They’re a Hoot.
With feathers, beaks and hollow bones, birds are some of the most beautiful and diverse animals in the world. They chirp, whistle, hoot, caw, and screech. From hummingbirds to condors, they come in every shape and size imaginable. Their diets range from seeds and insects to small rodents and even other birds.
Regardless of whether you love of fear them, birds can be great companions or a complete nuisance. Especially if they’ve decided to nest in or on your home.
Which Ones Are Local to Humboldt & Del Norte County?
Along the coast of northern California and into the mountains, we are blessed with a variety of bird species. Most keep to themselves, and you’ll rarely find an egret moving in your home. However, there are a few species that are more likely than others to become a pest.
Barn Swallows – Every year, these guys migrate from Central America to the Pacific Northwest. They typically reach our part of the coast in the spring when they fly north to breed. They often build nests in the eaves or rafters of your home, leaving behind a lot of poop. If you’re not careful, swallows will happily divebomb you, your pets and anything else they view as a threat to their young.
House Sparrows –They are a fairly common bird across the United States and in California. They may look peaceful singing outside your window, but they can be quite territorial. They’ve even been known to drive out native species. House sparrows don’t migrate, so if they’ve built a nest in your home or business, they’re not planning on moving out anytime soon.
When Should I Worry about Them?
Sparrows are problems year-round, but you have to pay close attention to barn swallows starting in April. This is when they’ve reached their breeding grounds during their yearly migration. After mating, they quickly start to build nests. If you aren’t careful, they may decide your house or business is the perfect place to roost.
How Do I Know if I Have an Infestation?
There are a number of signs. A quick visual inspection of the outside of your home is usually enough to know if you’ve some unwanted tenants nesting on the outside. Some birds will find ways into your attics or house through other means though, so pay attention to the following.
Nests – If you see a nest, made from mud or other materials hanging from your rafters or on the side of your house, someone has moved in. Swallows typically make their nests from mud and debris while sparrows do so with grass, sticks, and other debris.
Bird Droppings – This is another obvious sign if it’s outside your house. You’ll usually see large deposits directly underneath nests or along the siding of you home. Be careful if you clean this up yourself! Certain species of birds have been known to transmit diseases to people and pets through their waste.
Chirping Inside – Now this isn’t the daily birdsong you hear outside your window every morning. This is bird chirping from the walls or ceiling. If your ears pick up on this, there’s a good chance someone decided to make a nest in your attic or some other crawl space in your house.
How Can I Prevent a Bird Infestation?
There are some measures that have proven useful in stopping birds from roosting in your home. There will be exceptions to every rule, but these steps are a good place to start. They’ll discourage birds from nesting anywhere other than in the trees.
Plastic Predators – It may sound silly, but it can work. Buying plastic predators like owls or snakes can scare birds and discourage them from nesting in your home. You do have to move them around on a regular basis (every couple of days is recommended). Otherwise most birds will learn to ignore them.
Control of Other Pests – Birds won’t settle where there’s no food. If you notice that you have a higher than normal number of insects buzzing about, birds are more likely to check your property out. And if there’s plenty of food, they may decide to stay.
Close Entryways – Making sure that windows and doors have screens and aren’t left open is important. Also, birds are also really good at finding holes in your eaves or rafters and setting up shop inside your house. Sealing any potential entry points, either with caulk or netting is a good way to prevent birds from roosting.
Why Can’t I Remove Them Myself?
With few exceptions, most birds and their nests are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act even if they don’t migrate. Removing birds or their nests from your property is technically illegal, especially if there are occupants inside. The exception to this are pigeons, house sparrows, or starlings. But unless you are more than sure that one of these species is in your house, play it safe and call a professional, like us!
If you’ve noticed that birds have moved into or onto your home or business, please give us a call.
What Do You Do?
Hiring a pest control company to deal with wildlife can be confusing. However, our team at Humboldt Termite & Pest is experienced in these matters. We have the permits and experience to safely remove any birds and their nests from your property in a quick and ethical manner with minimal inconvenience to you.
Step 1: Identification – As soon as our technicians arrive at your home, we will work quickly to identify the birds, their location and how far the problem extends into your home. We will offer you a variety of solutions for you to consider before moving forward.
Step 2: Treatment – Once you’ve made a decision, we will start safely removing the birds and their nests in the most humane manner with as little interference on your life and home. We promise to work quickly and efficiently to ensure that you don’t have to see those birds or hear their constant chirping again.
Step 3: Ongoing Prevention – After the problem has been resolved, we will work with you to understand how the infestation began and the next course of action to prevent it from happening again in the future.
At Humboldt Termite & Pest, we want you and your loved ones to safely sleep at night. We are committed to providing the best solutions and service we possibly can.
So rest easy. Don’t worry. We’re on the job.