Birds are often fun to watch. In fact, it is even a favorite pastime for many. But, at home, most people prefer to view birds at a distance. When birds decide to hang out by your patio or pergola, they can become a nuisance. Birds can be pretty, but they can also be noisy, messy, and aggressive. Depending on the local birds, there are different ways to keep them away from your pergola, patio, and outdoor furniture. It also helps to switch up the methods to make sure they do not get used to one deterrent.
How To Keep Birds Off My Pergola And Furniture?
The most obvious step to take is to remove birdbaths and feeders or keep them at least 30 feet from the pergola if possible. If you have overgrown shrubs, make sure you keep them pruned and do not leave water in any containers around the yard. You also should never leave food on the furniture. In addition to this, the best deterrent methods are visual, auditory, and tactile.
Visual Deterrents
Visual methods to keep birds away use reflective light or other objects to make the birds feel uncomfortable. Lights are effective and simple but they are not always aesthetically pleasing. All you need to do is hang metal objects or foil around the pergola and the reflected light keeps birds away. Reflective pinwheels work too. Just be sure you check with your HOA if you have one, so as not to violate any regulations. Another visual deterrent is to have a fake owl or other large bird, which works in a similar way to a scarecrow in a field. Fear of a predator will keep birds away.
Auditory Deterrents
You can also keep birds away with noise. The most commonly used method is wind chimes. The best part about wind chimes is that they come in different colors and styles so you can get something to match your yard. Often the sounds are pleasant and relaxing too. At least for you. Metal chimes will deter using both sound and reflective light but are louder. Place wind chimes near the corner of your pergola or patio, close to furniture. Sonic units are also used to deter birds from the yard. These mimic distress calls which trigger a far response in birds. Thinking there may be a predator nearby, they stay away. The only downside to this method, is you need to know what types of birds you are dealing with. Mimicking the wrong distress calls will be of no help at all. Also, over time, birds will realize they are not in danger, so you will want to switch volume, patterns, and frequency to create different noises.
Tactile Deterrents
Baking soda or bird spikes are your tactile deterrent options. The goal is to physically prevent birds from landing on the pergola or patio. It also helps to use these around the gutters of the house to prevent birds from nesting in the area. With baking soda, all you need to do is sprinkle it in any area where birds like to perch. You will need to reapply this often, especially after any rain or winds. You can also invest in bird spikes. These are commonly used on the roofs of stores and other commercial buildings to prevent birds from landing. The spikes sound dangerous but they do not harm the bird. They just serve as an inconvenience.
Conclusion
Keeping birds away from the pergola will protect the furniture. You can also take extra steps to keep your furniture clean. There are bird repellent sprays you can use that create undesirable smells for birds. Citrus smells are one of the best to keep birds at bay. With any of these methods, you can be sure to keep your pergola roost-free, your furniture clean, and the birds in the trees.
