Any bird presence on your balcony is a potential for property damage. So, if you have some feathered visitors, you may wonder how to keep birds off your balcony.
Even if you are not feeding them, birds may make a habit of flocking to your balcony. Their acidic droppings can peel off paint and damage your railing and floor. Any furniture or other objects you keep on the balcony might be destroyed too. Thankfully, there are many things you can do to discourage bird presence on your balcony.
1. Remove Sources of Food
Anything that a bird may be tempted to eat should be moved from your balcony. Birds may be attracted to snacks you left out for guests. Or, the source of food may be less obvious, such as the minerals in old and chipped balcony railings. If you’re not sure what the birds are eating, watch them for a bit to find out.
If your neighbors feed birds, you may not be able to remove the source of food, but you can still discourage birds from having their snack on your property.
2. Install Bird Deterrents
Birds are easily startled by movement and sound, so you can install wind chimes to keep them away. Sometimes you only have to keep the wind chime up long enough for the birds to find another roosting place and get into the habit of going there instead of to your property. Then you can take the chime down.
What if you don’t have a wind chime on hand? You can make a temporary bird deterrent by stringing up household items along your balcony. Options include:
- CDs or DVDs
- Glass bottles, especially colorful ones
- Seashells
- Beads
- Old keys
- Metal objects
Be sure to string the items close enough that they will clang when the wind blows them. Also, birds are as scared of shiny objects as they are of loud noises. If your objects aren’t shiny, wrap some in tin foil so that they catch the light.
If your birds aren’t scared off by windchimes, you can take it up a notch and purchase predator decoys. These are fake plastic owls, snakes, and crocodiles that fool birds into thinking a predator is nearby. Be sure to choose a predator that is active in your area, and that would prey on the specific type of bird that is on your property.
3. Install Bird Spikes
Bird spikes are not as vicious as they sound. They are metal or plastic strips on spikes you can install anywhere a bird chooses to perch, such as on your balcony railing. The spikes do not hurt the birds. Instead, they make it uncomfortable or impossible for birds to land on the railing, encouraging the birds to find another spot to roost. Bird spikes are very effective at protecting a balcony railing from bird damage, but the birds may just decide to land on the balcony floor instead. Thus, it is best to combine bird spikes with other methods of bird deterrence.
