We have problems with doves building nests in our chimney and sparrows in our dryer vents. It's not a safe place for them to build a nest, so you're doing them a favor too by chasing them away. 

I found this article from Cecilia Harsch at SFGate: to be very helpful. I honestly didn't know about some of these products.

Here are some of her tips:

1.  Mount a plastic hawk on or near your porch. The sight of a predator can scare the birds from the area and keep them from inhabiting your porch. Move the plastic hawk periodically, so the birds do not become accustom to the plastic hawk, rendering it ineffective.
2.  Hang reflective bird diverters from strings at three or four locations around your porch. The reflectors have appliques that mimic the eyes of predators. The movements of the diverters scare the birds and keep them from nesting on your porch.
3.  Cut reflective flash tape in different lengths, and hang it from string around the perimeter of your porch. The sound created when the tape moves in the wind and the tape’s reflective properties will make birds avoid the area.

 

So there you go: some simple and more extreme ideas to keep the birds from nesting in places dangerous for them and you.

You can check out the rest of the tips at SFGate.

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