A problem that foxes all householders is how to bid a final adieu to those bats and birds which have taken residence in their homes. Gharpedia shares some pointers on how to get rid of birds and how to get bats out of your house in this blog.
Ah, the twitter of sweet sparrows, the distinctive call of a cardinal. For the most part, having birds in your yard is a pleasant experience, but if too many birds are congregating and leaving piles of poop as their calling cards, it’s time to take action. Unless you’re Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark, we genuinely doubt you want bats roosting under your eaves.
How to Get Rid of Bats and Birds?
So, here we have the answers to a few questions to outsmart our flying friends:
- How to Get Rid of Bats in Your House?
- How to Get Rid of Birds from Your Yard?
- How to Keep Birds Away From the House?
- How to Get Rid of Woodpeckers?
Let’s have a detailed look,
How to Get Rid of Bats in Your House?
While most of us absolutely drool over Batman and his rich baritone, none of us want bats in our house or even around our house.
The most common bats are also the variety that likes to nest within structures rather than outdoors. That’s right, nest! Bats living in your walls, attic, or crawl space can present serious health hazards and are downright creepy too. When bats live near humans, the possibility of humans getting bitten increases, and bats are common carriers of rabies. Also, bats leave their droppings where they live, and these droppings are replete with bacteria and viruses that can become hazardous as airborne dust. Therefore, it’s crucial to know how do you get bats out of your house or how to get rid of bats in attic or how to repel bats ASAP.
If you have bats in or around your home, the only thing you can do is to wait for them to leave and then block the openings they’re using, so they can’t get back in. Yeah, you’ll feel a little like Bill Murray tracking down gophers in ‘Caddyshack’ but trust us on this – Bats are downright lousy houseguests.
- To keep bats away from your house, you’ll need to wait until dusk, then sit outside and watch for the bats to escape. They usually enter a structure high up, so look around the roof and eaves. A small bat can squeeze in through an opening as small as a dime, so this is another reminder that you need to examine the entire house and fill every crack and hole with caulk or non-expanded foam. Bats can chew through walls like rodents, so they need to find an existing opening.
- Don’t close the hole once you’ve determined the main pathway for the bats – at least not yet. If you close the hole immediately, especially during spring and early summer, it’s possible that you’ll be trapping baby bats inside. When they die, you’ll have a horrible smell and fly problem on your hands. So the practical thing to do is to create a door where bats can fly out but not back in. Use a flap of any stiff material that only swings one way. Once you’re sure all the bats are out, even the babies (which may take a week or two), you can close the hole permanently.
- If the bats have lived there for a while, they’ll be desperate to get back in, so be particularly vigilant during the next month or so. Once all the holes are closed, you’ll need to clean up the droppings left behind, if they’re accessible. Make sure you wear full protective gear and a respirator, so none of the dust gets into your system. Don’t vacuum this type of thing up. The germ-laden dust will spit out of your vacuum cleaner. Wet everything down before you begin so that the least amount of dust is kicked up. Honestly, if you have a significant area to clean, it’s better to call in a professional.
- Do you know what smell will keep bats away or what smell bats hate? Bats hate the smell of white phenol, mothballs, cinnamon etc. So, you can use them to keep bats away from your home.
Well, I hope you got your answer on how to keep bats away from your house. But, when it comes to the safety of you and your loved ones, not only the bats, it’s also crucial to take all measures to keep bacteria and germs away from your home. And in that case, we would offer amazing tips to keep your sweet home germ-free.
How to Get Rids of Birds from Your Yard?
If birds are taking over a spot in the yard that you love so much, this is the best way to keep birds away from your yard. Place bird-repellent spikes or a small statue of an owl or other large bird there. Also, look for products called ‘scare eye balloons’ that look like Halloween decorations. Birds apparently don’t like them.
How to Keep Birds Away From the House?
When a wild bird gets into your house, it’s easy for both of you to get your feathers ruffled. And if you are confused about how to scare birds away and how to keep birds away home remedy, you are at the right place. Here’s the solution, the bird will be scared and if there are mirrors or reflective surfaces, it can get disoriented and start bashing into walls and windows.
In such a scenario, you have to first close all the interior doors in the room and open the windows and exterior doors to get rid of the bird from the house. If the bird isn’t going in the right direction, sprinkle cracker crumbs near the doors or windows to lure it out. Birds that are up high or trying to get out through a skylight can be hard to redirect. Waiting them out is one option. Another is to use a fishing net to grab them and then release them outdoors.
If the bird is injured, then gently pick it up in a towel, place it in a box with some air holes and bring it to your local SPCA or wildlife rehabilitation facility. Try not to touch the bird or damage its wings. Be particularly gentle with small and delicate birds.
If you want to know how to get rid of birds naturally, use lemon, garlic, peppermint oil, citronella, cayenne pepper, vinegar etc., because birds don’t like their smell. So, you can keep birds away from your home naturally.
How to Get Rid of Woodpeckers?
If you have aged or damaged cedar or redwood siding, you can practically hear the mocking laugh of Woody Woodpecker as he drills away on your house. Woodpeckers love this stuff and go at it with zeal and fury. If there are many holes larger than half an inch in diameter, you’ll need to eventually replace that section of the siding. But to keep woodpeckers away and to mitigate damage in the meantime, try the following –
- Patch holes with wood putty and caulk, then prime and paint. With large holes, you might want to consider sheet-metal patches. It won’t look good, but as a temporary measure, it might suffice.
- Woodpeckers supposedly can’t get their beaks through three-fourth inch netting. Try securing that over damaged areas until the birds are discouraged.
- Mylar or fabric streamers keep woodpeckers away; balloons and wind chimes might scare the birds.
- You can find products that emit high-pitched sounds that may scare the birds.
Now, I think it’s enough for ‘How to get rid of bats and birds’, but there’s a lot of focus, observation and labour involved in making your house free from the menace of birds and bats, but then a clean, healthy and safe home calls for a lot of effort, doesn’t it?
But, your battle for a clean and healthy home is not over yet. Other than these birds, many unwanted insects are ready to take possession of your home, and you also have to deal with them. For that, Gharpedia has something for you… Click on the below link to know…
Top 8 Tips to Prevent Pest Infestation at Your Home!
What Can You Do In Your Home To Get Rid Of Drain Flies?
Author Bio
Huta Raval – An English Literature and Journalism Topper, Huta Raval has graduated from the L D Arts College, Ahmedabad. Post serving for 23 years in the NBFC and Public Library Sectors her desire for ‘writing the unwritten’ brought her to the creative field of content writing. Her clientele comprises of NGOs, Blogging Platforms, Newspapers, Academic Institutions, et al.