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One of the chief benefits of a luscious and beautiful yard is the fact that it can provide a home to all sorts of creatures, including some of the most beautiful birds in the
neighborhood.
Here are some ways to deal with the downsides of that reality without giving up the benefits:
1. If birds are constantly making unwanted nests underneath your roof line, hang a curtain of aluminum foil, plastic sheeting or sheet metal from a wire strung just above where the roof overhang meets the wall.
2. Bird droppings can damage paintwork on an automobile in a very short time, less than a day. Therefore, wipe it off of your car as soon as possible. Some people apply extra wax to the car roof so that bird droppings wipe off with great ease.
3. To remove droppings from a car, apply cold water until it is soft enough to remove with a washing mitt without scratching the paintwork. Do not use hot water as temperature can act as a catalyst to the chemical reactions between droppings and lacquer. Next, gently apply baby shampoo and water to clean the spot.
4. If birds constantly fly into your windows, apply a cover to the inside of the window or close the curtains so that the bird no longer sees its own reflection and loses interest in the area.
5. Landscaping for birds begins with trees and bushes and the right flowers. It's not the blossoms themselves that most birds want. Birds want the seeds that come later.
6. Plant some of the following flowers to attract birds to your garden this summer: aster, calendula, cockscomb, coreopsis, cornflower, cosmos, larkspur, portulaca, purple coneflower, snapdragon, sunflower and one of my
favorites, zinnias.
7. Consider purchasing a birdbath for the garden. Keep in mind that, birds feel more secure using a birdbath that is surrounded by plants, shrubbery and trees. Birdbaths should be kept free from algae, bird droppings and other debris. They can be sterilized using a mixture of four and one half cups of water and one half cup of liquid bleach. Be sure to rinse thoroughly.
8. To keep squirrels off of a pole mounted bird feeder, put a stovepipe or 4-6 inch diameter PVC pipe around the pole (from the bottom). They can't wrap their paws around the pipe and won't be able to climb up the pole. You can also put a piece of PVC pipe around the chain if your feeder is a hanging type.
9. Make a bird feeder by filling am empty mesh onion bag with suet (leftover fat). Tip: Birds also love Cheerios!
10. Save dryer lint and put it near trees for birds to collect and make nests.
11. Now is the time to hang your hummingbird feeder. Some of the best summer blossoms for keeping those spring hummingbirds coming back include bleeding hearts, petunias, trumpet honeysuckle, trumpet vines, impatiens and morning glories.
12. Birds aren't just here for their good looks. Birds such as barn swallows and purple martins are capable of eating pounds of mosquitoes and other insects. They are not the only species of birds that are known for their insect eating; robins, mockingbirds, chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers are just a few of the many species that are voracious insect eaters. Birds can be attracted with birdhouses or nest boxes. Don't worry that birds will fill up on food and not eat insects. Most birds need insects to feed their young, which are incapable of digesting seeds and no matter how well stocked your feeder, insects provide birds with critical amounts of fat, protein and potassium that they need to survive.
13. Make your own bird feeder: Slice an orange or grapefruit in half, punch three holes equally spaced around the rim about 1 inch down. Hang from a tree branch with string or twine and fill with birdseed. To make the feeder even more user friendly, poke a stick through the middle to serve as a perch.
14. To get a bird to bathe, use a plastic paint tray. The tray allows your bird to venture into the water gradually and at his own pace. Also, there are little raised areas on the bottom of the tray, which provide traction.
15. If you have a bird that has flown into flypaper, the best way to get it off and to get the gooey gunk off is to apply peanut butter to it.
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