How to Keep Birds off Porch: 26 Effective ways you should know

Birds are a beautiful addition to any garden, but sometimes they can become a nuisance, spread diseases and be quite destructive. Whether it’s because their droppings are darkening your porch or they’re pecking at the paint on your house, you may want to discourage birds from coming near your home.

If you love watching birds as much as we do, then lethal options for keeping birds away are an absolute no-no, which means we have to get creative in a way that suits our needs and keeps the birds coming back to other areas of our home that we are comfortable with.

You can try many different things to keep birds off your porch, and it may take some work to figure out which method works best for you and the types of birds that visit your area.

How To Keep Birds Off Porch and Patio

If you love watching birds in your backyard but loath having them poop on or destroy your porch or patio, then there are some easy and effective ways to keep them from doing so.

There are two main methods of keeping birds off your porch. The first is removing things that attract birds, and secondly, physically scaring or deterring birds from coming close to your patio.

Remove things that attract birds to your porch.

The first thing you will want to do before trying to deter the birds away is to first check around your porch and patio for any apparent reasons for birds visiting in the first place. If efficiently removing something attracting birds solves the problem, then there is no need to try all the different methods of scaring them away.

Remove Or Relocate Your Bird feeders.

Bird Feeders, by nature, are there to attract birds to feed, so having one close to your porch or patio may be the reason you have so many birds close to your home. Removing a bird feeder altogether will stop birds from feeding, hence drawing fewer birds close to your home, but if you love watching birds feed, the only option is to move the bird feeder further from the house to enjoy still watching your feathered friends.

Moving the feeder at least 25 feet from your porch or patio should be enough to keep birds away from the house.

Remove Standing Water or Bird Baths

Just like with your bird feeders, standing water or bird baths tend to attract birds. They enjoy taking a dip in the water to clean themselves and will often use your porch as a waiting area until a spot at the bath is available.

Another thing to consider with birdbaths and standing water is that they tend to attract insects, which in turn attract the insect-eating birds closer to your home.

Remove Overgrown Shrubs or Plants

Overgrown shrubs and plants tend to be the perfect habitat for insects and small critters. The more bugs you have occupying your porch area, the more insect-eating birds will visit. Dense vegetation is also an excellent place for birds to build a nest or roost for the night.

Simply pruning and tidying up the vegetation around your porch can be a great way to limit the number of birds hanging around to nest/roost or wait for an easy insect meal.

Scaring Birds Away

If you are at a point where your only option is to try and scare birds away from your porch, then there are four main methods to do so, all of which impact a bird’s senses.

These methods include Visual, Auditory, Tangible (Touch), and Scent deterrents.

Use Visual Deterrents to Keep Birds off Porch

When it comes to keeping birds away from your porch or patio, a quick and easy method is to use visual deterrents. You might even have some of these items already lying around your house.

Visual deterrents work in one of two ways – they either make an area look unappealing so a bird won’t want to enter it because they can sense danger (like Predator Decoys or Shiny Tape), or they make the area appear uninviting.

Reflective tape or foil

Reflective tape or foil, such as Mylar or holographic tape, can be hung in trees to scare birds away. You can hang stripes or string it out like a garland.

CDs

Old CDs can be hung from strings and tied to trees or propped up on stands near the porch. The reflection of sunlight off of them is a visual deterrent for birds that will keep them away.

Mirrors

A large mirror can be hung on the side of your porch that faces away from the house. Birds will see their reflection and stay away out of fear.

Pinwheel

A pinwheel can be attached to your porch with string or fishing line or staked into the ground. The moving parts of the wheel will scare birds away but will only be effective if a breeze is blowing.

If you decide to go with pinwheels, look to buy silver or highly reflective ones, so they still keep birds away with reflectiveness when there is no breeze. 

Twisting Spiral Rods

Twisting spiral rods can be placed in trees near your porch to keep birds away. These are not only visually deterrents for birds, but they also add a bit of whimsy and fun into the garden!

Predator Decoys

Predator Decoys can be hung or placed near your porch. Fake owls or Hawks are one of the most popular visual deterrents for birds because it looks natural and realistic and keep them away!

Decoys, you may want to try to include Owls, Hawks, and even Snakes.

ScareCrow

A scarecrow can be placed near your porch to help keep birds away. This is an actual visual deterrent that won’t harm the birds.

It is essential to vary the appearance of the scarecrow from time to time to keep the birds guessing.

Use Auditory Deterrents to Keep Birds Off Porch

Birds tend to be sensitive creatures. They can hear sounds that we cannot and have a highly developed sense of hearing when it comes to predators.

Using auditory deterrents is one of the most popular ways to keep birds away from your porch because there are so many different options you have available, but all with the same goal in mind.

Using a Motion Sensor with an Outdoor Radio

A motion sensor with an outdoor radio can be set up near your porch or patio. The sudden burst of noise from the speaker will scare birds away, but it also keeps them guessing as to when they might hear something again! This is great for keeping multiple types of pests off your property at the same time.

Wind Chimes

Wind chimes can be hung from trees near your porch to keep birds away. The sounds of the wind chime blowing in the breeze will deter birds because it upsets their sense of hearing.

Bells or Chimes

A bell or a chime, such as a singing bowl, can be rung outside frequently throughout the day to scare birds away.

Sonic Bird Repellent

Sonic bird repellents can be used to deter birds away by making loud noises. These are great because they can be placed anywhere outside without being an eyesore or obstacle for you!

Tin Cans

Tin cans can be suspended from tree branches to create a jingling noise that will scare birds away.

Deter Birds with Water

A motion-activated sprinkler can be placed on your porch or attached to a hose to scare birds away. The sound of the sudden spray will startle them and make them fly off quickly!

Use Tangible Deterrents to Keep Birds off Porch

Tangible deterrents can be used to keep birds off your porch. While they are not as common as other methods, they do work just as well!

Sticky Tape

A sticky tape called Sticky Sheets or Bird Blocking Tape can be attached to windows and screens of a porch to deter birds from landing. Sticky tape is very effective because birds do not like to land on it.

Tanglefoot

Tanglefoot is a sticky adhesive that will keep birds and other pests off of any surface. It can be painted onto surfaces around your porch or patio, making a sticky surface that is uncomfortable for any birds to sit or land on.

Tanglefoot usually comes in paint form but can also be found in tubes that are easy to apply. It’s also non-toxic to birds and people, so it shouldn’t harm the birds at all.

Netting

Mesh netting or other types of bird mesh work well when it comes to keeping birds off your porch because it physically prevents them from accessing the area at all.

Mesh netting needs a bit more upkeep than some other options since you have to check it regularly for holes, tears, and tangled birds.

While we have netting on this list as an option, we recommend it as a last resort because tangled birds that are not freed quickly may die.

Bird Spikes

Bird Spikes can be attached to any surface to deter birds from landing. While this method is not as common, it does work very well! Just make sure that the spikes are facing upwards so you do not hurt any small animals or children who may go near the porch.

Use Scent Deterrents to Keep Birds Off Porch

Scent deterrents help with keeping birds off your porch by simply making the area an uncomfortable place to be. This is because most birds have a powerful sense of smell, especially when looking for food! Some scents that work great as a bird repellent include organic essential oils, garlic, cayenne pepper, and citrus.

Cayenne Pepper

If you sprinkle cayenne pepper around the area of your porch, it can keep any pets or small animals from going near the area as well as deterring birds. Make sure that children cannot get into contact with this, though, as it could irritate their eyes and skin.

Citrus

Citrus oils, Citrus peels, or juice are excellent bird repellents that can be sprinkled around your porch area to keep birds from coming near. The strong citrus smell will deter them from coming back!

Mint, Lavender, and Rosemary

Another excellent bird repellent is Organic Essential Oils. Mint, Lavender, Rosemary, and other strongly scented herbs can also be used as a way to keep birds away. These are great because they smell good, too!

Mothballs

Old mothballs can be placed in a bag and hung from tree branches near your porch to scare birds away. The strong scent of the mothball will deter them while not being an eyesore for you!

Coffee Grounds

Old coffee grounds can be sprinkled around the area you don’t want birds landing on. These are strong scent deterrents that will make them think twice about returning for another visit.

Garlic

Garlic can be spread around your porch or hung in bags to keep birds away. The strong scent of garlic will deter them from coming back!

How To Keep Birds Off Your Porch

Although there are many ways to keep birds away, some methods work better than others, depending on the area you want to protect.

If you don’t mind spending money and time, sonic bird repellents can be set up around your entire yard; however, they may not be as effective for keeping all types of birds out. If that’s a concern, then you may want to try other methods such as decoys, hanging up netting, or using strongly scented oils.

If you’re looking for something free and effective, then peppermint essential oil is the way to go! It is not only a great smelling scent, but it also comes from natural ingredients and is safe for the environment!

Using a combination of a few different techniques is one way to make sure you can keep birds off your porch. With all these great options, there is something for everyone!

No matter which method you choose to deter birds away, keep in mind that some may come back no matter what. However, if they return, then simply try another method until they eventually stop coming around altogether!