How to keep birds out of carport

Kunal Singh
June 5, 2022
6:55 am

Carports protect vehicles and other properties from harsh weather elements, including rain, hail, tree debris, and other specks of dirt. The open design of carports gives them some major advantages over closed garages, such as easy accessibility, easy installations, and low purchase and maintenance costs.

Along with these advantages comes the likelihood of birds building nests in the corners of your carport. As a car owner, birds shouldn’t nest in your carport because of the attendant risk of your car being messed up or damaged by bird activities in the carport. You must therefore find ways to discourage birds from nesting in your carport. This article discusses these methods, but first, what attracts birds to carports?

What Attracts Bird in Your Carport?

There are two main attractors for birds: food and a place to build their nests. The presence of either of these features will make birds hang around your carport. The longer the birds hang around, the more difficult it will be for you to take them out of the carport.

Birds looking to build a nest prefer top rafters in your carport because of the inaccessibility to predators, including humans and land animals. They strategically choose locations where the structural roof pieces are joined together, which provides a strong base for the nest.

Different Ways to Keep Birds Out of Carports

If you have been wondering how to get rid of birds in your carports, there are multiple means you can use to eliminate the presence of birds in your carport. These solutions can keep birds out of your open garage by removing food sources and protecting the safe corners of your carport where the birds love building nests.

Owners must remove bird nests already built in their carports. Deterring birds from your carport may also involve drastic steps, which are further discussed in this article:

Eliminate Food Supply

Carport owners should make efforts to keep their carport clean. You cannot always know what looks like food to a bird, but cleanliness can eliminate the existence of any item similar to food. Birds may go around looking for leaves and debris to bite on. As the fall season approaches, owners should prioritize sweeping through their carports more frequently.

Don’t drop food crumbs or litter in your carport, and always dispose of pet food appropriately to reduce the activity of birds in your location. Ultimately cleaning your carport regularly would make it unlikely for birds to seek food in your carport.

Install Bird Netting

Birds looking to build a nest will more likely target the carport’s structural members. The structural joints of the rafters provide perfect support for a bird’s nest. You can protect your rafters using bird netting and bird-control strips. The bird netting should span the entire length of a carport’s rafters to deter birds from nesting in your rafters.

Bird nets provide a physical barrier for the rafters, thereby limiting their access to the rafters. Bird nets should be available at the closest convenience store to you and are generally easy to install. If you are not used to home repair activities, you could employ the services of a contractor to attach the net to the struts.

Use Methyl Anthranilate

Methyl Anthranilate is food-grade pest control for birds. It is a derivative from grapes that is nontoxic and biodegradable. It is not harsh like most chemical pest control methods. Menthyl anthranilate gives a lovely grape smell to human surroundings and is available to purchase in convenience stores near you.

Applying a few sprays of menthyl anthranilate every few weeks will keep birds from your carport. After consistent use, birds will know not to come near your carport. Carport owners must note that the use of menthyl anthranilate does not give a permanent solution to the bird problem in your carport.

Show Them Reflection

Birds can be kept away by the effect of reflective surfaces such as mirrors and foil tape strips. It could serve as a decoy making the birds believe that the location is already occupied and they should look for a new location. For best results, mirrors and other reflective materials should be flat against the carport and scatter small mirrors scatter along the carport’s roof.

External reflective surfaces can also bounce light into the surrounding environment, causing new birds to fly away from your carport. Using reflective materials in a strategic location where birds may see them can permanently eliminate birds from your carport.

Several patents have explored using reflective surfaces to prevent birds from approaching carports and other buildings. You might be able to find such equipment at a convenience store or online. However, ensure you buy only devices with positive reviews from previous buyers.

Install A Fake Predator

Birds are consistent creatures; they keep coming back to the same place regardless of your efforts to keep them away. An effective way to solve their coming back is to strategically position a fake predator, such as a snake or predatory bird, where the birds can see it. Examples of predatory birds include owls and scarecrows.

A dummy snake and an artificial owl can help scare birds looking to build nests in your carport away. For effectiveness, it is advisable to occasionally switch up the fake predator so that birds don’t get used to a single predator. Installing constantly moving objects like balloons and inflatable objects can discourage birds from nesting in your carport.

Spray Non-Stick Cooking Spray

A domestic option for preventing birds is the non-stick cooking spray. With this material sprayed across the horizontal and vertical surfaces in your carport, you can prevent the nests from sticking on these surfaces.

Non-stick cooking sprays prevent mud and thistles, which sometimes blow in the surrounding, sticking on carport surfaces. This discourages birds from nesting in a carport. Owners are advised to reapply the non-stick cooking spray in the new spring seasons to prevent the presence of new birds in the carport.

Install Bird Spikes

Bird-control strips are commonly known as “porcupine wire” or “bird spikes,” They consist of thin metal spikes that protrude multi-directionally. By attaching this to the structural members of your carports, you can prevent birds from coming to your carport. Bird spike installations should be targeted on the top corners of the rafters, especially to avoid the continued presence of birds.

In case you are wondering, bird spikes do not hurt birds. Instead, it prevents them from building a bird nest in your carport because they won’t find a space to land. Birds quickly notice dangerous areas, which means if they can’t find a place to nest in your carport, they will stop coming eventually. Bird spikes are permanent solutions to birds visiting or nesting in your carport.

Conclusion

Keeping birds out of your carport can only be achieved by taking deliberate steps to clean out your carport and applying other preventive measures highlighted in this article. If the presence of birds is one of the reasons you were reconsidering buying a carport, that shouldn’t be a problem anymore. You can place a carport order today at Steel and Studs with our online purchase tools or call us today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do birds hate the most?

Birds generally hate sharp smells, reflective objects, and predators.

Does aluminum scare birds?

Birds are not scared of aluminum foils, but they generally don’t like them. The reflection of light on aluminum foils also discourages birds from coming to a location where they are.

How do you keep birds from pooping on your porch?

Birds can visit any porch, but porches with reflective surfaces such as CDs and mirrors can keep birds away. Also, the general cleanliness of your patio will keep birds away because of the lesser possibility of finding food there.

What is the best bird deterrent?

Fake predators such as scarecrows, coyotes, owls, and snakes are effective bird deterrents. Shiny objects are also great means of preventing birds from your structure.

Can birds nesting on the roof cause damage?

Existing bird nests may cause gutter damage to your roofs. This is caused by the clutter of gutters with the nest materials such as debris and thistles.

Will mothballs keep birds away?

Mothballs are ammonia, a chemical substance that repulses most bird species. Its smell is generally nauseating to birds.

Will a Fake owl keep birds away?

Fake owls can effectively drive large and small birds of prey away from your carports and homes.