Birds make their home in all of the U.S. states, and New Jersey is no exception. Some of these creatures are welcome, but some of them are pests we would rather have gone. In New Jersey, the biggest bird problems tend to be nuisance birds (pigeons, starlings, and sparrows), seagulls flocking near a food source, and Canada geese nesting in parks. Each of these birds present a different strategy to get them to leave.
Nuisance birds are the first type of common bird problem in New Jersey. These birds include pigeons, starlings, and sparrows. These types of birds like to find a source of food and make their nests nearby. Once they nest, the birds problems tend to increase. More noise, more droppings, and the birds are harder to make leave.
The best way to get rid of these nuisance birds is to take away their food sources and block off their nesting grounds with bird netting.
Common bird food sources include open trash containers, discarded food, and food intentionally left out for the birds. Open trash containers should be replaced with closed trash receptacles, discarded food should be picked up frequently, and people should be reminded not to feed the birds.
The next step to get rid of nuisance birds is to block off their nesting grounds. This is typically done with bird netting. Nuisance birds like to nest in closed, covered places like under solar panels, in the rafters of buildings, and under HVAC units. These places can usually be netted off with bird netting. If birds have already nested, your best bet is to call in a bird control company to address the problem. Moving the nest of most bird species is illegal and the birds will likely get territorial.
The next typical bird problem in New Jersey is seagulls. Seagulls tend to be a pain when they get into a food source such as a food processing plant, a retail store, or near a restaurant. The birds can get quite aggressive in taking food from these places. In the most extreme examples, they can even take food directly from customers.
The best ways to get rid of seagulls are blocking off their food sources and installing bird netting and/or seagull grid deterrent wire.
Seagull food sources include garbage, food left out by businesses, and food given to them by people at restaurants. The same protocol for nuisance birds applies to seagulls as well: cover up trash containers (including dumpsters), pick up discarded food frequently, and remind people not to feed the birds.
Common seagull nesting grounds are on rooftops, near chimneys, and behind trash compactors. If possible these areas should be netted off. Another option for restaurants and docks is seagull grid deterrent wire. Grid deterrent wire is wires strung across raised poles in a grid formation. Seagulls avoid descending onto an area protected by grid deterrent wire because they cannot glide down without touching the wires. This option works well for rooftops, docks, marinas, and restaurants.
Canada geese in parks are the other big bird problem in New Jersey. These geese love to find a body of water and nest nearby. Then they tend to flock, be rude to park-goers, and leave their droppings everywhere. They can honk or even potentially bite people, and can leave behind up to two pounds of droppings per day.
The best ways to get rid of Canada geese are blocking off their food sources with methyl anthranilate and netting off their nesting grounds with bird netting.
Geese tend to eat grass and plants in the park they are flocking at. Methyl anthranilate can be applied to these food sources to stop birds from eating them. Methyl anthranilate is a grape flavoring agent found in candies and sodas. The chemical does not harm birds, but they hate the taste and will stop eating plants coated with it. Without a food source, the birds will have much less reason to remain in the area.
Geese nesting grounds should also be blocked off with bird netting. This is best done in the fall or winter months when geese migrate to warmer climates. Shallow sections of the pond that geese tend to occupy can also be blocked off with pond netting to further exclude geese from the park.
Summary: The big bird problems in New Jersey are nuisance birds (including pigeons, starlings, and sparrows), seagulls flocking near a food source, and Canada geese in parks. The best ways to get rid of these birds is to remove their food sources and block off their nesting grounds with bird netting.
If you need help with bird control in New Jersey, consider calling in a bird control company to inspect the site. A bird control company like AviAway can give you personalized insights on how to best approach your bird problem.
