Hobbies And Interests
Go Away, Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers are aptly named -- they like to peck wood. Nobody, however, likes it when woodpeckers make holes in the sides of their homes. To deter them from the habit, aluminum foil or pie plates are hung over areas where they are pecking. Rubber snakes sometimes also work.
Look Out for the Windows
From time to time, birds fly into a window, particularly when they are breeding and aggressively protecting their territory; at such times, they sometimes see their reflection in the glass of a window, and, thinking it's another bird that they want to drive away, fly right into the window. To save birds that exhibit such behavior, place something non-reflective -- a piece of cardboard, for instance -- over problem windows. Take it down after breeding season ends.
Get Away From the Garden
One of the biggest problems many people have with birds is when they land in the garden and help themselves to fruit and vegetables. One simple way to handle the problem is to frighten the bird; sometimes, all a person has to do is shout and clap their hands, and the birds do not come back. For more persistent birds, placing feeders nearby with their favorite treats to deter them; in extreme cases, netting is needed to cover some crops. Scarecrows, balloons and flags also offer relief from crop-snatching birds.
No Roosting
Roosting birds make a mess with their droppings and, if it's a big enough flock of birds, they pose health problems as well. To get rid of roosting birds on ledges, rows of monofilament line or porcupine wire sometimes does the trick; problem branches are pruned to get unwanted roosting birds from trees. First, however, try scaring them -- it works in other situations, and sometimes for this one as well.
Be Gentle
Do not trap or kill wild birds as a means of doing away with those that are pests. For one thing, it's cruel; for another it's often illegal. Most wild birds come under the protection of state and federal law.