Name: How to Keep Birds off Your Balcony
Rating: 5

Do you need a dash of beautiful color in your life? If yes, look no further than your balcony. Birds are beautiful and amazing to watch as you sit on the balcony sipping a cup of coffee. They’ll move swiftly and elegantly in their world, minding their own business.

You might even wish that some would perch on your balcony so that you take a closer look at their unique patterns and features. Some people may even leave out water and seed for their new visitors.

However, birds have a great memory and will remember the good treat you offered them. In fact, they may take over your balcony. The sound of chirping birds early in the morning or the stray feathers may not please some of us, and no one likes cleaning up bird poop. But birds are stubborn, and permanently removing them from your balcony could be a challenge.

Therefore, here are the best humane methods to safely keep birds off your balcony.

Employ Visible Measures

Balconies are generally small locations, and decoys or visual measures may work well to scare the birds away. You can use a large owl decoy, as most birds are naturally afraid and will shy away from predators such as owls, snakes, raccoons, and hogs. However, birds are smart and may realize that your decoy may not be alive. To outsmart them, constantly change the decoy’s position.

Other visual measures include hanging a thread of compact disks (CDs), aluminum foil, windmills, and glitter balls.

Use Spinning Wheels

More on the visible measures above, installing spinning reflective items is a more effective method for deterring birds. However, most of these shining wheels lack the physical strength to withstand the balcony wind speed and pressure. As a result, you should keep them in a sheltered but visible section of the balcony.

Use Acoustic and Haptic Systems

Haptic systems work better for balcony bird control than acoustic systems. You can use nests that prevent the birds from resting on your balcony. The downside is that bird nests ruin your view from the balcony. Another haptic system you can use is spikes that prevent the birds from perching on your balcony.

On the other hand, acoustic defenses such as dog barks, loud bangs, hooting, and cries from birds of prey deter the birds. However, they’ll soon get used to the sounds and may return to your balcony. Additionally, these sounds may be irritating and not friendly to those around you.

Use Bird Repellant Gels

Bird repellant gels use peppermint oil smell and ultraviolet (UV) light to produce a fire sensation when a bird rests on them. They can last up to 4 years, proving an effective method for problematic bird populations living on your balcony. However, the gel can be sticky, and you should apply a cover before applying it to the railing.

Eliminate Their Reason for Return

There must be a reason why birds chose your house over your neighbor’s. You might have pet food, fruits, water, or other goodies that attract them to your balcony. Hence, it would be best if you took the time to study why they come over and eliminate what they come for. After some time, you’ll realize that they’ve gone elsewhere.

Install Sloped Edges

Another method you can adopt is installing stylish and sloping edges to windowsills and ledges on the balcony. Sloped edges make it difficult for birds to land without slipping – often leaving after some time. On the downside, sloped edges work for smaller balconies and may not be so effective if yours is on the larger side.