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birds build nests
08/07/17
What made that bird decide to make her nests on your house? Why your house? Every spring, the birds come flocking in to dig in and build the nests they’ll use to raise their babies. You might be ok with that part, but with bird families come territorial mothers, loud noises at all hours, and, of course, the DROPPING problem. While the specifics vary by species, it’s easy enough to figure out what most birds are looking for in an ideal nesting spot. Look for places where you could be providing one or more of these four main checkmarks on the “best nesting community of 2017” list, and you’ll know why the birds love you so much. birds nest in inaccessible locations

Inaccessibility (for you, not them)

The most important thing birds need in a nesting location is safety. They want to lay their eggs and care for them in a place where opportunistic predators can’t harass them. Luckily for birds, they can fly. Most birds make their nests high up in the air simply because it’s tough for predators to reach them there. When you think of nests, you probably picture a cute little nest in the nook of a tree, but real birds aren’t as picky. Any nook, ledge, or cranny on your home could be a surface where a bird could build its nests. Look in window sills, gutters and downspouts, railings, slanted roofing, shingles, corners--really anywhere with enough space to cram some nesting material will do just fine. birds nest in concealed locations

Concealment

Birds have the flying advantage over most predators, but not all of them. Hawks, owls, and other flying predators will happily scoop up an egg or two for breakfast if they have the chance. If mom gets distracted caring for her kids, they’ll even eat her, too! To deal with flying predators, birds look for places where they can hide or at least partially cover their nests. There’s a reason the cliche of the nest in the nook is ubiquitous; a nook provides great cover in every direction but one. Birds look for high places in homes where they can nest. They’ve been known to build inside of plumbing ventilation shafts, chimneys, garages, damaged shingles, or gutters. The tighter and harder to spot a place is, the better protection it will give them and their vulnerable eggs. birds nest where they can get food

Food

Even nesting birds gotta eat. Their babies really gotta eat. They’re going to be retrieving food and bringing it back to the nest over and over again, so they really need that food to be close. Building a nest far away from food is like living an hour away from a grocery store, only birds don’t have refrigerators or delivery trucks. Also, every time they go out they might get eaten themselves. Obviously, early birds would love to get their beaks on some worms, but their diet isn’t restrictive. Nuts, berries, small insects, garden vegetables and fruit, and seeds are all prime bird food. If you have a tree in your yard, the seeds or nuts it drops would make it very attractive to a nesting bird or three. If you or your neighbors have bird feeders, well, that’s obvious.   birds nest where they can stay close to their young

Proximity

The most common misconception about birds is that they sleep in their nests. That’s often not the case. When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Nests are for babies. Picture a human baby in a crib. Now imagine that baby doesn’t have a diaper, and never leaves the crib. Would you want to sleep in that crib? Most mothers clean their nests frequently, but still… gross. Even if they don’t sleep with their babies, however, they spend a lot of time there, and they want to sleep near by. It’s the same principle as having your baby’s nursery next to your bedroom. A Bird can “roost”, or sleep, on basically any kind of perch. Sleeping birds are just as vulnerable as babies, though, so they want their perches to be sheltered and high in the air, just like their nests.   You don’t have to feel guilty about wanting to get rid of the winged squatter hanging around your home. Birds can be just as disruptive, ornery, and plain gross as any other wildlife pest. If you’ve got a bird problem, call Varment Guard today. We’ll safely and effectively take care of it before any of those birds even have a chance to ruin your day from above.

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