You’ve just discovered that the chirping you heard at half past five is not, in fact, a new alarm clock that no one warned you about. The birds are back, again, and much like the last few times they showed up, you want them out. You may hear them in between the walls or find a way to your attic. Even more than that, you’re wondering how on earth they managed to get here in the first place. Here are three reasons you might be dealing with a bird infestation more often than the average homeowner.
Just Venting
Wall vents and roof vents, while entirely necessary, are another way birds can easily get in. Even though a wall vent—usually meant as an exhaust vent for an appliance—might not lead a bird directly into your house, it can still easily be clogged by a nesting one if the cover isn’t bird proof. If your dryer seems to be working, but randomly stops heating a dead bird is a common culprit. They find a way into the warm unit from outside and make little nests inside where it’s usually cooler or warmer than the weather outside. Roof vents are meant to help attic airflow and will allow a bird direct access to your attic, if not eventually the inside of your house itself. Certain types of exhaust vent covers are bird proof, or can be made bird proof, and stainless steel screens can help protect your roof vents.
The Not-So-Santa Clause
They won’t bring you any presents, but some birds will come right down the chimney. If that’s the case, you might have a soot-covered creature flapping all over the place. Some architecture designs also have styles that allow for bird entry, like old fashioned skylights with gaps between metal plates and pieces of glass. Metal screens are your friends here too. A chimney cap will keep birds out while also protecting your chimney from the elements, and wire mesh can help add a layer of protection to the outside of things like skylights without blocking ventilation.
A Hole in Your Defenses
Unexpected house damage and unaligned areas provide excellent entry points for birds of any feather. Get a ladder out and check for needed roof repair, or gaps between bricks and soffits. What might seem like a negligible amount of space to you is plenty of room for a bird to cram itself through. Soffit gaps won’t let a bird into the house itself, but a hole in the roof can lead to a bird in the attic. It’s important to keep roof gaps patched up, and check your soffit regularly.
Birds don’t just come in through open windows and unclosed doors. While it’s easy to keep an eye on your screens and patch those up as necessary, it’s important to be aware of all the ways your feathered friends might be sneaking themselves and their nests in.
