Shopping for products for your home or business couldn't be easier when you can order an item from Amazon and have it delivered to your door within days. But when it comes to bird control products, buying a product that works seems impossible. Everything starts to feel like the wrong bird control solution.
You're a savvy shopper. You did your research and read tons of positive reviews. Still, the pest birds on your property are roosting, or even nesting, on the item that should frighten them away. Even worse, when you finally talk to a bird control specialist, they suggest the same types of products that just aren't working.
Buying the wrong bird control solution is frustrating. It's a waste of money and time, and you still have pest birds destroying your property. Purchasing bird control products from Amazon or a department store doesn't guarantee failure. However, without the right information, it can be a waste of time and money.
"I Bought the Wrong Bird Control Solution on Amazon"
It's a frustrating issue, but it's not uncommon. Both home and business owners turn to Amazon or another online option for a quick solution to a messy problem.
The truth is, the wrong bird control solution might not be a poorly designed product; the satisfied reviewers probably aren't lying. Most often, when bird control solutions fail, it's the wrong product for your situation, or it's not being used properly.
Customer Problem #1: Birds Are Nesting on My Bird Spikes
Bird spikes are a deterrent device used on many types of commercial buildings and surfaces. They have a polycarbonate base and stainless steel spikes with dull tips. These tips do not harm birds, but they should prevent birds from comfortably using surfaces. Users can purchase them in different widths to fit different surfaces. Bird spikes are commonly used to keep birds off of ledges, parapets, signs, beams, pipes, chimneys, cutouts, security cameras, lights, etc. They are weather resistant and, under the right conditions, can deter pest birds for years.
But there is one issue with bird spikes that most individuals without specific bird control knowledge don't know: bird spikes work for medium-pressure situations.
In other words, bird spikes should not be used where birds are already nesting. Nesting birds have already invested in your space. They don't have the means to move an existing nest or eggs to another area. Because of this, they'll work around the spikes. They might even build nests on them to make the space more accessible. In this case, bird spikes weren't ineffective. They were simply used in the wrong situation.
Customer Problem #2: Birds Are Landing on My Decoy Owl
An owl is a natural predator that preys on smaller birds. Most birds don't have an effective defense mechanism; when a predator approaches them, they fly away. In theory, a realistic owl decoy should frighten birds away. But it's fairly common for customers to report birds landing and resting on non-moving plastic owl decoys. They're not necessarily the wrong bird control solution, but they're certainly incomplete.
When using any type of decoy that resembles a natural predator, it's important to consider the actions of the predator. Birds are frightened of owls because they attack. Owls are constantly in search of prey. They turn and move frequently. When they recognize prey, they often emit loud shrieks, move quickly, and dive to attack.
So when birds first catch sight of an owl decoy, they may become frightened. However, when an owl sits in the same place for days with no movement or noise, birds recognize the decoy is not a true threat.
This likely leaves you wondering how a decoy could possibly be effective. Why would thousands of people write 4- and 5-star reviews? To be effective, visual deterrents must create enough fear that birds are willing to flee the area. To produce this fear with a decoy owl, the threat must appear real.
How to Make Decoys More Effective
Owls are nocturnal. They make sounds to communicate with other owls. By using a decoy owl in combination with an audio device and moving it frequently, you're likely to have better results.
For example, if the decoy is placed outside only at dawn and dusk and is combined with the use of owl sounds during that time, it mimics real owl behavior. If you also use the audio deterrent to generate falcon (a common daytime predator) sounds during the day, you can create an environment that is always unsafe for birds.
Another important thing to consider about both visual and audio deterrents is that they should be implemented as early as possible. A threatening owl or falcon shriek will be considerably more effective when a bird is coming in for a landing and doesn't have time to assess the threat level.
Get the Right Bird Control Solution for Your Home or Business
Bird control is a tricky business. The issue becomes even harder to control if the birds have become accustomed to your property. Once they claim certain areas and surfaces, the job is more challenging. Luckily, there are still solutions that will work.
When shopping for bird control products, it can be difficult to get all the information you need to buy the right solution. While it's true that an owl decoy is a cheap and effective bird control solution, a seller is not likely to note the fact that the product should typically be used alongside other devices or might take some effort on the part of the buyer.
As a home or business owner, it's not your job to know all the details about bird activity, why pest birds targeted your property, or why nesting birds are so difficult to deal with. But without this knowledge, you could be wasting your money on the wrong bird control product. Purchasing bird control products on Amazon isn't necessarily a bad idea — but investing in products when you don't know if they're what you need is.
No matter where you shop for bird control products, the best way to find an effective solution is to talk to a bird control specialist before making a purchase. If you're dealing with pest birds on your property and haven't found the right solution, get in touch with the bird control experts at Bird Barrier. We can offer advice about products, the cost of bird control, and how to protect your property from pest birds.
About Bird Barrier
Bird Barrier is a leader in innovative technology designed to prevent birds from landing, roosting or nesting. We specialize in urban bird control to remove birds humanely and effectively. Our website, birdbarrier.com, hosts a wealth of content to help people understand and identify bird control solutions for various problems with pest birds. Please contact us if you need help with a bird related problem. You may also benefit from our free guide, Bird Deterrents: The Complete Guide.
