Effective Ways To Handle a Bird Nest Under A Deck

If you have ever experienced a bird nest under a deck, you’d already know how obnoxious and troublesome it can be. Not only does it make your space smelly and messy, but it can even damage your deck. 

If you don’t want to deal with this situation, your best bet is to prevent birds from hanging around your deck. This article discusses some most effective methods to prevent birds from nesting under your deck.

The last part of this post explains how to remove a bird nest from under a deck. So, let’s get started.

How to Prevent or Discourage Birds from Nesting Under A Deck

Keep Your Deck and Surrounding Area Clean

The first and probably the most important method to discourage birds from nesting under your deck is to keep your deck and its surrounding area clean. Get rid of all the debris and leaves, and make sure that your deck is free of all the things birds can eat.

Birds usually hang around poorly-kept places where they can easily find food. A well-kept deck won’t be ideal for birds to start building a nest.

Block Spaces Perfect for Nesting

Compact and secure places such as gutters, ceiling rafters, and wall holes are ideal places for birds to start nesting. You can easily block these areas with wood or cardboard to keep the birds away.

Use Bird Spikes

Bird spikes are needle-like structures; they make it difficult for the birds to sit comfortably. You can simply install these bird spikes around your deck edges to keep birds from entering unwanted areas.

Use Fake or Decoy Predators

Using a fake owl is one of the most common ways to scare away birds. You can place these critters near the deck, where birds will notice them. You can buy these decoys from pretty much any home and garden store.

Change the locations and directions of these objects to make sure that the birds continue to believe that they are real. Otherwise, birds will get used to it, and the decoy predator won’t scare them away.

Hang Wind Chimes

Hanging some wind chimes not only prevents the birds from building nests under your deck but also improves the beauty and character of your property. The movement and sound of wind chimes scare off birds effectively and keeps them at bay.

Place An Electronic Bird Repellent

Using an electronic bird repellent device is one of the most effective ways to prevent birds from entering your property. These are highly specialized devices that create ultrasonic sound waves that most birds can’t tolerate.

Most importantly, the sound these devices make isn’t audible to humans. They’ll only bother birds and will keep them away from your deck.

How to Remove A Bird Nest from under A Deck

If you find that birds have already built a nest under your deck, the first thing you need to do is to check for activity. Never attempt to relocate or remove a bird nest if it has eggs or small birds inside.

A nest without parents but with eggs doesn’t necessarily mean that it has been abandoned. The parents might be out for feeding.

Let the Nesting Season End

Removing an active bird nest before the nesting season is over is not advisable. Many bird species only nest once a year, and the nesting period varies from species to species. 

You can consult a professional to identify the species and determine the nesting season time.

Take Precautionary Measures

You’ll also need to make sure whether or not it’s legal to relocate or remove a bird nest in your area. Some bird species are rare, and they’re protected by law. So, you can’t remove their nests even if they’re inconvenient for you.

Remove the Nest

Once the nesting season is over and you have also determined that it’s possible to remove the nest, you can proceed with the nest removing process.

Keep in mind that bird nests can contain harmful pathogens. That’s why it’s critical to wear long pants, long sleeves, a respiratory face mask, and latex gloves to ensure safety.

It’s also advisable to use an antibacterial spray on the nest and let it dry. Then you can remove the nest and discard it using an exterior trash bag. After that, you’ll also need to use a strong disinfectant on the spot where the nest was.

Preventing birds from nesting in your home and decks can be quite a challenge, but with the right precautionary measures you’ll surely keep them away. Here are some tips to keeping your lawns free from bird seed weeds too.