Having a bird in the garage is annoying and if left to nest or roost, can lead to unsanitary conditions.
But before you call animal control, or feel the need to catch the bird with a trap or netting, try these simple steps to get rid of birds in your garage.
In most cases, you can get the bird to leave the garage with little effort, or without killing or harming them. In some cases, the birds are a lot more persistent about hanging around.
In this article, I will share some tips to get rid of garage birds and help you prevent them from coming in through open windows and doors.
Why do birds like garages?
Birds are like most animals in that they seek comfort from weather elements or are seeking food. Birds that get in your garage are looking for places to nest, lay eggs, avoid predators, or get out of the weather. Often they accidentally fly in through an open door or window.
Rafters or tall shelves make a great place for birds to roost and hang out.
How to prevent birds from getting into your garage
In most cases, prevention is your best option when it comes to keeping birds out of your garage.
Keep your garage windows and doors closed when not in use
The best way to do that is to keep your garage door closed when not in use. This keeps birds from entering your garage in the first place. If this is the primary way birds are getting in, then with time they will exit open garage doors on their own. Birds enter in accidentally and then eventually fly out on their own.
Eliminate their ideal habitat
If birds find a food source or have the opportunity to regularly get out of the weather they will probably want to stick around. Some birds like sparrows and wrens love to build nests under overhangs, or in the rafters of your garage to keep out of the weather and away from birds of prey.
Use deterrents to keep birds out of your garage
Use owl decoys
Some people have reported that using an owl decoy, can be an effective way to keep birds out of the garage.
Owls are nocturnal birds and natural bird predators so adding a plastic owl decoy especially if you have open garage rafters or an open carport may be enough to keep birds away.
Install bird netting
For those of you that have open rafters or carports, installing bird netting is an effective solution to keep birds from reaching the rafters. Bird netting keeps them from accessing the areas they want to fly towards the most.
While this won’t keep birds out of the garage, they most likely won’t want to hang around because they don’t have an ideal place to land.
Use bird spikes
Bird spikes are very effective in areas where birds try to land. These metal or plastic spikes can be applied to rafters or other places birds want to land. You can buy them in short strips and then tack them down. They are very effective, especially if your garage is always open or you have a carport.
They also are great deterrents for squirrels.
Use bird reflective tape or reflective spinners
This is not the best option, but it is a safe and wildlife-friendly way of deterring some birds without harming them.
Reflective tape and spinners can be a deterrent for small birds especially if there is good airflow. Just a small amount of airflow creates movement in the reflective tape that scares small birds. Here is an example of one from Amazon.
Simply hang the tape in areas you want to protect and let the wind/air do the rest.
Use a sonic/ultrasonic bird repeller
Ultrasonic bird repellers use high-intensity, ultrasonic sound waves to repel birds. Most use infrared sensors to detect warmth from the bird’s body and then emit a high-frequency pulse that scares birds away and deters them from coming back.
One electronic bird repeller can cover up to 6,000 square feet. Some models will even use a bright flash strobe light to further encourage them to leave. Here is an example of one on Amazon.
How to get rid of a bird in your garage
If a bird has entered the garage, most likely turning off any lights, opening the doors and windows will be enough to allow the bird to leave on its own.
If a bird flies in and does not leave, you can use a broom, or rake to try to guide the bird out. If the bird has built a nest, you can remove the nest and remove any signs of nesting. After removing the bird, keep doors and windows closed for some time until the bird loses interest. Some birds will leave and try to come right back in.
I once had a bird come in and try to attack the mirrors on my car. It would see itself and think it was being threatened by another bird. I eventually found its nest in the bushes just outside my garage.
If you do decide to trap or catch the bird, it is best to avoid handling it without gloves. Birds can carry disease and can scratch your skin if you aren’t careful.
The biggest thing with a bird problem is to be patient. Staying consistent and not giving up is the key to getting rid of birds in your garage. If you can’t resolve the problem on your own then call an animal or wildlife control company for assistance.
