How to Keep Birds Off Your Pergola: 10 Helpful Tips

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Pergolas are beautiful backyard structures that provide shade and an inviting place to relax outdoors However, they can also attract unwanted feathered visitors like pigeons, sparrows, and starlings looking for a place to nest or perch. Bird droppings and nests can quickly damage your pergola and create unsanitary conditions.

Luckily, there are effective solutions for keeping birds away from your pergola. In this article, we’ll explore 10 tips to deter birds and protect your pergola investment.

Remove Food and Water Sources

The first step is eliminating access to food and water, which are major attractions for birds. Relocate bird feeders and birdbaths at least 30 feet away from the pergola. Pick up any spilled seed empty dripping planters and cover trash cans. Feeding birds near the pergola encourages them to hang around.

Install Physical Barriers

Physical barriers like netting, mesh, and spikes can prevent birds from landing and nesting on your pergola.

  • Bird netting is a Humane option that can be draped over the top and sides. Secure it tightly and check for any holes.

  • Metal spikes or rigid wire mesh can be attached to flat surfaces like railings and beams that birds favor as perches.

  • Tightly woven mesh wrapped around poles deters cavity nesting birds.

Employ Visual Repellents

Visual scare tactics like decoys, reflective objects, and motion-activated devices can effectively shoo away birds.

  • Lifelike plastic predator decoys like hawks and owls placed in or near the pergola startled birds. Move them frequently so birds don’t get used to them.

  • Reflective surfaces like aluminum foil, old CDs, and metallic streamers discomfort birds with flashes of light and motion.

  • Sprinklers or strobe lights activated by movement surprise swooping birds and deter landing attempts.

Use Audio Deterrents

Sounds that cause distress or mimic predators can drive birds away from the pergola area.

  • Ultrasonic devices emit high-frequency sounds only birds can hear to create an unpleasant environment.

  • Recordings of predator calls, like hawks and owls, trigger birds’ instinct to flee and avoid the area.

  • Motion-activated noise makers, bells, or alarms startle birds away with bursts of sound.

Apply Repellent Sprays

Chemical bird repellents formulated with methyl anthranilate, the non-toxic grape extract, are very effective for pergolas when applied correctly. Natural options like garlic, pepper, and citrus oils also deter birds with unpleasant smells or tastes. Reapply after rain.

Plant Thorny Vegetation

Thorny vegetation can be an uncomfortable perching spot. Grow prickly bushes like pyracantha, barberry, roses, or holly near the pergola. You can also add climbing roses or thorny vines to the sides of the pergola.

Keep Surrounding Areas Clear

Birds like to approach pergolas under the cover of overgrown vegetation. Regularly trim back bushes, branches, and dense foliage around the perimeter so birds have no hiding spots. This forces them to cross open ground and deters stealthy attacks.

Install a Ceiling

Adding a slatted, louvered, or solid ceiling to your open pergola eliminates overhead access for birds. They can’t perch on the beams or build nests in the corners. You’ll still enjoy filtered light and airflow but keep the space bird free.

Get a Guard Dog

Some breeds like Great Pyrenees and Akbash dogs are natural protectors that will patrol around your pergola and chase away birds. Their intimidating presence and loud barks deter birds from landing. Even small dogs alerting you to snooping birds can help.

Add a Swinging Element

Birds dislike motion and fluttering objects. Hang a wind chime, spinner, or flutter ribbon from the pergola ceiling. The movement and sound make birds hesitant to fly through the area and remind them to keep away.

Implementing several of these bird control methods around your pergola will significantly reduce unwanted feathered visitors. Try different deterrents and use them in combination for the most effective results. With some effort, you can reclaim your pergola and keep curious birds at bay without harming them. Install your defenses and relax in your bird-free zone!

Sick of Bird Droppings? Keep Birds Off Your Patio With These Tips:

It’s nice to hear birds singing outside your bedroom window when you wake up, but it’s a huge pain to see bird poop all over your patio. Thankfully there are ways to keep your patio bird-free without having to break the bank. Here’s what you can do:

If it work with your alfresco or patio design aesthetic, consider placing shiny, flashy objects across your backyard. Birds don’t like flashy strips because the light hurts their eyes. You can get bird-repelling flashing tape at most gardening stores or use streamers, which are the shiny foil ones that people usually use at parties. Even those disposable aluminum baking pans can be strung up on tree branches. In a pinch, you can make a few yourselves by using strips of aluminum foil.

You can keep birds away from certain areas of your backyard with aluminum foil in the same way. Birds hate having to peck on foil because it’s bright and bothers their eyes. Put a few strips under the soil of your plants or even under their leaves.

You can also scare off birds by placing dummies of other, bigger birds like owls or hawks. If that seems a bit tacky to you, keep in mind that you don’t have to have them as the focal point of your yard. They can be put on top of your house or somewhere else out of sight from you and your guests, as long as other birds can see them and scare them away. Moving your fake bird around every once in a while will also help them not figure out it’s fake. Alternatively you could also use a dummy snake.

How to stop birds nesting under a pergola

FAQ

How to prevent birds from nesting in gazebo?

How to Stop Birds from Nesting in Your Gazebo. We’ve found that 3/4″ bird netting is the most effective solution for nesting birds in almost all situations. We don’t necessarily mean installing a net on all sides of the gazebo. That would look a little tacky but still very effective.

What is the best bird deterrent?

Scare devices: Use visual deterrents like reflective tape, scare balloons, or plastic predators to frighten birds away. Bird spikes: Install spikes on ledges, fences, or other perching surfaces to make them uncomfortable for birds.

Can birds damage a pergola?

Birds can cause significant damage to pergolas, especially if they roost in large numbers. Their droppings can stain and discolor the wood, and their claws can scratch and gouge the surface. In addition, birds can also introduce parasites and pathogens into and around the structure, which can put both humans and animals at risk for diseases.

How to keep birds off a pergola?

Natural remedies like bird repellent, essential oils, and homemade sprays are also used to keep birds off pergolas. Understanding bird behavior and the benefits of prevention are crucial in selecting the right method for bird control. Additionally, it is important to consider the environmental impact of these methods before implementing them.

How do you keep pigeons away from a pergola?

Balcony railings can become common pigeon hangouts. Installing bird spikes on railings should help to keep them away. An owl decoy on top of the pergola, eye balloons and reflective deterrents hanging from the pergola, and bird spikes attached on top of the pergola are all good methods of defense to try.

Do you have bird poop on a pergola?

If you have bird poop on your house, it’s important to clean it up as soon as possible to minimize the damage. It is important to take steps to deter birds from roosting on pergolas. Some simple deterrents include installing bird spikes or netting or placing plastic owls or other scarecrows in the area.

Robby
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