by Alex A. Kecskes

Tired of messy walkways under windows and eaves? Annoyed by ugly bird nests that attract bugs and spread disease? You’re not alone.  Millions of home and building owners endure the clean-up expense of pest birds nesting under eaves.

The species of birds most commonly found nesting in eaves are sparrows, swallows, house martins and starlings. When these birds build nests under you eaves, they can create a big problem. The mess immediately below a nest can be very unsightly and requires constant cleaning from spring to autumn. These nests are invariably constructed above a door or window, where they create the most mess. The wall below a nest is often an unattractive mess and not easy to clean. Worst of all, once these birds start nesting, there’s not much you can do until they leave. It’s against the law to disturb nesting birds. Which is why bird proofing and bird control measures should be installed before the birds arrive.

One highly effective bird-proofing tactic is to physically exclude pest birds from your eaves. This is easily accomplished using Bird Netting. When you deny birds access to your eaves, they’ll look for other suitable nesting spots. If you decide to buy the netting, be sure to get the proper mesh size for the bird you are trying to exclude.  For most eave-nesting birds, a 1/4- to 1/2-inch mesh size will keep them out. Make certain you get enough netting to stretch from the outer edge of the roof to the side of your house. Install the netting using tape, a staple-gun or hooks, and be sure it extends from your roof’s edge all the way to the wall so it completely blocks access to your eaves.