According to Fengshui and Vastu Shastra, a bird’s nest in a human residence is certain to bring luck. It is said, that if there is a nest in your yard, it is a lucky symbol. It represents life, growth, health, family stability, & beauty among other fortunate things. Nests symbolize good karma returning to you for your good care & responsible keeping of your environment. Nests are good luck for everyone who lives there.

But a bird’s nest, like a pigeon, will inevitably make a mess. And if that mess is over countertops, it is unhygienic for food prep and could cause damage to the stone and finishes.

If a bird makes a nest within your gutters, it is also advisable to remove the nest. Both for the safety of the baby birds and your home.  The nest will block the rain and flood them, potentially drowning the birds and the water and elements can compromise the foundation and cause costly damage to your home. Please note, you will have to do this before the birds lay an egg. If the birds are already nesting, it is illegal to remove active nests in the US under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Here are a few tips to influence the birds not to create a bird’s nest.

1.    Blocking potential entrances

Use wire mesh to cover all chimneys, vents, soffits, gutters, and eaves. If you are concerned about birds becoming ensnared in the mesh, purchase a hard, non-flexible metal screen with openings less than 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.  It is especially important to keep birds from the inside of your house like the attic. Take a close look for any holes around your roof, eaves, and gutters. If you find any hole openings, fill them in with caulk siding, or mesh wire. If they do not have an entry point, they will not be able to sneak into your attic.

We recommend 304 stainless steel mesh screens. The metal sheets are inexpensive. For example, this mesh at $8.99 from Amazon for 1 PC 11” x 14” wire mesh sheet.

For the gutter covers, we recommend talking to your local roofing contractors to find the best solution for your budget. The bonus of gutter covers is that they will keep your gutters clear of debris like leaves and brush.

Another great blocking item are bird spikes like the Bird-X Standard (STS-10-R) STAINLESS STEEL SPIKES.

You will notice these spikes outside of malls and local shopping plazas.  The spikes prevent birds from landing on your pergola, garage, porches, or windows.  With 4.5 stars with 2,780 reviews, many are very happy with how this worked.

2.    Using visual deterrents to scare the birds away

There are many great options for scaring the birds away.

Option 1:  Owl Decoy with 360-Degree Rotating Head

This owl scarecrow has a rotating head that scares the birds away. It is recommended to move the owl around your backyard every few days to simulate a live owl.   At $25, with 4.5 stars out of 5 with 140 reviews, this has worked for many and it looks nice within the garden or patio space.

Option 2: Bird Scare Discs Set

This Highly Reflective Double-Sided Bird Reflectors work great to scare the birds away and look nice within the garden and patio.  This item is an Amazon Choice item with 4 stars out of 5 and 4,416 reviews. It retails for $18 and comes with 24 discs to place throughout the yard.

3.    Using audio deterrents to scare the birds away

Audio repellents use ultrasonic sound, and some offer flashing light and motion detection.

Option 1:

Abilly 2022 Solar Animal Repeller, Ultrasonic Repellent, Motion Detection, LED Flashing Light

This ultrasonic repellent features state of the art ultrasonic technology which creates a powerful ultrasonic wave, accompanied at the same time by an alarm sound. The built-in motion detection sensor is highly sensitive and will trigger at an angle of 120 degrees and 24-30 yards distance range, for maximum performance.