The best place to buy Bird Spikes is Here. Most people will just decide to buy them when they figure out that they will probably spend more money making them in the cost of materials than if they were to have just purchased a some bird spikes.  Having said that, for very small areas like window ledges or the tops of air conditioners, it is very simple to make your own spikes and use them instead of buying some.

If you still want to make some of them yourself, here is a simple way to do it.

You can make yourself some homemade bird spikes using strips of wood and some nails. Although you can use any scrap pieces of 2 X 4 sitting around, if you want them to be lightweight and easy to put in place, it is best to use a thinner piece of wood.  If you can find a 1 X 4, or even a 2 X 2 strip, that would work pretty well.  Cut your wood using a saw to the length needed to cover the area that you need to keep birds away from.

Once you have your wood, the next thing you need are nails.  Try to get the thinnest nails that you can find.  Since nails can be costly, and you will be using quite a few of them, find ones that aren't too expensive.  Make sure they are at least 2 inches long, so the birds will see them and not land on them.

To make the actual bird spikes, all you need to do is hammer in the nails in three strips.  The first strip is going to be right down the middle of the wood.  Space them about an inch or so apart.  The other two rows of nails are going to go on either side, and you want to nail them in at an angle.  You want the nails to be sticking out at a 45 degree angle.  If you are confused, look at the picture on the left of the bird spikes, and you should get a good idea of how it should look.  If you have access to a nail gun, the nailing process will be a lot faster, but most people don't have one of these.  You should get a good arm workout doing this job!

Once you have your strip, you need to set it in place.  You pretty much have two choices for fastening it to the area you want it:  Screw or nail it down, or glue it.  If you are putting it on a wooden railing, you can either screw or nail it down pretty easily to fasten it.  A couple screws on either end and in the middle should do the trick.  If you are putting it on concrete or metal, you will need to glue it down.  Any good industrial-strength glue that is made to bond to cement or metal should work.

The first thing that you will need to do is find out where they tend to hang out the most.  The reason is because there are a few different methods to go about getting rid of seagulls, and each one works best under the right circumstances.

Keeping Seagulls off a Small Area

If the area you are trying to protect is very small, such as a railing, windowsill, or chimney top, you can try using bird spikes.  They are designed to keep birds from landing on them, making it uncomfortable to rest.  Even though they have a brutal sounding name, they are in fact harmless to birds.  You can get plastic bird spikes, or ones made from stainless steel, and they come in long strips of 8 to 10 feet.  One thing to know about using bird spikes is that they work great for locations birds perch on, but they won't do much good in larger areas if birds are invading your entire balcony, porch, boat, or other location.

Keeping Seagulls off a Larger Area

If you want to really get rid of seagulls from an area, the best thing to do is get an electronic bird repeller.  These devices are made to scare off seagulls and many other types of birds using distress calls from actual birds.  There are bird repellers that aren't too expensive and will work for a smaller space, and there are others that are built for keeping birds away from a large area up to 3 acres in size.  This is probably going to be your best choice if you have a bad seagull problem, since they will usually find alternative spots to sit if you install bird spikes or other simple deterrents like that.   You can buy this Electronic Bird Repeller Here directly from the manufacturer.

While many people seem to focus on cheap and simple solutions to their bird problems, they certainly don't work everywhere.  While inexpensive plastic bird spikes, owl decoys, and reflective ribbon may work well for certain well-defined locations, they don't do much at all to keep pigeons and other birds away from larger areas like rooftops, backyards, and parking lots.  If you need a more comprehensive bird control solution for an area, you really need to consider getting an electronic bird repeller.

How does an Electronic Bird Repeller Work?

Many people have never heard of these gadgets, but they have been in use for years now.  They are small, electronic devices with a speaker attached.  At regular time intervals throughout the day or night, the unit plays pre-recorded sounds of birds that are in distreess.  The reason why they work is because any bird that hears it instinctively knows that danger is nearby.  Birds have natural mechanisms for alerting each other of threatening situations, and these sounds are recorded from real animals so they sound real to the birds.

Do Electronic Bird Repellers Work for Different Types of Birds?

The manufacturers of this device know that people have problems with different types of birds, and not just pigeons.  For this reason, the repellers allow you to adjust the setting to the type of bird that you are trying to keep away.  If you were trying to get rid of pigeons for example, simply turn the knob to the pigeon setting, and it will work for them.  While the repeller will work for all sorts of birds, the main ones that usually cause problems are specifically included with their unique distress calls.  Here are the most common problem birds:  pigeons, crows, starlings, sparrows, and seagulls.  Keep in mind that there are certain bird repellers that specifically target some problem birds, designed for situations where one type of bird is causing big problems. You can get them for woodpeckers and geese.

What Kind of Bird Repeller is Best?

The type of electronic bird repeller that you need will depend on the situation you are in.  For most households and businesses, the Bird Xpeller Pro is probably going to be your best choice.  It is a single unit, meant to keep pigeons and other birds away from an area up to an acre in size, so it is pretty powerful.  If you need a solution for a larger area than that, they are available as well.

Get the BirdXPeller Pro Here directly from the manufacturer, Bird-X.

There is really no need to get too upset though, since there are some really good woodpecker deterrents that are meant to keep them away from your house and in the trees where they belong.  Of course, creative people have been coming up with their own home-made devices to keep woodpeckers and other birds at bay for years, and some work, but others don't.  Screaming and throwing sticks at woodpeckers might work once or twice, but they aren't really a good long term solution.  Here are some of the best ways that people have found to keep woodpeckers away.

Scary Eyes Balloons
One of the most common ways of woodpecker control is to scare them off using an inflatable balloon.  These balloons might look pretty silly to humans, but they actually do the trick for birds.  They are about 2 feet around, and with scary looking round bird eyes on them, birds think they are a formidable predator.  If you are going to use them, it would probably be a good idea to get a few of them so you can protect all sides of your house.  Manufacturers usually recommend hanging them from a tree limb or other location near where the birds are causing a problem. See the Terror Eyes Balloon Here.

Highly Reflective Ribbon
Another method of woodpecker deterrent that seems to work pretty well is to hang reflective ribbon in areas where you want to keep them away.  This might work for certain defined spots, such as a tree or in the garage.  For keeping woodpeckers from drilling holes in the side of your house, you can try tacking one strand of the ribbon loosely around the area where they are going.  Bird repellent ribbon works because it moves around in the wind and the sun reflects off the ribbon, scaring and irritating birds. Find the Bird Repeller Ribbon Here

Electronic Bird Repellers
If you really want to get serious about keeping the woodpeckers out, what you need is an electronic bird repeller.  A company called BirdX makes one specifically suited for woodpeckers.  It is a comprehensive solution to the problem, covering a large area around your house and beyond.  The way it works is that it plays pre-recorded woodpecker distress calls.  When woodpeckers hear it, they instantly know that the area is not safe and fly somewhere else.  The Woodpecker Pro is made to run continuously for years without any maintenance. You can Buy the Woodpecker Pro Bird Repellent and other Bird Control Products Directly from the Manufacturer Here.

Another thing to know is that you really don't need to call a pigeon exterminator at all.
There are some really good products available that you can buy and install yourself, thus saving you the costly fees that a professional would charge for coming to your house.  Having said that, some people still choose to leave it to a pro because of the convenience.

Here are the main products you can use to get rid of pigeons, otherwise referred to by some as exterminating pigeons:

Bird Spikes: If you are having a problem in a small, well defined area that the pigeons are landing on, an easy solution is to use bird spikes.  They work best on railings and other locations that they perch on, and come in both plastic or stainless steel varieties.  Plastic bird spikes are not as visible as the metal kind.  You can Buy Bird Spikes Here.

Owl Decoys: If the pigeons are all over an area, and you want to scare them away, a great method is to use an owl decoy.  There are some great decoys available that even hoot and turn their heads when they sense motion, and since owls are a natural predator of pigeons, they certainly choose to stay away.

Bird Netting: If you really want a comprehensive answer to keeping birds away, bird netting is a good choice.  Although not the best thing for your balcony view, it will keep all birds out.  This is also great for gardens, which is sold as fruit netting.

Bird Repellent Gel: A quick and easy solution to many bird problems, apply this sticky bird repellent gel to any surface you don't want the birds to land on, and they will quickly learn not to anymore.  Just don't touch it, as it makes a sticky mess on your skin or clothes!

You can Find a Complete Line of Bird-X Bird Control Products Here.

Bird repellant gel comes in a tube, and is applied the same way many caulks or adhesives are:  You put it in what is called a caulk gun (available for $6 at any hardware store in the world), cut the top off, and then squeeze the trigger to apply a bead of this gel on the area that you want to keep the birds from landing.

The stuff works because it is is really sticky and gooey, something that birds definitely don't want to be standing in for very long.  They might land on it once or twice, but they they will learn pretty fast that they are better off just choosing another location to take a rest.  According the manufacturers of this repellent, it lasts for about a year before you need to re-apply it to the spot.

One thing that you should be aware of is that this deterrent gel stays sticky all the time.  This means that while it may deter birds, it attracts other things, namely dirt.  If you put it on a white fence post, you might find that it looks dirty pretty fast, and you won't be able to clean it since this gooey mess will be all over it!

Another thing to know is that you most likely don't want to apply it to any area where a human might touch sometimes.  An example of this is the balcony railing, which is a prime spot for birds to land.  While you might know better, a guest can easily put his or her arms on the railing and get a rude surprise.  Even worse, it might get all over someone's clothes if they lean against it.  For this reason, bird spikes might be a better option for the balcony or any other area that you will touch.  For out of sight locations though, it should be just fine.

The inexpensive price of this bird repellent gel is what attracts many buyers.  Available from a few companies, it costs between $5 and $10 per tube, depending on the brand and how many of them you buy at once.

Like other bird deterrents, fruit nets are designed to go over your entire tree, preventing birds and other flying critters from getting at your fruit.  While not 100% effective, it will sure help a lot.  You see, the birds will still be able to land on the tree, sitting on top of the net.  They will see the sweet cherries or other fruit and want to eat it, but they will only be able to snack on whatever they can pick through the holes in the net.  Yes, some of your fruit will have a few bites taken out of it, but that is certainly preferable to the entire crop.

If you want to use bird netting for fruit trees, the best thing to do is measure how big of an area you will need, and then buy a net accordingly.  Most of these fruit nets come in dimensions of either 14 feet by 14 feet or 28 feet by 28 feet.  There are others as well, and you can buy a few of the smaller ones and use them together if you want.  The best thing to do is wrap your bird net around the tree, covering the fruit, and then use plastic ties or wire to hold the net firmly in place so it doesn't blow away or unravel in the wind.

Another location that fruit netting works great in is gardens.  You might not know it, but birds will eat lots of things in your garden.  Most people know that they love to snack on tomatoes, strawberries, and other sweet things, but they also like some vegetables as well.  In fact, it is not uncommon for birds to go through the rows of your freshly planted garden eating all of the little shoots that just sprouted, before they even get a chance to grow.  Since you don't want this to happen, getting fruit netting is an inexpensive way to prevent this from happening.

One of the best ways to do it is to make a little cage around the area you want to protect.  It doesn't need to be big enough for you to walk in, just a foot high or so is fine.  Use bamboo stakes or any other kind, and wrap the bird netting around it, making a little cage.  This works great for both maturing fruits like berries, or for freshly planted rows.  Once the vegetables have grown a bit, you can usually remove the net.  Fruit cage netting is the same as any other net, but you just use stakes or fence posts with it.

Of course, the downside to this is that pigeons usually aren't very scared of humans at all, and many people have to get right up next to them in order to scare them away. Fortunately, there are a few good products that you can get that make getting rid of pigeons a lot easier. If you have pigeons or other birds on your balcony, window sill, or anywhere else around your house, here are a few of the best ways to scare them away.

Bird Spikes

The first way to get rid of pigeons doesn't actually scare them much as just annoy them and prevent them from landing in the first place. You can get some bird spikes and glue or tie them down to any area that the pigeons are landing on, such as your balcony railing. You can get them in either plastic or stainless steel versions, and they will almost surely do the trick to get rid of pigeons on balcony railings. While many people have success with these plastic bird spikes, others find that the birds just find somewhere else to sit, like on top of the air conditioner, on the table, or even on the balcony floor itself. These situations call for other bird deterrent methods like the following:

Owl Decoy

The next thing you can try for getting rid of pigeons is to use an owl decoy. You can get some really great looking owl decoys these days that are almost certain to scare pigeons and other birds away. The best ones to use are battery powered, and have a motion sensor built right into the fake owl that makes it hoot whenever it senses something nearby. The electronic owl decoys are only slightly more expensive than the ones that don't move and make noise, so you might as well get one of them. The good thing about them is that for an area the size of a balcony, it actually works out cheaper to get a decoy owl than to use bird spikes, and you have the advantage of keeping them off everything, not just the railing. You can also get one that looks like a hawk, which should work fine as well.

Bird Netting

Finally, if you have tried everything else and still bird problems, you can go with a more comprehensive solution. Unlike scaring or deterring the pigeons, using a bird net will be 100% effective if you install it correctly. For an area like a balcony, you can get bird netting that is big enough to cover the entire opening. Once it is fastened on the top and bottom, pigeons and other birds definitely won't get through. The downside to using bird nets is that you can see them.

Electronic Bird Repeller

Sometimes, you just need to get something more powerful than bird spikes or nets.  You need something that is going to really keep the pigeons and other birds away.  If you are in need of a product that will work for a large area and many, many birds, look no further than an Electronic Bird Repeller.  These devices emit real bird warning calls that work amazingly well at scaring off birds.  You can set them to work for lots of different types of birds, including pigeons, seagulls, crows, starlings, and others.  The best way is to see it in action.

Take a look for yourself at how an electronic bird repeller scares pigeons away.

For those who don't know what it is, owl decoys are basically man-made owls that look so real that they trick other animals.  They work well because many different animals are naturally afraid of owls, since they are such a formidable predator.  Owl decoys work for scaring away lots of different types of animals.  Birds like pigeons, starlings, sparrows, and others prefer to keep their distance from owls.  Likewise, other small animals like mice, rats, chipmunks, squirrels, and other little creatures are all very much afraid of them.

There are a few different types of decoy owls that you can get.  The basic one is just your standard fake owl that looks alarmingly real.  This type may work well, but in my opinion, you are better off spending just a little bit more money for one that will really do the trick.  The best decoys actually move and make lifelike noises, which really helps a lot.  The reason is because birds and other animals will quickly realize that your decoy is not real if it just sits there without ever moving day after day.

Get yourself an electronic garden owl and the head will turn when its built-in motion sensor detects any movement.  In addition to moving, the owl will start to hoot just like the real thing, which should be more than enough to scare any little critters into flying or scurrying away.

As far as locations for putting the owl go, it all depends on your situation and the area around your house where you are having the problem.  Many people have found great success at solving their pigeon problems by putting a decoy owl on their balcony.  The ones that make noise and move usually get the best reviews, and the good thing is that once you use the owl to effectively get pigeons off your balcony or other spot, they tend to remember and keep away indefinitely.

Other people use owl decoys to keep birds and rodents away from their garden and fruit trees.  Small birds can quickly do a lot of damage to your garden and fruit, so putting one of these in a strategic location is a good idea.  It helps to put it pretty close to the spot you are trying to protect, since the motion detector won't work as well far away.

Click Here to See the Full Selection of Owl Decoys

Before we get into how to keep the pigeons off the balcony, it helps to know a little bit about why they want to be there.  Pigeons, like other birds thrive in places where humans are – towns and cities.  The reason is because there is lots of easy food around and very few predators.  Although they could easily nest in a tree if they wanted to, the truth is that  it is much more convenient and safe for them to camp out on your balcony or windowsill.

The problem with this is that they are also pests.  They annoy people with their non-stop cooing in the wee hours of the morning and during the day.  What's worse, they poop all over the place, turning your nice balcony into a disgusting mess.  Fortunately, there are some easy ways to keep them at bay.

The first thing that you want to do is to make sure they can't land on the railing or ledge.  Pigeons will land on either a flat ledge or a thin railing, and you need to prevent this.  The easiest way to do it is to simply get yourself some bird spikes.  These are long, thin strips that you glue or tie onto the railing.  For a thin metal railing, you can either glue or tie them on.  For a thick cement railing, you will most likely need to glue them down.  They work because thin spikes stick out of the strip, which makes it impossible for the rascally birds to land on.

As far as the type of spikes you get, from a functional point of view, it doesn't really matter.  Both plastic or metal bird spikes will do the same job of deterring the pigeons and other birds from landing.  The difference is in how they look.  The plastic spikes are meant to have low visibility, which means you won't notice them as much.  The stainless steel spikes will reflect light and be visible to everyone.

Of course, the plastic bird spikes will only work for keeping the pigeons off the ledge or railing.  Once in a while if people aren't present for a long time pigeons will decide to set up a nest on the balcony floor itself.  This is actually a worse problem, since you will wind up with an even bigger mess.  If birds are landing on the floor of your balcony, or on any other furniture you have there, your best bet is to get yourself some bird netting.  You can get a low-visibility bird net that will wrap around your entire balcony.  Although this isn't the best thing when you want to use your balcony, but you can set them up so that the net is easier to take on and off.