Birds can be a lovely addition to your back garden, unfortunately, these tiny feathered animals can cause damage to ventilation systems, automobiles, machines, roofs and many more. Both bird droppings, and the collection of materials used in bird nests, can be real problems as they can damage property and cause a host of physical problems. Thus many people look for solutions to keep birds away. Supposedly, one such solution is bleach, the question on your mind may be ‘can bleach keep birds away’ this article looks into it 

Bleach will not keep birds away, better bird deterrents include cats, realistic moving hawks, realistic moving snakes and realistic moving owls. In the wild, these animals are bird predators and if birds spot predators are in the area, they will stay away. 

Will bleach keep birds away?

Some claim that a solution of a tenth bleach and nine-tenths water will keep birds away. Unfortunately, this is a misconception and there are not many bird specialists who support this view. Bleach is an excellent disinfectant chemical but it won’t do much to deter birds. Stick to using bleach to clean rather than using it as a pest control tool.

There are other ways to keep birds away, these are more commonly accepted. You may use statutes of animals that prey on birds to scare them away. Birds fear cats, hawks, snakes, and owls among other animals. Placing a movable statute of these animals in your garden will keep birds away. Nonetheless, the birds may catch your bluff, so make sure you move the statute frequently. This can be done at night or early in the morning to avoid detection by birds.

Will ammonia keep birds away?

Many birds enthusiasts and specialists agree that ammonia keeps birds away. Ammonia smells like urine or rather, a place where urine has accumulated over time. That description itself is cringe-worthy and causes us to make a face in disgust. Birds will have a similar reaction to ammonia as its acidic smell is irritating to them. 

Will using bleach or ammonia to keep birds away affect my family?

For reasons discussed earlier, it is clear why ammonia will repel humans too. Apart from the smell, it may leave ugly blotches of dead plants or acidic soil in your garden. 

Meanwhile, bleach corrodes the skin leaving someone suffering pain in the area affected. It can also damage internal organs when consumed mistakenly. It is therefore not the best option to repel birds, because it will end up hurting people too. 

Will using bleach or ammonia to keep birds away affect my household pets?

Bleach is highly corrosive to the olfactory system of most animals, even those that may not have a keen sense of smell. It can cause them to have laboured breathing and fatal damage to their lungs. If mistakenly consumed, it will corrode the digestive tract and cause fatal damage to internal organs.

Ammonia is equally dangerous to pets and plants and it also has a repellent smell to animals. This is one reason why scent marks of an animal’s urine keep repelling other animals long after it sprays its urine on a territory boundary. 

With the above in mind, the use of bleach and ammonia is usually the last option in bird control, owing to the many ecological ill-effects of using them. They negatively affect other pets and always carry a caution on use on their label.

 

What can I spray to keep birds away?

The most widely used spray that keeps birds away is a mix of vinegar, water and, hot chillis. The advantage of this spray is that it is unlikely to leave a stain on most surfaces and is largely harmless to humans and other pets. It may cause minimal damage to plants but will still keep birds away. You may contact a bird specialist in your area to find out the best way to repel birds that frequent your area. They are more likely to give you specialized tips on how to do this ecologically.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, no, a solution of 10 percent bleach will not keep birds away but natural bird predators will. If you cannot get a living predator in your garden you can use realistic moving predators. You can also use ammonia to keep birds away, unfortunately, this chemical will deter humans too. It will also keep other household pets at bay as well. An effective spray to keep birds away will contain a mixture of water, vinegar and chilli peppers

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: How did a bird get into my house?, How do birds grow feathers?, Bird stuck in the chimney behind the gas fire, what to do, Why do birds fly in front of cars?