Noticing a flock of birds building a nest in your gutter could not be a pleasant sight. While it’s nice to have birds around, having them living in your gutters could be suspicious.
Gutters are essential to keep your home in working order, and it’s important to keep them clear of debris. Unfortunately, birds often build nests in gutters and can cause clogs, corrosion, and water damage.
Several methods listed in this post can help prevent birds from nesting in your gutters.
Gutters are designed to collect rainwater and divert it away from your home, but when birds make a home in them, they can become clogged with debris and cause drainage problems.
Fortunately, there are many ways to keep birds out of your gutters, such as bird-repellent products, gutter covers, and many more.
The next article will explain how to keep birds out of gutter using various techniques that range from natural solutions to physical barriers. In the end, frequently asked questions will follow a summary.
9 Useful Ways To Keep Birds Out of Gutter
Having birds around is a fun experience, except when they build nests in your gutters.
Below mentioned are some of the most useful ways to keep the birds out of your gutter:
1. Bird Repellent Products
Gutters can prevent home damage caused by water. Unfortunately, birds can mess with gutters with their droppings and nesting materials. Luckily, bird repellent is an easy solution to keep birds out of your gutters.
Birds repellent gel or spray can help you eliminate birds in your gutter. The product comes in an easy-to-apply formula that can be sprayed directly onto gutter surfaces or applied as a gel strip along the gutter’s edge.
This makes installation simple and low profile so that it won’t ruin your home’s aesthetics.
Another way to keep birds out of gutters is taste aversion products, which contain substances that make the surface unpalatable for birds but are safe for humans and animals.
2. Gutter Covers
Gutter covers are an easy solution to keep birds out of gutters. They can eliminate the bird problem without worrying about them again.
Gutter covers give you more control over how water runs off your roof and onto the ground. It keeps large debris, such as leaves and twigs, from clogging up the gutter system, which could cause significant water damage if left unattended for too long.
Moreover, it prevents birds from entering and nesting inside the gutters, ensuring they stay away from food!
Installing a gutter cover is relatively simple; you only need a few essential tools like screws or nails and some time on your hands.
3. Use Predator Decoy
Predator decoys are inexpensive and practical to keep birds away from your home or business.
The decoys are designed to look like predators of the birds, such as hawks or owls, and their presence will frighten the birds away.
Visual scares work on birds due to their excellent eyesight, so having a few of these decoys in strategic locations around your property can be enough to keep most birds at bay.
The best place to use predator decoy is near areas where the birds are gathering or trying to nest, such as gutters and roofing ledges. You can also place them in gardens and other outdoor areas you want to protect from bird damage.
For the decoy’s effectiveness, it should be set up correctly by being positioned high off the ground and facing outward towards open space.
4. Ultrasonic Bird Repellers
Ultrasonic bird repellers can control birds in your gutters and other areas of your property. Unlike conventional bird repellers that produce loud, predator-mimicking noises, ultrasonic bird repellers are silent to all but not to birds.
This makes them an ideal solution if you’re looking for a way to deter birds without disturbing the peace in the neighborhood.
These devices radiate high-frequency sound waves that are undetectable by humans but can be heard loud and clear by most types of birds.
The ultrasonic sounds will cause discomfort or distress in the birds, making them stay away from your property or even migrate to another area altogether.
These devices come in various sizes and shapes, so you can easily fit into any nook and cranny around your home.
5. Use Bird Netting
Are you noticing birds entering your gutters and causing damage? If so, consider using bird netting.
The netting is specially designed for this purpose and comes in various sizes to fit any area. It’s also easy to install and maintain, meaning it can be used indoors and outdoors.
The mesh size of the netting is small enough to prevent birds from entering but allows rainwater to flow through easily.
In addition, the material is strong enough to withstand weather conditions like wind or storms without getting damaged easily.
Bird netting can help save you time, money, and energy that would otherwise be spent trying to fix potential damages caused by birds in your home’s gutters.
6. Install Bird Slopes
Gutters are an integral part of your home’s roofing system. Unfortunately, they can also become a nesting ground for birds. Installing bird slopes can help to keep birds out of your gutters.
Bird slopes (or slides depending upon the brand available) are slippery PVC panels (sometimes aluminum). Installing these on your gutters will make it difficult for birds to land or nest in them due to their slick surface.
Bird slopes come in various sizes and shapes, so you will find them that fit your house’s gutter system. Make sure to measure the width of the gutter before purchasing any material.
7. Hardware Cloth
Birds can be a nuisance, especially when they build their nests in your home’s gutters.
Fortunately, installing hardware cloth or steel mesh over your gutter effectively deters them from setting up at home. Here are some pro tips for how to keep birds out of gutters with this type of material:
First, purchase the right size and gauge of hardware cloth or steel mesh. This material comes in different sizes, so pick one that will fit securely over your existing gutter system.
In addition, make sure that it is secured tightly so there are no gaps where birds could slip through.
Secondly, use screws to firmly secure the material onto your gutters, not damaging any existing pipes or other system parts.
8. Apply Spider Attack
In a world where birds seem everywhere, keeping them out of your gutters can be challenging. But what if you had an army of attack spiders?
This ingenious way of keeping pesky birds at bay is becoming increasingly popular as homeowners and businesses look to protect their gutters from bird damage.
Rather than using traditional scare tactics, these mechanical spiders are designed to keep birds away with their realistic movements and sound-activated randomly, making it difficult for birds to land on the gutter or nearby surfaces.
They also make loud noises when activated that frighten away any intruders – both feathered and four-legged!
They require minimal maintenance and upkeep since they don’t need batteries or other power sources.
9. Use Peppermint Oil Spray
While various techniques can help keep birds out of your gutters, one of the most effective is using smells like peppermint to deter them.
This natural scent has been found to repel some species of birds, including starlings and sparrows.
To use this method, mix a few drops of peppermint oil with water in a spray bottle and then mist the top edges of your gutter with the solution.
Reapply every couple of weeks or after a rainstorm to ensure it remains effective.
You should also add small pieces of dried mint leaves around areas where you have noticed frequent bird activity near your gutters.
Summary
Blocking access is the best way to keep birds out of gutters.
This can be done by covering the gutter with mesh or netting, trimming back trees and bushes hanging over the drain, or using a product specifically designed to keep birds away.
These steps will help protect your home from water damage and keep it looking its best.
If birds are already nesting in your gutters, humanely removing them should be done by a professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Smell Keeps Birds Away?
Primarily, birds dislike powerful smells because they find them quite irritating. These include peppermint oil, citronella, lemon, cayenne pepper, chili, garlic, and vinegar.
Will Aluminium Foil Deter Birds?
Aluminum foil could be effective in repelling birds. Birds don’t like the feel of the Aluminium foil under their beaks and will stay away.
