FAQ's from Homeowners Dealing with Nuisance Birds

Frequently asked questions about nuisance and pest birds in homes in Toronto

As the leading expert for bird removal and control in Ontario, we have seen and heard almost every scenario of pest and nuisance bird problems at people's homes and businesses. Below are some of the more common questions we receive from home owners.

Pigeons are nesting under the eaves of my roof. How can I get them to leave my house?

Pigeons will fight hard to reclaim an area where they have successfully nested in the past. The only guaranteed way to keep them from coming back is to physically exclude them from this site with netting. The netting must be firmly attached to the perimeter of the area, or the pigeons will manage their way back in; they are very committed. We recommend a light, hard-to-see exclusion netting. If you use chicken wire it will rust and make the problem worse, and if you use plastic netting it unlikely to last more than a year or so.

Woodpeckers are banging and drilling holes in my house. How can I stop them?

They are looking for hidden insects or looking for a loud surfce to drum on to attract a mate. There are a few things you can do to deter them. It just takes a few days to convince them that they should move on, the woodpeckers won't like the deterrents so they will find a more appealing area. A liquid spray can be applied to the side of your house, and the smell deters the birds, but not you. There is also a hole-filler with the same aromatic qualities that will drive them away from holes they try to peck after you've filled them. Keep in mind, if the woodpeckers appear to be looking for insects, rather than simply making noise to impress the ladies, you may have a bigger problem - an insect infestation.

How can I keep black birds out of trees? They seem to come every year in the fall and make a horrible mess on the benches and ground under the trees.

Trees are very hard to protect from birds that migrate, or "attack" at certain times of the year. The only effective solution is netting. The net can be installed over a tree and removed after the threat has gone, and re-used for years to come, assuming the tree is trimmed to nearly the same size every year.

How can I keep birds from stealing fish from our ponds? The pond is large, about 100 by 500 feet, so I don't believe they can be netted off. Please help!

A: Ponds can be protected with netting. Netting is available in very large sizes, and will last for a very long time out in the elements (we guarantee it!). The real trick is building a strong, affordable cable support system, with strong posts at regular intervals on either side of the pond, with strong cables suspended between them. The netting can be installed in such a way so that it can be opened to allow access. This is a complex job to undertake on your own. We can help you, just give us a call or email.

Every spring swallows build mud nests on our house under the eaves. They leave a mess on the walls and on the ground. What can we do?

Those cute little swallows (usually barn swallows or cliff swallows) are legally protected in Ontario, and are a threatened species due to serious declines in their populations, so it is illegal to remove their nest once it is built. After the birds leave in the fall you need to remove the nests, adn ideally change the nesting spot so they do not want to nest there again next spring.  Capture netting and falconry are very effective for deterring these birds for future years. As a protected species, you need a permit to move them and we are here to help you with that.