Bird Removal

Bird Control 

Birds like pigeons, woodpeckers, and swallows can be beautiful to watch and listen to in nature. In and around your home, however, they can cause significant property damage and other problems like noise disturbances and disease. 

In terms of wildlife removal, birds also pose a unique challenge in that they have powerful homing instincts, leading them to return to your home long-term if they’ve established a nest or if they’ve lived on your property in the past. 

We specialize in the removal of these three bird species and restore your home from any damage that may have already occurred, including material damage, droppings cleanup, and de-staining. 

How birds enter residential spaces

Generally, problems caused by birds actually take place in the exterior of your property rather than inside your space. Rather than coming inside your home (although this can also happen on occasion), most birds will roost under the shelter of your roof, in gutters or downspouts, and in any other external features that provide some protection. Your home may be especially vulnerable to a bird problem if you have food and water sources on your property or if you’re surrounded by trees and wooded areas. 

The potential damage caused by birds

First, let’s talk about pigeons. Pigeons (also known as rock doves or flying rats) are fun to watch and feed at the park, but it’s not as fun to clean pigeon droppings off of your clothing or car, out of your machinery, and off of your buildings or sidewalks. Pigeons can also cause water damage when they build nests in gutters or downspouts. Because pigeons can lay up to four broods of eggs per year, what begins as just a few pigeons can quickly become a full-blown flock. 

Next, let’s take a look at woodpeckers. Woodpeckers can cause obvious damage to wood structures in your home, especially your home’s siding, trim, and eaves. You may also notice a noise disturbance caused by the pecking, which can be especially loud if the woodpeckers are pecking at a metal object rather than wood. In some instances, woodpeckers will create such extensive holes in your property that they can actually store acorns and nuts in the areas that they’ve drilled out. This affects the integrity of your structure and can actually leave your home vulnerable to other problems over time, similar to the damage caused by termites. 

Finally, swallows. Every year, swallows return to their last nesting site. If this site becomes your home, swallows will likely infest your property while the nests deface and damage buildings and sidewalks. Swallow droppings are especially messy and can stain both siding and concrete. They also contain bacteria, fungal agents, and parasites that can carry diseases like salmonella, meningitis, histoplasmosis, and many others. If you encounter a swallow nest or swallow droppings, it’s important to leave them to professionals to ensure your own safety from these risks. 

How to eliminate birds from your home

Our team is made up of seasoned professionals who are experts at wild animal control and highly trained in the best methods and equipment to trap and remove pests. It’s our job to know each animal’s habits, their most active seasons and times of day, and—most importantly—the most effective and efficient techniques to trap them. 

The first step towards getting rid of most birds is to remove any access to food and water on your property. The presence of food and water is a big draw for all types of birds (and other pests), and removing it can go a long way towards long-term relief. If you have bird feeders, you may want to temporarily remove them or consider permanently moving them farther away from your structures. As we’ll discuss below, sometimes moving food sources to a greater distance from your home can actually create an alternative for the birds that becomes more appealing long-term.

If adjusting the food source doesn’t work, further techniques include modifying the architecture of your building to make it more difficult for birds to land, putting up bird netting to prevent birds from getting into internal spaces, and installing plastic or metal spikes to discourage birds from perching on your buildings. Each of these physical solutions is designed to make your home a less comfortable and inviting environment.

Various types of natural and chemical repellents also exist to deter birds. For woodpeckers specifically, visual deterrents can work well. These may include reflective tape, mirrors, shiny pinwheels, fake birds, balloons, and scarecrows. In some cases, it may also be effective to create an alternative food source by setting up a bird feeder that’s deliberately placed far away from your space. Many birds may realize that this is easier than trying to scavenge for food directly around your home. 

It’s important to leave any and all of these steps to professionals to ensure your own safety as well as the safety of the birds. There are state and local laws in place to protect many bird species, including both woodpeckers and swallows. As such, there are strict guidelines governing the removal of these birds and their nests. Leaving these steps to licensed professionals is critical to ensure that you’re acting in accordance with accepted removal techniques. Improper removal or extermination can result in fines or even prison sentences. 

Timeline, cost, and other factors

The timeline, cost, and effectiveness of this process depend on many factors, including how many birds are on your property, where they’re located, what’s drawing them to your property, and how long the birds have been in your space. Once we’re finished with our process, it’s important to monitor the space for any new signs of bird presence. If that occurs, we may have to repeat the procedure or add further protections to fully rid your space of the problem. Call Complete Wildlife Removal in Salt Lake City or Park City (serving Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho) today to let us know about your bird problem. 

How to Remove a Bird from Soffit

As a homeowner, you’ve likely come across more than a few cardinals or wrens throughout your property. You’ve also probably had more than a few of these birds land on the section underneath your roof called the soffit. This strip of area, usually the underside of overhang gutters or siding, is a great spot for birds to rest or stay. Thanks to the area’s cover from the outdoors and small space, birds take advantage of the soffit to stay protected from the environment and predators. Visit pestcontrolbird.com to learn more about different types of birds removal processes.

As such, even though soffits are designed to provide rain or heat protection for your home, birds may find themselves commonly staying there. After a while, these birds may nest or turn the soffit into their home, meaning that prevention is oftentimes more useful. Even still, you may find yourself dealing with birds resting in your soffit. That is why we’re going to look at a few methods to remove a bird from the soffit, including:

• Scaring off the Bird

If this problem has just started, oftentimes the easiest solution is to just scare off the bird. Either making loud noises or jumping at the bird should be enough to scare it off. Once the bird flies off, you can then make repairs and/or move to prevent other birds from arriving or that bird from returning. The issue with this method though lies in the fact that it only works with adult birds. Oftentimes, birds lay in the soffit to put a nest that is sheltered and protected. If there’s a nest, then a) you won’t be able to scare away eggs or baby birds, b) the stress of parenting birds can cause them to die, and c) you’ll need to use another method.

• Sealing Soffit

Whether you’ve managed to temporarily scare off the bird or are planning on moving while the bird is resting elsewhere, then you need to seal off the soffit. Most times, you’ll be able to simply caulk some open spaces or put out a net to prevent birds from returning, although it depends on the situation. As with scaring off the bird, if there are a nest or baby birds remaining, then do not seal off the soffit just yet, as it can potentially kill off the birds. This method yet again only works if you have a bird that flies off or is scared off, leaving no others behind. Then, you can move to seal openings and gaps.

• Contacting the Professionals

The easiest and safest way to remove birds from the soffit is to call the professionals. At Complete Wildlife Removal, we know that birds can be a nuisance on your property, and with the height of soffits, it can be infuriating to not take care of the situation by yourself. Even still, it’s much easier, and safer, to call our team to go out and remove the birds. After all, if not done correctly, the removed birds will just fly back and repeat the process.

Our team knows how to successfully remove and relocate these birds, in addition to having the tools to prevent any others from taking their place. Complete Wildlife Removal will move to remove the bird safely and humanely, putting up a preventative solution in its place. Depending on the opening on your soffit or its design, our experts will use different methods to take care of your issue. Remember, it’s especially important to call professionals if you have a nest or baby birds, as they are incredibly vulnerable. When done incorrectly, you can put their lives at risk, which can lead to other major animal issues. It’s much easier in the end to give our team at Complete Wildlife Removal a call, and we’ll gladly get to work for you!