It’s not uncommon for homeowners to notice unusual amounts of bird activity around their home. And if they do, chances are the birds in question have found a nice, cozy nesting area somewhere right on your property. More often than not, this nesting area is inside the soffit, for a number of reasons.
First off, the soffit is easily accessible to birds, though not to you, which makes it an ideal place to set up camp away from many ground-bound predators. Soffit nests are also really great because the bird can get in and out without much hassle, and that’s important, since most birds will need to flee the nest frequently in search of food.
Since the soffit is a fairly out of the way part of the construction, this means that problems in this area (like cracks, holes, etc.) may go unnoticed for a lot longer than flaws in other areas. Birds may exploit these problems, and use them to create the perfect home.
But at what cost?
What are the dangers of birds on your property?
First let us say that removing birds from your soffit should be your primary concern here, and should be done as quickly as possible. The longer you leave birds living unattended on your property, the longer you are putting yourself and your family at risk. That’s because birds carry a wide range of unpleasant, serious diseases, and are exposing you to them directly, through the presence of their droppings, feathers, and so on.
A bird living on your property may also contaminate the drinking water, or expose your pet to bacteria.
At the very least, a bird should be cause for concern since its presence will typically appeal to other nuisance wildlife that feeds on birds. For instance, snakes may be more attracted to your property, if they sense birds living nearby, than if they didn’t.
What can you do to keep birds out?
Well, ideally, if you suspect there may be birds living in your soffit, or anywhere on your property, the best thing you can do is reach out to professional bird control like Complete Wildlife Removal. Especially if dealing with birds in difficult-to-reach areas, like the soffit, you want to call someone who is well-qualified to handle such a situation, and not put yourself at risk.
Aside from wildlife removal, what are your options?
Your work doesn’t stop here, but rather, preventing bird infestations is an ongoing job. There are still some steps to take to deter bird populations from settling in your soffit.
1. Repair your soffit as often as necessary.
As we’ve seen, a big attraction point is that the soffit is so rarely inspected and repaired when necessary. Since it’s not uncommon for a damaged soffit to remain that way for months, or even years, birds see no reason not to squat up there.
This is why you want to inspect the state of your soffit once a year, and handle all the necessary repairs as swiftly as possible, as this will deter bird populations.
2. Install a bird box.
Having birds on your property can bring some benefits, as long as you control the how and the where. A good way to keep birds from nesting in your soffit is by building them their own dedicated bird box.
This is essentially a home for the birds, where they can safely build their nest without clogging your soffit, or exposing you to health hazards.
3. Ventilate your soffit.
While installing a ventilated soffit may seem pricey, it’s well-worth it if birds are a common concern. Not only does a ventilated soffit benefit from better air circulation, it also discourages birds from setting up shop.
4. Use bird spikes.
Some people think bird spikes are cruel, since they “spear the birds”. That’s actually not the case, since most birds are clever enough to know not to sit on a spike. Instead, a bird spike acts like a visual deterrent, to signal to the birds that this is not a comfortable place for their nest.
Don’t worry, you won’t actively be hurting any birds in the process, but your message will get across loud and clear.