Finding the Best Sparrow Repellent

If you tend to feed birds, you probably know already how daunting it feels at some point – how do you get rid of those sparrows? Is there a sparrow repellent out there? Every bird feeder gets there at some point or another. Sparrows can be cute when you first notice and feed them, but they are quite invasive. They can adapt to various environments, so they are all over the world now. Just like people, they have inhabited pretty much every place on the planet.

Furthermore, even if you do not mind feeding sparrows, you will soon realize that this heartwarming hobby can become a very expensive venture. There are so many birds out there that keeping everyone full will cost you a fortune. Where do they come from? You feed a couple of them and the next day you have a dozen birds hanging around. As if all these were not enough, sparrows are a bit aggressive and can even murder other small birds in a competition for food.

Now, is there a sparrow deterrent to avoid these invasive birds? The bad news is that there are so many of them that you will never get rid of the invasion. Even if they leave, some others will take over and so on – it is an ongoing cycle. The good news is you can control the invasion. This is the word – control. Learning how to keep sparrows away is not even that difficult if you follow every step in small details. Here is everything you need to do.

How to scare sparrows away – Get some reflective scare rods as bird repellent

A shiny thing will be a challenge for every bird out there. Their vision is sensitive and a reflective surface will blind and confuse them. They will see it as a threat, so they will keep away from it. There are more things you can get and while some of them do look kitschy, some others can be quite glamorous and will add to the beautiful appearance of your garden. Opt for some spiraling shiny things, as spirals do an even better job.

Refraction points will scare pretty much every bird out there and sparrows make no exception either. Not only will they avoid the area, but they will also avoid nesting nearby. Such spiraling rods work wonders when placed in direct sunlight, so they can reflect light in more directions. Besides, they should be left in the breeze, as a bit of wind will keep them moving around. Simply hang them on trees or your porch and let them loose.

If you have fed sparrows for too long, you will probably notice that some of them also have the courage to enter your home. If you always keep the windows open, make sure you have a few of these spirals by the windows as well. Invasive birds will no longer dare to fly in. The best part about these spiraling rods is the fact that they are low risk. If they do not get the job done, you can return them. Other than that, they are both handy against birds and useful for your garden appearance.

How to get rid of sparrows – Provide heavy amounts of cheap food

Now, getting rid of sparrows might be hard, but a good sparrow repellent idea implies buying heavy amounts of cheap food. You probably think about it – how does this idea work? In theory, more food will bring more birds over. The point is fairly simple to understand – sparrows love certain types of cheap food. You can buy plenty of it without spending a fortune. Feed them with this type of food and they will leave the expensive bird food alone.

Sparrows will empty your expensive bird feeders in no time once they spot it. What lots of people do not know is the fact that sparrows also love cracked corn. This is one of their favorite foods and it is extremely cheap. You can literally buy 50 pounds of it for nothing. Come up with a different feeding area for sparrows – about 50 feet away from the expensive bird feeders – and fill it up with cracked corn. Believe it or not, sparrows would rather have this cheap food than your expensive food.

Make sure you purchase this type of food by weight. It does not have to be from a reputable brand – you might as well find even cheaper options in local farms. The feeder for sparrows should be relatively large or you will have to refill it a few times a day. This strategy may seem a little sketchy, but it works wonders. Sparrows will no longer attack other birds and they will feed on super cheap food, while other birds can have the good one.

How to keep sparrows away from your house – Buy food a sparrow hates

This is one of the easiest ways to scare sparrows away and an excellent house sparrow repellent to prevent these invasive birds from eating your food. The idea is fairly simple to understand. Provide food that house sparrows dislike and they will no longer come there. In theory, it sounds great. However, doing it is a bit more difficult because invasive birds tend to eat pretty much anything you throw at them, with very few exceptions.

Striped sunflower seeds are great because they have thick husks and getting to the seed requires a bit of work. While some birds will not mind the challenge, sparrows hate it. Some sparrows may still show up for such food, but at least you will no longer see dozens of them. Other birds will like it though – grackles, grosbeaks or cardinals. Nyjer seeds are just as handy because sparrows hate them. Plus, you could get a tiny bird feeder with small holes that sparrows may struggle with. That makes them a great means of pest control.

Shelled peanuts and whole corn kernels are just as common. Blue jays will love these foods, but sparrows will avoid them because they are too big. Plus, the exterior is a bit too hard for them. Suet is also a good idea. Get a proper suet feeder though. It will not be big enough to support many sparrows. Plus, these birds hate clinging to the side in order to feed. Therefore, you will barely see a couple of them every now and then.

If you want to surprise sparrows with some bad foods, make sure you avoid cracked corn or millet. Sparrows find it impossible to resist them – they will fight each other for them. The same rule applies to sunflower chips, bread or black oil sunflower seeds. While other birds may like these birds too, forget about leaving them there. Sparrows will devour the whole stock in no time, so it is pointless to even try to help other birds.

How to scare off sparrows – Invest in stainless steel bird spikes

Sparrows tend to hang around tall places to see the surroundings, food and potential predators. Therefore, many of them will hang around the chimney or perhaps the fence. If you get annoyed by droppings everywhere, simply get some bird spikes. They come in more sizes and materials – most of them are based on polycarbonate and stainless steel. They are UV resistant, so they will maintain their integrity and colors overtime. Bird spikes are very effective bird deterrents.

These spikes are installed on strips – many of them come with small holes, so the installation is fairly simple. You may also have some glue for longer durability. Some of them are available in rolls – they could be wider than five inches and longer than a few feet. While quite sharp, these spikes will not hurt or kill sparrows, so they are humane. Instead, they will annoy and irritate them, as they have no room to land, making them fine bird repellents.

How to deter house sparrows – Get a balloon bird deterrent

The balloon sparrow repellent is the next level in terms of keeping sparrows away from your eyes. Such things come with eyes in bright colors. They will work on most birds because they look like aggressive predators. If you want to get rid of sparrows but keep other birds around, this idea may not necessarily work. Bright colors for the balloon are just as helpful – get something yellow or light green. Most packages include more than just one balloon, so you can install them in different places around the property.

Different balloons come with different features. If you want even better results, get something that will feature strips. These things flap in the air whenever there is a bit of wind. These things are usually weather-resistant, so they will handle heat and rain with no issues at all. They are cost-efficient and will not ruin your wallet.

How do you get rid of sparrows? Invest in scare tapes

Something shiny that also makes funny noises could be the best sparrow deterrent. There are a few options out there and they can work wonders without harming the wildlife. Such a tape can go in the main places that sparrows like – analyze the birds and identify their favorite perching spots. You can also tie the tape and leave one of the ends loose. It will move in the air whenever the weather is windy – the metallic sound will annoy sparrows more than anything else.

Unlike classic scare types, a metallic one is thicker and heavier. It can take harsh weather conditions and can easily last for a few good seasons without even requiring a major investment. You can install tapes anywhere – the parking area, your fruit bed or perhaps around air conditioning units and roofs. Some sparrows are quite intelligent – they have seen everything, so some flapping tapes will not really scare them.

There are some excellent bird scare tape products on the market. The most well-known of them all is probably De-Bird reflective scare tape. With over 4-stars in its review on Amazon by nearly 5.000 customers you can't go wrong. Britenway is the next competitor for De-Bird, also producing a strong, premium quality scare tape. Any of these diy products will be an excellent product for bird control around your house and garden

How to keep sparrows from nesting on your house – Prevention is key

Based on where you live, preventing these birds from nesting could be the best sparrow repellent, but also illegal – double check laws in your area. Sparrows thrive when they live close to people – no doubts about it. Do not give them any reasons to hang around and they will obviously leave. If you live in urban areas, other sparrows may take over rather sooner or later, but maintaining the same hostile environment will definitely help.

The general idea is to prevent sparrows from building nests. If it is legal, you can destroy nests as sparrows build them. Make sure you do not destroy active nests with chicks. If you find an active nest, let the chicks grow and fly out. You can destroy it after. If you see a sparrow building a nest and you keep destroying it before it is done, your actions will frustrate the bird and it will change the location.

Other than that, house sparrows like nesting in cavities and crevices around people. Observe potential nesting places in your yard – get on the roof and double-check everything. If you see some potential locations for nests, fill the gaps and ensure sparrows cannot get in there. Cover outside vents. Learn more about the species of sparrows living in your area and find out more about their nesting season. Ideally, you should maintain roofs and fill gaps outside the season, as destroying an active nest is inhumane.

What smell do sparrows hate?

The most natural way to deter birds from your property is using scents that sparrows hate. The smell of peppermint, cayenne pepper, garlic and vinegar is an excellent bird deterrent. Put some of these products in places where you want to keep birds out. You can also make your own natural homemade bird repellent by making a nice 'cocktail' of all products mentioned above. Sprinkle it next to your dogs feeder, balcony railing or any other place you choose and it will keep them at distance.

Getting rid of house sparrows – How about loving them?

If you live in urban areas, you should know that sparrows can adapt fairly fast. They eat anything and they reproduce quickly. Therefore, getting rid of them could be impossible. Your energy is limited and instead of using most of it on your hatred for these birds, how about accepting and appreciating them instead? It will simply make your life easier. Give them a chance and they are very likely to entertain you, but also to make you feel good as they feed on your work – they like cheap food, so it would not cost you a fortune.

Conclusion

Bottom line, deciding on the best sparrow repellent is entirely up to you. You do have some good options out there and each of them may work wonders in the long run. Give them a try or perhaps mix a few ideas together to experiment what works best. It will avoid you the cost of having to hire pest services for bird control.