There are 15 types of special use Do It Yourself bird control methods and devices we test, rate, and review.  We start with the most popular and go from there.

 

Bird Spikes
Sound Devices
Bird Wire
Slant Board
Motion Devices
Bird Gel
Fogging/Spraying
Optical Gel
Lasers
Decoys
Drones
Dogs
Pigeon Birth Control
Rooftop Wire Grids
Avitrol Bird Poison

Bird Spikes: Does not deter nesting birds, may make nesting worse, vultures destroy…

  • Bird Pressure Rating 35% 35%
  • Aesthetics 25% 25%
  • Deters Nesting Birds 5% 5%
  • Deters Overnight Roosting Birds 75% 75%
  • Deters Daytime Loafing Birds 75% 75%
  • Deters Feeding Birds 25% 25%

%

Bird Spike Effectiveness

Sound Devices: Low cost solution, usually fails, sound pollution is horrible…

  • Bird Pressure Rating 25% 25%
  • Aesthetics 70% 70%
  • Deters Nesting Birds 5% 5%
  • Deters Overnight Roosting Birds 40% 40%
  • Deters Daytime Loafing Birds 30% 30%
  • Deters Feeding Birds 10% 10%
Sound Device Review

Bird control sounds– Bird control sound devices typically become completely ineffective within weeks of initial installation. Birds react to sounds mostly in the 2000 Hz to 4000 Hz range. That is their primary range of hearing. Birds can barely hear sounds much lower and much higher. Birds become accustomed to any sound no matter how alarming that is not associated with some dynamic or alive threat. Thus, it is puzzling that ultrasonic devices that birds may not really hear very well, although they may find them irritating, are supposed to actually work to deter birds. In addition, distress calls are typically combined with alarming sounds of different types, which again is puzzling how sounds that prove to represent no real threat will have any effect on birds for a very long. The answer to these questions is that neither of these devices works well for longer than a few weeks in most situations. There is limited effectiveness in small enclosed areas where the sounds annoy the birds and some may look for other areas. These devices are everywhere and the birds learn to ignore them quickly. These devices has zero effectiveness in open areas. It’s interesting to note the guarantee of these products is only weeks also. These devices may work for bats though because bats always seek very small enclosed areas.

Bird distress calls-bird distress calls work great for a few weeks, until the birds realize there’s no real threat. Then the bird device emitting the bird call distress recordings typically stops working more and more until it stops working completely after a couple of months or so. One sure way to find huge flocks of birds in trees and downtown areas is to listen for these devices! Where these bird control devices are installed in trees many birds will typically be roosting in those trees. In fact, bird call distress sound devices tend to attract nesting birds because distress calls are common in nesting bird areas. It is a common sound in large bird colony nesting areas, and therefore may attract even more birds into nearby trees to nest during the spring!

Thus, the allure of a low cost solution means these are the highest selling and most disappointing bird control devices.  This method simply does not work in most situations and even may make migratory bird nesting worse.

%

Sound Device Effectiveness

Bird Wire: Will not deter nesting birds, vultures will destroy, look for newer electric versions that work much better…

%

Pin & Wire Effectiveness

Slant Board, Metal or Bird Slide™: Limited use on narrow ledges, filthy mess buildup of bug & rat nests behind it after a few years…

%

Slant Board or Angled Metal

Motion Devices: Partially effective on very small residential roofs and boats, will not work on larger roofs, near food/water, nests, or in trees…

%

Motion Devices Effectiveness

Bird Control Gel:  Temporary results, permanent destruction of surfaces…

Bird control gel may be considered inhumane because it tangles bird feet like a glue board on whatever structure is used on. The gel is squeezed out of tube with the caulk gun. A line of gel squirted on beams, ledges, tops of lights, signs, and other bird nesting and roosting spots as a bird deterrent. Unfortunately, the bird gel may entrap smaller birds like a glue board does to mice and rats, which is one of the reasons why frequently rat chasers and rodent trappers will sell bird control gel as a viable bird control device. Again, unfortunately, the bird gel only lasts a couple of months or so before it becomes coated with dust and stops working and the rat chaser or rat trappers can then come back in and reapply the bird gel. Yes this process is never-ending, and the lifecycle cost compared to other permanent bird solutions like air insulated electric barrier or bird control netting is extremely high. How does the gel work? The gel is irritating and sticky, with irritant chemicals that burn the feet of the birds and entangle them in the mess, and it is a sticky which disturbs the birds.   Beware the fact that bird gel tuns to dirt glue on decorative or light colored surfaces and must be sanded off!  Do not use this on any surface you do not want to permanently turn black or historical surfaces! 

%

Bird Gel Temporary Effectiveness

Fogging/Spraying: Unique and neverending…

Bird control sprays-there are bird control sprays that may be sprayed on vegetation to keep birds like geese from destroying landscaped areas or trees from birds. Beware that some bird control sprays may glue dirt and dust to surfaces, ledges, parking lots, cars, and windows.  This could become a huge liability for propery owners. The bird control spray apparatus, chemicals, and spraying is very expensive. Bird control sprays last about 3 to 4 weeks to prevent geese from destroying grasses and gardens. Some are designed to keeps birds out of other areas. Again, most bird control sprays must be used monthly to keep working and thus are very inefficient except for geese.
Bird control fogs-bird control fogs are very expensive because the base mixture is very expensive. Are also very expensive to spray due to labor, large fogging contraptions, or large mobile fogger’s to get to where the birds are. The cost per square foot is cost prohibitive because the mixture must be bought over and over and over again. Again the fogging contraptions and labor involved in running and maintaining the fogging are also very expensive. Fogging has grown in popularity tremendously across the United States because many people can charge huge sums of money offering this as the only solution to certain bird control issues. Fortunately, there are much better, less costly, and more efficient ways to control birds than fogging with irritants. There are hundreds of power, chemical, industrial plants with warehouses around the country that pay large sums of money to fog birds with about 25% effectiveness, yet most of these operations continue to use fogging with poor results. Worth noting is that some unions and plant safety personnel are preventing continued use of fogging due to it irritating worker allergies and causing respiratory symptoms contributing to excessive sick days and doctor visits.  Although the ingredients in most fogs are non-toxic, the chronic effects of the vapors upon the respiratory system appears to be causing problems in many regions of the country. Due to the increase in healthcare costs many operations are banning fogging from their properties except for spraying grass for geese on landscaped areas.

%

Fog/Spary Temporary Effectiveness

Optical Gel: No effect out in the open near bright sunlight…

%

Optical Gel Temporary Effectiveness

Lasers: Partially effective in dark enclosed area without food, water, or nesting…

%

Lasers Temporary Effectiveness

Scare Device Decoys: Little to no effect after a few weeks in most situations…

  • Bird Pressure Rating 5% 5%
  • Aesthetics 10% 10%
  • Deters Nesting Birds 5% 5%
  • Deters Overnight Roosting Birds 10% 10%
  • Deters Daytime Loafing Birds 15% 15%
  • Deters Feeding Birds 5% 5%

%

Decoys Effectiveness

Drones: Not effective for birds, nesting and feeding, helps scare geese and ducks in landscaped areas only, growing grass above 4 feet tall works much better…

%

Drones Temporary Effectiveness

Dogs: Man’s best friend, and a goose or duck’s worst nightmare if the dog is well trained…

%

Dogs Effectiveness

Pigeon Birth Control: Attracts more pigeons for food, decreases population partially over 5 years, may never solve a specific problem, and never ending…

%

Pigeon Birth Control Effectiveness

Rooftop Wire Grid: Good for very large flocks on large roofs…

(Restaurant Mono-filament Lines): in contrast, clear “fishing line” version inhumanely breaks bird’s wings near pools and restaurants…

%

Rooftop Wire Grid Effectiveness

Avitrol Poison: Poor Stewardship, it is POISON, kills non-target migratory birds, slow painful death, increasingly outlawed for almost every use by many states, this is stroke inducing poison not crazy corn…

Avitrol Poison is inhumane and should be banned in the US.  Avitrol is painful slow kill poison, and it should never be used in any application because it cannot be limited to a few pest birds. Avitrol almost always harms migratory birds and other non-target species. Many companies using this poison told buyers it was crazy corn or like LSD for birds.  In reality, the birds fly around crazy because Avitrol causes the birds to die by stroke or brain hemorrhage.