Pests can be very
disheartening to the backyard birder. It doesn't
matter wether they are four legged, have wings or creep
and crawl, they all can cause problems. Some of
these pests are:
-
Cats
-
Squirrels
-
Chipmunks
-
Rats and
mice
-
Deer
-
Raccoons
-
Insects
-
Birds...yes,
BIRDS!
Cats need
to be kept indoors. They will stalk and kill any
bird they can get. Squirrels are probably the
worst pest behind the cat. They will not only
consume large amounts of feed, they will destroy feeders
if the food is not easily accessible. Squirrels
can be held of by using Squirrel proof
feeders and providing
Squirrel feeders if you want them in your backyard.
Squirrel proof feeders work well for chipmunks
also.
Rats and Mice
provide a different problem. They eat feed that
has accumulated on the ground. The first line of
defense is removing the environment they like.
Keep debris cleaned up and keep area around feeders
cleaned of accumulated feed on the ground.
Trapping them in a havahart trap or using other types of
traps is an option. Using poisons must be done
with extreme care that the birds and other animals do
not have access to these. poisons should only be
used if Rats and Mice become to numerous for regular
control.
Deer will
do more damage to your landscape than to feeders.
This may make your yard less desirable to the
birds. Use plants and shrubs that deer don't like or fence in your yard or a
portion of your property.
Raccoons usually
are not a big problem unless you have a high population
in your area. The best defense against them is not
keeping feed out at night. Either put only enough
feed out that the birds will eat during the day or bring
in your feeders at night.
Insects will
invade your feeders, waterers and birdhouses. The
easiest way to control them is by keeping thing
clean. If your seed gets wet, clean the feeder
ASAP. Change water frequently. Mosquitos
will lay eggs in the water non stop. Clean and
disinfect birdhouses in the fall. It is a good
idea to put a cover over the entrance hole during the
winter. This will keep rodents from using it as a
winter home.
Birds can be
pests too! Two birds that are considered pests
throughout the US is the European House Sparrow and the
Starling. Blue Jays, Cackles and any birds that
visit your yard in large numbers can be considered
pests. Birds are very difficult to stop visiting
your yard. Some tips to help reduce their stay
are:
-
Stop
feeding during their migration through your
area.
-
Move
feeders to a new location.
-
Destroy
their nests before they can set eggs. This is
usually easily done. Starlings and House
Sparrows usually make nests in cavities and eves of
houses. Make sure if you put up birdhouses that
the entrances are small enough to keep starling from
nesting in them.
-
Feeders
with screens and smaller feeding holes with short or
no perching spots will keep larger birds like Cackles,
Crows and Blue Jays from feeding at the
birdfeeders.
-
Woodpeckers
can cause damage to trees, your home and can be
very noisy. We have never experienced any
of these but have been told of others who have.
There is no known control except make life unpleasant
for the Woodpecker and they may move on.
-
Hawks can
present a problem around the birdfeeders. They
look at the birds around the feeders as easy
pickings. Place your feeders and waterers in
areas that give birds a 360 degree escape area.
The feeders should also be near shrubs that the birds
can escape
into.