on your fence and roof. Most of the options below can even be used to deter birds from other areas of your property.
1. Bird Spikes
A lot of people may not want to use bird spikes, out of fear that they may be cruel or possibly injure the birds. After all, you want to deter the birds not kill them. Bird spikes are considered a “permanent solution” for deterring birds because you are physically attaching them to the surface you want birds to avoid.
Bird spikes not only act as a physical deterrent to birds but as a visual deterrent as well since contrary to popular belief birds do not like shiny objects.
Bird spikes require little to no maintenance making them a cost-effective method for deterring birds.
2. Bird Repellent Gels
We have been asked before on whether bird repellent gel really works or not and we go into quite a bit of detail in the article linked above. But for the purposes of this article, we’re going to talk about how gel can help you keep birds away from your fence and roof.
The purpose of the gel is to create a tacky surface that sticks to a bird’s foot and irritates them to the point where they won’t want to return. The repellent gel does not trap or seriously harm birds. This means that bird repellent gel is a perfect way to deter birds without hurting or killing them. Most gel brands are also visibly clear, so they will not affect the appearance of your fence or roof.
It is generally safe to be around, and most products come incredibly easy to apply. Most brands of bird repellent gel go on any outdoor surface. When shopping, make sure to buy a product with a good rating that is also friendly to the environment.
However, even great methods have certain limitations. Unfortunately, bird repellent gel doesn’t work for every kind of bird. Many consumers have said that repellent gel works better for larger species of birds, and it doesn’t work as well for smaller birds.
Recommended Repellent Gels
3. Predator Decoys
Birds are naturally repelled by seemingly threatening predators, whether real or fake. After all, this is how the concept of scarecrows guarding crops against crows became so popular! The most popular predator decoy you would use would be a hawk.
A decoy must look genuine enough to scare the birds away. If it looks too fake, birds may not be deterred by it at all. Therefore the most important thing to look for in a predator decoy is quality construction and realism.
Any decoy you buy needs to be weather-resistant, and it should also be heavy enough that it won’t fall over if wind or rain becomes too strong. Some decoys on the market allow you to fill them with sand in order to make them more stable, and less likely to fall.
Recommended Predator Decoys
4. Scare Tape & Scare Rods
Despite the legend that many birds like shiny objects, many birds are actually afraid of shiny objects. Placing shiny objects in your yard may repel birds. This is especially helpful if you place the shiny objects near the fence or roof you want the birds to avoid. You can use reflective tape, rods, or other reflective objects.
Recommended Reflective Bird Repellents
5. Bird Repellent Sprays
A nice spray might be ideal for your bird problem, and a spray bottle is also incredibly easy to use. You can also apply the spray precisely to the places you want birds to avoid.
Most of these sprays work by emitting an obnoxious odor that the birds can’t stand being close to. Naturally, they will avoid the areas where you use the spray. You have to make sure that the products you buy are safe to use on your fence and roof. After all, you want to make sure that whatever you’re using will not stain or degrade the surface you apply it to.
You may also be able to make a spray combing natural ingredients that deter birds. Below, we are going to talk about some of the things that deter birds naturally.
Homemade Bird repellent spray
These days, everyone I know is concerned with “going green.” Maybe you would like a more natural way to repel birds away from your fence and roof? Fortunately, I have a few suggestions for natural solutions that you can use in order to deter birds.
Use Spicy Things
If your home is full of spicy things, you may already have the perfect natural deterrent. Birds are not fans of either Chili Pepper or Cayenne Pepper. And these products are often found in a lot of average homes. If you have either of them, you add some with water to a spray bottle and then spray them over areas you want birds to avoid. When using intense spices as in a spray, keep your eyes, mouth, and nose covered when applying them.
Essential Oils and Garlic
And if you cannot use any spicy deterrents, trying using red vinegar, peppermint oil, and even garlic oil. A very large number of pests are repelled by garlic. While many humans love the aroma of garlic, many pests are completely repelled by it.
You will also find that many essential oils are offensive to birds. Just make sure that any oils you use are safe for your family and pets.
6. Remove Things That Attract Birds to your yard
In some cases, you may have something on your property that attracts birds to your fence and roof. Removing whatever is attracting birds could be even more effective than adding anything to deter them. But how do you know if something on your property is attracting birds to sit on your fences and your roof?
Here are some things that may be unknowingly attracting birds:
- If you have a birdhouse or a bird feeder, you will obviously be attracting a lot of birds, and even other pests such as squirrels, to your yard. However, while they are already there for the birdhouse and the bird feeder, these same birds may decide to start perching on your fence and roof.
- Birds may be flocking to your property because you are unknowingly supplying them with a food source other than birdseed in a bird feeder. Do you have fruit-bearing plants? Is your dog or cat’s food dish located outside? Do you keep uncovered food garbage outside? If you have answered yes to any of the above, certain types of birds may be looking at your yard as an all-they-can-eat buffet. Either remove the food sources or in the case of your fruit-bearing plants use a bird net to prevent birds from getting at the fruit.
- Food isn’t the only thing that attracts birds to your yard. If you have any ideal nesting spots in your yard, this will encourage birds to hang around. However, the worst nesting spots are ones on your roof and around your home. The worst place on your home that a bird can nest is usually in the gutters, as we discussed before.
- Is your yard full of nesting materials, such as loose branches, leaves laying all over the lawn, or insulation fluff? Remove anything that birds could potentially make a nest with.
Now that you know what attracts birds to your yard, maybe you’ll be able to use this knowledge to lessen the number of birds that are perching on your fence and your roof. We’ve also talked about quite a few ways that you can deter birds but we did not cover why you might not want birds on your property.
Reasons You Don’t Want Birds on Your Property
Nobody wants birds all over their fence and roof. Even the most dedicated bird lovers don’t necessarily want birds defecating all over their property, making excessive noise, or building nests everywhere. And chances are if you are reading this article right now, you are struggling with a bird problem.
When people think of pests, they may not automatically think of birds. They may be thinking of things like insects, spiders, and rodents. But I’m here to tell you that birds can be some of the most frustrating pests you might ever have to deal with. However, you’re not alone in your bird problem. Thousands of people all around the world have to deal with birds every single day.
Even if you are struggling with a bird problem, you may not know exactly why you don’t want birds landing on your fence and roof. I get asked all the time what makes birds so undesirable when they are hanging around your property.
Here are some reasons you don’t want birds on your roof and fences:
Birds leave unsightly droppings
Most people know that birds leave unsightly droppings everywhere they go. And if they are hanging around your property, you might be left with bird dropping stains on your roof, fence, patio and, vehicles.
Bird droppings can also permanently stain fences, house siding materials, and vehicles.
Bird droppings can be more than just an unpleasant sight
Did you know that birds can carry parasites that come out in their droppings? These parasites can be harmful to human beings and other animals, such as cats and dogs. Birds may also carry mites that can be present in their feathers. This is why you should also never pick up feathers and bring them into your home.
If not repelled, birds will make nests in all the wrong places
The last place you want bird nests is on your roof, windowsills, and or gutters. Birds building nests on your roof and windowsills are bad enough. It can be very costly if birds build nests in your gutters.
Why you should keep birds from building nests in your gutters
If birds build nests in your gutters, this can cause water to back up and spill over onto your roof. Water damage on roofs can be incredibly costly, and you don’t want it to be caused by something as simple to prevent as a bird nest.
Birds nests can cause a variety of other problems
If they build their nests around appliances that heat up, the nest material could catch fire. Some species of birds may attack humans and other animals in order to protect their babies. And the bottom line is that bird nests are just plain messy and terrible to clean up.
Birds can be very loud
If you like to keep a quiet home, birds may not be so great for that. Birds can be very loud, especially in the morning when you’re trying to sleep in. And if a large number of birds are flocking to your home, that means more noise.
Birds can aggravate your cats or dogs
Cats may even catch and kill birds, which puts them at risk for catching parasites or mites. The same is true for your pet dogs if they were to catch a bird or lick bird droppings.
Birds may steal small objects
Birds may steal small objects from your yard, or even from a nearby neighbor’s property. Crows are the most likely to be thieves.
Birds may ruin expensive items
If sitting up high on a fence or roof, birds may ruin expensive items from down below by defecating on them.
Birds may eat the plants from your garden
Do you have a garden that you pride yourself on? Remember that birds may eat the plants from your garden. They may also defecate on your garden plants while perched on your fence or roof. In order to keep your garden safe from birds, you have to find ways to deter them.
Final Thoughts: How to Stop Birds From Landing on Fence and Roof?
Today, we have discussed a handful of methods for keeping birds from landing on your fence and roof. We have talked about things such as bird spikes, repellent gels, predator decoys, and more. If you have any other methods of bird repellent that you would like to share, feel free to leave them in the comment section below.
Browse through Pest Control FAQ in order to get more tips on how to keep your home pest-free. Whether your problem is bed bugs or lizards coming into your home or even other pests, Pest Control FAQ has plenty of advice to help you.
Are you having a hard time deciding between natural and synthetic pesticides? Check out the article here that I’ve written about that very topic.
Related Questions
Why do I want to keep birds away from my home? Birds can leave very unsightly stains on your property with their droppings. Birds may bring parasites or mites to your home. They also may eat your garden plants, and develop nests in areas where you don’t want them to be. And if you are not a morning person, the chirping of birds may keep you awake.
How can I repel birds without killing them? Many people are worried about whether or not they should use humane methods of pest control. Poisons will likely kill birds. But repellent gel, spikes, and predator decoys are all ways to deter birds without harming them. Many natural methods are also available to deter birds without killing them, too.
What kind of bird is the worst pest? The worst birds may depend on where you live. Overall, people don’t like to see the appearance of birds such as House Sparrows, Pigeons, the Common Starling, Seagulls, Woodpeckers, and the Common Myna. Some people may naturally find specific types of birds more bothersome than others.
