Bird Proof Outdoor Lights

From String Lights To Porch Lights...Keep Birds OFF!

By Richard Worden

What could be more annoying than stepping outside at night to enjoy fresh air only to find one of your outdoor lights damaged again? All you can do is heave a sigh because you know exactly who the culprits are — birds! Well, maybe it’s time you finally stop this recurring issue and bird proof your outdoor lights

You can bird proof outdoor lights with the help of predator decoys, ultrasonic bird repellents, and aluminum foil. Ensure your yard is free from nesting materials that lure birds into making a home on your property.  Consider letting your pets loose once in a while to scare away the birds.

This article will discuss various ways to prevent birds from nesting in or perching on your outdoor lights—without harming the gorgeous little creatures.  We will also discuss the main reasons why birds love your outdoor lights. Let’s start!

How To Keep Birds off Outdoor Lights

Keeping birds off outdoor lights has become a mission for many homeowners because birds have gained a reputation for being messy guests. They inflict damage on furniture, awnings, and light fixtures. They scatter droppings as they go about their business. Once dried up, their poop hardens and leaves stains on surfaces that are extremely difficult to remove. 

If you’re one of those looking for strategic ways to bird proof outdoor lights, here are some tips to consider:

Use Decoy Predators

Station decoy predators in strategic spots around your yard, such as the Bird-X Prowler Fake Owl (available on Amazon.com). This decoy mimics the hunting flight pattern and the scary eyes of an owl—and chases away those pesky birds. 

Go for realistic designs, particularly those of natural bird predators. These will make birds feel that your yard is unsafe and riddled with danger. Wild bird predators include:

Make sure to regularly move your predator decoys around your yard to give birds the impression that these menacing creatures have claimed the area as their territory. If you fail to do so, birds will eventually realize that these are merely inanimate objects posing no threat whatsoever to them. 

• Bats
• Cats
• Snakes
• Squirrels
• Foxes
• Hawks
• Eagles
• Falcons
• Owls
  
  

Turn to Real Predators for Help

What better way to scare away pesky birds than by employing the help of their adversaries? Incidentally, your pets are the perfect candidates for the job! Dogs or cats roaming your property will undoubtedly scare away your feathered friends.

The birds and your pets may soon grow accustomed to each other’s presence, especially if they’re frequently exposed. Cats and dogs may lose their scare factor on the birds and might even end up as buddies. 

This strategy may only be effective within the first few weeks, so when you start noticing that birds are starting to hang out around your home again, think of other ways to up your game. 

Annoy the Birds With Sound

Consider installing a high-frequency ultrasonic bird repellent such as FDkene Solar Repellant (available on Amazon.com) on your property. The product is solar-powered and waterproof and incorporates flashing lights as an extra bird deterrent to bird proof outdoor lights.

These devices emit sounds that humans cannot detect and are highly irritating to birds. They can’t stand the piercing noise and will want to get as far away from it as possible.

What’s great about these devices is they work on other unwanted furry guests, such as skunks, squirrels, or deer. You’ll be hitting two birds with one stone — you’ll drive away pesky birds from your outdoor lights and eliminate pests from your garden. 

The damper is that the annoying, high-frequency noise may be detected by nearby animals, including your pets, so you may want to reconsider, especially if you let your pets freely roam around your yard.

How To Keep Birds off Porch Lights

Porch lights provide the ideal support for birds’ nests and offer adequate heat for eggs. Providing shelter for a family of birds may seem like a benevolent gesture, but if you have birds nesting in your porch lights, you can look forward to always having to clean up after them.

Your feathered visitors tend to strew feathers, twigs, bark strips, dried leaves, and other nest materials across your porch day in and day out. Bird poop will undoubtedly adorn your porch floor. 

If you’re in such a predicament, here are some tips on how you can keep birds off your porch lights:

Get Rid of Nest Materials

Aside from the shade and shelter your porch offers, another possible reason why birds love hanging out there is the availability of nesting materials. Birds gather items usually found in gardens, such as dried leaves, grass, and twigs, for building their nests.

Look around your porch. You have identified the birds' objectives if you see them littered with these ideal nesting materials.

Make it a habit to regularly tidy up your porch, ensuring that none of these nesting materials are strewn about or piling up in corners. Not finding any materials for their nests will discourage birds from frequenting your porch and eventually deciding to build their nest there.

Block Smooth Surfaces With a Prickly Object

Birds typically look for smooth, flat surfaces to build their nests. Block off these conducive spots in your porch lights by placing coarse, prickly objects on them, such as cactus spurs or barbed wires. 

Bird spikes (from Amazon) are also effective and reliable since they can be attached to any surface. They do not harm birds at all because the ends are blunt. They are ideal for small birds because the spikes prevent them from perching on the surface—let alone start making nests.

Hang Wind Chimes

Wind chimes are great for deterring birds. The random tinkling sounds they make take birds entirely by surprise. If constantly spooked, birds will dismiss your porch as an unsafe zone and will begin exploring other areas instead. 

Moreover, wind chimes have reflective, shiny pipes typically made of aluminum. These work well in scaring birds away, making them think that potentially hostile birds have already claimed the area as their own.

How To Keep Birds off Outdoor String Lights

Like most people, you probably installed string lights in your yard to beautify the area, not to provide pretty perches for playful birds. 

Sadly, birds seem to believe the latter, and, like in most yards with string lights, these winged creatures adorn your yard in the early mornings and afternoons. They’re a pretty sight, but the mess they leave behind and the damage they cause make you think about tearing those lights down.

Before you give up on string lights altogether, consider employing some of these tactics to keep your unruly feathered friends at bay:

Hang Predator Decoys

Scare those naughty birds away by hanging predator decoys on your string lights. Opt for realistic-looking ones large enough to pass off as the real deal. Hang them at different points along your string lights, but make sure to alter their positions regularly so that birds wanting to perch on your lights won’t get used to their presence.

Predators decoys (link to Amazon) equipped with bells are ingenious solutions since the random tinkling sounds provide an added scare factor.

Hang Reflective Materials

Turn to good ol’ aluminum foil to help bird-proof your outdoor string lights. Cut them into strips and hang them in random spots along your string lights. The reflective surface will make birds think that other creatures have already occupied the area, making them move away in search of safer zones. 

According to some experts—Birds also dislike the feel of aluminum foil on their feet, so hanging them on your outdoor lights is a simple but clever trick.

Why Birds Love Your Outdoor Lights

Some people invite birds to their yards because they are fascinating creatures to observe, with all their flitting and fluttering about. Their chirping and twittering are easy on the ear, especially on days you’d like to enjoy nature and the outdoors. 

Even so, everyone knows birds can be a nuisance. They can inflict considerable damage on your property with their incessant pecking. They build nests in little nooks and crannies. Your outdoor lights are often their favorite nest locations.

Birds love your porch lights, particularly those with housings, because they provide warmth and shelter, especially for those caring for their young. Birds also like perching on string lights since these provide great resting spots and vantage points. All in all, outdoor lights attract our feathered friends because they provide rest and recreation.

Bird Proof Outdoor Lights...Conclusion

Birds may be amusing to observe and listen to but also cause a stir in your yard. They tend to be destructive and messy, making them practically unwanted guests for most people. There are many ways to bird proof outdoor lights, but the most effective tactics prey on their hypersensitivity, twitchiness, and predisposition to get spooked easily.

Back To The TOP Of This Bird Proof Outdoor Lights Page

---

---

---

1. We Know Birds HOME
›
2. How To Scare Away Birds From Your House Or Garden
›
3. Bird Proof Outdoor Lights

Hi! I'm Richard Worden, the author and founder of We Know Birds.

Over 20 years ago I developed a keen interest in birds and birdwatching, and it has been my passion ever since. I am committed to spreading useful knowledge about birds to others so we might all enjoy them to the fullest.

Read More...

We Know Birds is an Amazon Associate. As an Amazon Associate we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.