(ARA) – Homeowners may not have the pest bird problems that plagued Tippi Hedren in Alfred Hitchcock’s unforgettable thriller “The Birds,” but pest birds can still ruin your day.

Pest birds cost homeowners millions of dollars annually. The high concentration of uric acid found in some bird droppings can discolor paint, stain wood, and erode metal. It can ruin fencing, patios, metal or cloth awnings and patio furniture. Then there’s the health risk of bacteria, fungi and parasites that live and grow in bird droppings. Imagine these droppings in and around your pool, spa or grill. Bird droppings have been known to carry and transmit any of 60 known diseases. The fleas, mites and ticks in some birds can also carry disease.

Fortunately, there are a number of effective and humane bird deterrents to help keep pest birds away from your property. These bird control products are safe, easy to install and relatively economical. Bird proofing your home can save you time and money.

Perhaps the most popular bird deterrent is your basic bird spike. Perfect for roofs, awnings and patio covers, they are ideal for keeping large birds like pigeons and seagulls off of surfaces. Gutter spikes come in various sizes and will keep pest pigeons and larger birds from landing, roosting and nesting in your roof gutters.

For blanket coverage over large areas, bird netting creates an impenetrable barrier over plants, bushes, fruit trees, crops, vineyards, under eaves and other structures. There are also lightweight plastic mesh nets available for temporary applications. You can get netting in various mesh sizes to deter any bird species.

Another type of bird netting is copper mesh cloth. It comes in rolls and can be easily stuffed into openings, or packed tightly into cracks or holes to let air in but keep pest birds out.

To safely relocate pest birds from your property, consider using humane live traps. Constructed of sturdy galvanized wire, these traps feature funnel doors that allow a bird to walk in, but not out. An easy-access door on top facilitates simple removal or release of pest birds.

To discourage birds from landing under the eaves of your home or to keep swallows from building their mud nests, try Bird Slope. The slippery PVC panels are easy to install and create a barrier for nest building. They’re ideal for ledges, eaves, beams and other 90-degree areas where birds tend to nest. Bird slope creates a “slippery slope” that birds cannot land on.

Bird spiders use movement to help keep pest birds off air conditioning units, rooftops, awnings, chimney caps, and that covered boat you have sitting in front of the garage. Similar products, like the Solar Bird Repeller, run on energy efficient solar cells.

For those who like high-tech approach, there are a several bird scare products that use sound to keep pest birds at bay. They’re ideal for backyards, garden areas, pools, patios, gazebos, rooftops and other open spaces where pest birds are a nuisance. Some supersonic systems play distress and predator calls for up to 22 types of birds. Outdoor sound deterrents are meant for large areas and can cover between one and five acres.

For more information on humane ways to keep pest birds away from your home, visit AbsoluteBirdControl.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Songbird Essential's Seed Hoop catches 90 percent of spilled seed to keep feeding areas tidy.

(ARA) – The backyard can seem barren and bleak when the leaves fall off the trees and the last blooming plant retires until spring. But there’s an easy way to brighten your backyard and fill it with color and song this winter – charm songbirds looking for an easy, reliable food source.

Birds are the most accessible and abundant of wild creatures that live among us, and every home – apartment to estate – can offer them a safe way station to refuel. To attract the greatest number of birds, choose feeders and foods that suit a variety of wild bird species.

Don’t wait until the snow flies to get feeders in place. Fall is a good time to choose a location visible from your favorite window, to secure feeders with sturdy brackets, poles or hangers and to arrange convenient storage for your seed and supplies.

New birdwatchers may be bewildered by the huge assortment of feeders available today. A good place to start shopping is a Web site like www.SongbirdEssentials.com, which can direct you to a nearby retailer or online source.

Feeders come in many sizes and styles, and fall into a few broad categories. The three feeders every backyard bird lover should have include a tube feeder to hold sunflower or nut meats, a hopper feeder for mixed seed and a suet holder to attract woodpeckers and other tree trunk “clingers.”

Tube feeders can be made of clear plastic or wire mesh. They’re sized to hold peanut kernels, sunflower or nyger seed for finches. Experts recommend filling tubes with just one type of seed so birds don’t rummage through the contents in search of their favorite treats. Songbird Essential’s Seed Hoop is a unique and useful accessory to keep feeding areas tidy. The mesh tray attaches below feeders and catches 90 percent of spilled seed, keeping it off the ground and away from rodents. The hoop also serves as a platform feeder for cardinals, buntings and juncos.

Spiral Feeders offer three worthwhile innovations: a continuous spiral perch that allows more birds to feed at once, a locking lid to foil squirrels and a twist-off bottom for easy cleaning. A squirrel-proof wire mesh model is ideal for shelled sunflower or peanut hearts. Another Songbird Essentials feeder innovation is their “Clingers Only” feeder to primarily serve smaller avian guests like chickadees, small woodpeckers, titmice, nuthatches, goldfinches and others.

Suet is a high-energy fuel that helps birds survive cold winters. Tail Prop Suet Feeders attract the larger red-bellied and red-headed woodpeckers with support for their stiff tails, as well as the smaller and more common downy woodpeckers and nuthatches. Pre-formed suet cakes sized to fit feeders can include seeds, fruit or nuts for extra energy and appeal.

Position feeders near the protective cover of trees and shrubs to offer feathered friends shelter from predators. A small metal trash can with a tight lid is handy for storing seed nearby and a scoop makes refills quick and easy.

Once feeders are up, the wait for the first bird can make even patient people antsy. Experts suggest sprinkling some seed in a shiny pie plate set under feeders. When curious birds come to investigate, they’ll find your feeders, too.

For more information on feeders and other bird necessities visit www.songbirdessentials.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Winter provides a unique opportunity to attract various wildlife to your yard while lending the chance to be a small but integral contributor to the local food cycle.

The winter view from your home does not need to be bleak. As you move indoors for the season, the time is right to either place or reposition backyard or porch bird feeders within an easy sight line of windows to provide comfortable inside viewing of birding activity. Providing more than one type of feeder at differing heights will invite a greater variety of birds. For example, a raised feeder, five to 15 feet above the ground, will attract evening grosbeaks and finches, while feeders closer to the ground tend to draw doves and sparrows.

Whatever the season, however, always remember to consider the ever-present competition from the local squirrel population for the food you put out. Descending chain feeders are a more ready squirrel deterrent than poled platform feeders. Regardless of the feeder you use, you can often retro-fit a variety of squirrel guards to your feeder to tilt the food competition toward your small flying friends.

Once you have positioned your feeders for easy viewing from the inside, then comes the all-important enticement of food. Not unlike us, different foods attract different types of birds. And higher quality foods lend even more reason for feathered visitors to make your feeders part of their daily stops.

When considering what type of foods to put out, try to stay away from common generic mixes. Lower-priced mixes are often not a bargain, as they contain various fillers, like red milo, which almost all birds discard. Buying higher-quality seed mixes or individual seeds that end up being a complete food to birds are the best value. Sunflowers are a universally popular choice. They attract cardinals, woodpeckers, blue jays, goldfinches, purple finches, chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches. Black sunflowers are a particular treat for birds, as the oilier shell is easier to crack and they are also usually cheaper than the traditional gray and white striped sunflowers we most often recognize.

The use of safflower seed will further differentiate your visitors as this small white seed attracts chickadees, downy woodpeckers, cardinals and titmice, while repelling grackles, blue jays and starlings who often keep smaller birds away from feeders. Another excellent individual seed is niger or thistle. While this seed is a bit more expensive, it provides a high-energy meal full of oil and calories. Thistle is often the meal of choice for finches, one of the most colorful of birds to observe. If you don’t want to mess with putting out individual seeds, the best option is to simply buy a good premium blend of wild bird seed. Premium blends contain quality ingredients and are an appealing food source.

“Providing high-energy bird food is more critical in the winter, when natural food supplies are not as accessible, and no food is better suited to high-energy winter feeding than quality suet,” says Tony Vahedian, vice president of ScottsMiracleGro’s wild bird food division. Suet is a high-fat food that is readily affordable in various size cakes and easily inserted in matching wire-mesh feeders to keep larger tree animals out. Scotts Songbird Selections suet, available in February 2008, is an example of a new high-quality suet bird food. You can be sure to see colorful woodpeckers and blue jays visiting your suet feeders.

Finally, if you like to attend to your feeders daily, remember to sprinkle affordable white millet along the ground and you’ll be sure to spot snacking mourning doves, sparrows and juncos.

Winter doesn’t have to be a dreary, bleak landscape outside our windows. This year, provide some winter entertainment by making your yard like that little cabin in the woods — an enticing stopover spot for the nourishment of our feathered backyard friends.

For more information on bird feeding, visit www.scotts.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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With a much more limited food supply available during the winter, you can be sure to attract birds to your backyard when you put out seeds and treats. 43 per cent of Canadians feed the birds at some point during the year, but you may be surprised to learn that more than half of those households feed all year long.

“Bird feeding is a great pastime to share with children and helps to give them an appreciation of nature and the outdoors at a time when most of us are focused indoors,” says Kathy Russell, bird food expert at Scotts Canada. “It’s easy, affordable and a rewarding way to add natural beauty to your winter garden.”

Look for the Morning Song line of ready to hang treats and seed blocks, including:

. Ready to use Seed Bell

. Woodpecker Snack

. Bird Watchers’ Blend

. Snack & Feeder Combo

. Bar and Basket Combo

. Goldfinch Thistle Sock and Super Sock

. Suets including Year-Round, Woodpecker, Nutty Safari, Berry and Raisin Crunch

The website www.morningsong.com provides bird feeding tips and interactive games to help teach children about birds.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

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City life leaves little room for nature but this can be adverted when landscaping by including bushes, shrubs, trees and flowers to the mix.  The foliage from trees and bushes can entice birds to stick around as they can be camouflaged and protected from the cold and wind.  You may even be lucky enough to have baby visitors if the birds make their nests in the garden.  Many people create landscaping plans full of bushes and trees that are designed to attract birds in particular.  The sounds of the birds singing can be pleasant as can teaching any young visitors about the various occupants and allowing them to help feed the flying visitors to the garden.  Landscaping bushes to attract birds is not a new idea but is increasingly popular in urban areas where there might not be many opportunities to experience nature so closely.

Landscaping Bushes for All Seasons

One of the greatest things about landscaping bushes is the ability to provide a year long display.  Evergreen trees and bushes can prevent the garden from looking plain and bare while still providing protection for the local birds.  Landscaping a variety of bushes with a specific plan in mind can guarantee that there is always some color in the garden.  Ensuring that a wide selection of bushes is included in the landscaping plans makes certain the event of a flowering or thriving bush in every season.

There is no need to neglect one’s garden during the winter or in particularly bad weather.  A four season landscaping plan is ideal for those who wish to have a living garden all year long.  By including evergreen bushes, there is certainly no need to stare at a dull, bare garden all winter long.  Rhododendrons and Azalia bushes are perfect flowering evergreen bushes for any garden.

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Homeowners can do their part by creating a sanctuary for birds in their own back yards. By landscaping especially for our feathered friends, you can make a little bit of the world feel like home for birds.

Food is probably the most important factor to consider. When landscaping for birds, it’s beneficial to have multiple sources of food. Feeding stations are guaranteed to attract birds to your yard. One way to satisfy birds’ appetites is by providing feeders in your yard filled with clean, wholesome seeds and real fruits and nuts. Premium products, such as Wild Delight’s Nut N’ Berry, contain foods like pistachios, peanuts, cranberries and raisins and are a great choice for your feeders.

If you’re worried about the leftover mess that can occasionally occur with feeders, try using a zero-waste bird food such as Wild Delight’s Deck, Porch N’ Patio to keep your outdoor living area clean. Don’t have a bird feeder? Use a concave rock to place seed on. It creates a natural-looking feeding stop for lots of birds such as jays and tanagers.

Besides feeders, trees, plants and flowers all provide sources of food for birds to eat. Trees like mulberries, birches and maples not only provide seeds and fruits, but also attract and support a lot of insects that birds such as bluebirds like to snack on. Flowers such as sunflowers offer seeds that most birds love, while red bee balms and impatiens are some of the flowers that supply nectar for birds such as the hummingbird. Natural vegetation provides a number of food sources for your backyard buddies, but it’s still a good idea to have multiple feeders as a guaranteed-to-be-in-stock food source.

Birds need to eat, but they also need water. Not only do water features add beauty to your yard, they serve a number of uses for your feathered friends and attract hard-to-get birds like warblers. Since birds have acute hearing, they can hear a drop or ripple in the water from a great distance away. Sprinklers, drippers, misters and hoses will all have birds collecting in your yard.

Remember, to ensure that the water features in your yard are safe for bathing and drinking; keep the water shallow. Birds feel safer in shallow water. It allows them to fly off quickly in the presence of danger. Use water features with rough surfaces rather than smooth ones in order to ensure secure footing for the birds. They won’t go for a dip if they don’t feel safe.

While food and water are essential to think about when landscaping for birds, shelter is just as crucial. It provides protection from weather and enemies, and offers a safe place to nest. Feeders and water features near shelter attract more birds because they serve as a safety outlet if an enemy should approach or bad weather closes in.

As a means of shelter, trees are one of the most important features to have in your yard. Not only do they provide food, but they offer an abundance of places for birds to nest and find shelter. Vines and shrubs like English ivy, honeysuckle and trumpet creeper provide dense growth, offering birds a great nesting area. It’s also an excellent idea to put up birdhouses or nest boxes to attract birds such as chickadees and woodpeckers. One thing to remember: be diverse. Planting a lot of different trees, bushes, shrubs and hedges will attract a wider variety of birds and offer more options for shelter and nesting sites.

Landscaping may not have always been intended for birds, but now it can be. Put up feeders, plant vegetation, add water features and let your yard get a little wild. Put out the welcome mat to your feathered friends and let them know that in your yard, landscaping is definitely for the birds.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Hummingbird feeders are one popular way to attract these tiny birds. You can stake a cane-shaped pole in the middle of your garden to hold a feeder, or just hang the feeder from a tree branch. But the most fun way is to select flowers that the hummers naturally enjoy. That delights the birds and adds color to your garden.

You have many choices, though there are some limitations depending on your zone. One excellent option is a Red Columbine, which will thrive in zones 2-8. Their color adds to your garden and they bloom early, making them a perfect attractant for those hummers returning after the end of Winter.

Delphiniums are another great choice. Hardy from zones 2 through 9, they can grow up to five feet tall, making them perfect for the rear of a garden near the house. You’ll have a great view, without being too close to these nervous little girls and the flowers come in a variety of colors. You can’t go wrong!

Hummers and butterflies can easily occupy the same space. To attract the latter you can plant a verbena bush, or hang a fuchsia depending on whether you have sun or shade. Butterfly bushes, appropriately named, are another popular choice useful especially for attracting swallowtails.

Marigolds make for great butterfly nectar-producing flowers and their lovely color adds a bright splash to your design. Sunflowers are another favorite and you can use the seeds to feed other birds or even squirrels.

Which flower you choose will be influenced also by which butterfly species you want to attract, but they will still need to be native to your area. Monarchs like Rabbitbrush and Canada Thistle, Swallowtails like Geraniums and Lilacs. Queen butterflies are very fond of daisies. Gray Hairstreak is favored by many different species.

Take care if you want to keep your plants attractive to butterflies. Many common insecticides will do more than just kill bugs that eat the leaves, they’ll make them toxic to butterflies as well.

You may also find there are common wildflowers that butterflies like, such as Dandelions. They have an attractive flower for both human and butterfly, but they tend to get out of control, as the flowers change into seed balls that are blown by the wind. Also, some weeds (certain kinds of milkweed and thistles) are great butterfly food, but they can be invasive and some areas require they be plucked regularly.

It’s easy to add a dynamic look to your garden by bringing it even more alive. Add some flowers to feed the hummingbirds and butterflies. They’ll give you hours of viewing pleasure.

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Birdfeeders are old staples for those who wish to see birds in their yards. When using feeders, they should be placed conveniently, and they should also be large enough to hold two to three days’ worth of food. Placing birdfeeders in various parts of the yard can help attract more birds into your landscape. However, the birdfeeders should serve as supplements to the various plants in your yard that provide food and shelter to encourage birds to think of your yard as home.

The first thing to remember when designing a landscape to attract birds is that your design should provide shelter to protect birds from the elements or from predators. Evergreens are great in this role, as they often provide plenty of space for a bird to crawl into, but they are very difficult for predators to penetrate. Additionally, they can be thick enough to provide adequate and desirable shelter. Evergreen trees and bushes, moreover, look nice with just about any home, and they are fairly hardy and easy to take care of. Other plants that provide good shelter to birds include other woody plants. Features like decks and birdhouses also provide nice places for birds to shelter.

The next thing that should be done is to provide plants that offer a consistent food supply. These plantings should offer a great deal of food, and produce enough food to meet the birds’ needs, with the help of birdfeeders. Additionally, there should be a variety of plants that offer seeds and fruits at various times so that the food supply lasts for an extended period of time. Holly plants (if you use blue holly, you will need both a blue boy and a blue girl in order for there to be any berries), crabapple trees, sunflowers, and other plants that produce berries and seed are excellent choices. Many of these plants are very attractive and can be made to look good in any design, besides being a source of food for winged creatures.

Another landscape principle to keep in mind while selecting plants that attract birds is to select plants that attract insects. Most scented flowers attract insects, and this means that your yard will attract birds that eat insects. Not only are there many beautiful flowers, like the gumbo-limbo and roses, that attract insects, but these also in turn smell very nice. You can have a fragrant yard, as well as one that is really for the birds. Among your choices for insect-attracting flowers, choose some that bloom during the spring migrations. Then you will be sure to get birds on their way through town, headed north.

Finally, there are landscape features that are not plant-related. These features, other than birdfeeders and birdhouses, can also mean the difference between a yard bursting with birdsong and one that is depressingly quiet. These features are water features. Birds like to have places where they can bathe and drink. There is no need for a big water feature; a small birdbath or basin is often more than sufficient. Birds do prefer moving water, so small features that circulate water, or even water in gently sloping basins or troughs can be very attractive to birds.

It does not need to cost a lot of extra money to attract birds to your landscape. There are plenty of discount stores that offer acceptable birdhouses, feeders, and water features at low costs. Additionally, if you buy seeds or starts, you can get your plants for less. Birds do not require anything really special. For the most, part you just need to keep them in mind if you want them part of your landscape. Much of the time attractive plants and features that you would likely have purchased anyway can be incorporated to make your landscape more pleasing to the ear.

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Benefits Associated with Attracting Birds to Your Landscape

There are fond memories to be had from finding a bird’s nest in the yard, observing it, and perhaps even watching the eggs hatch. Additionally, the sounds of birds chirping in the morning can provide a great natural alarm clock. There are many pleasing benefits associated with birds in the landscape, and with careful planning, it is possible to attract birds to the landscape, providing you with many obvious benefits, and with some that may not seem so easy to see. Attracting birds with trees that provide shelter, offering food through feeders and through certain plants, and by make the landscape an altogether inviting place, is a fairly easy thing to do, and with a little planning, you can reap all the benefits that grow out of actively inviting birds to be a part of your landscape.

Increased wildlife population. Biodiversity has been shown to be a very important part of our ecology. By inviting bird populations into your yard, you are encouraging this necessary part of our ecosystem. If you have a good landscaping plan to attract birds, you are likely to double the number of birds on your property.

Soil conservation. Landscape plants that birds like, such as trees, shrubs, and some flowers, actually help retain soil. Additionally, when birds cause some fruits to fall to the ground, they provide organic sources of compost and mulch. These things help reduce soil erosion and increase the number of nutrients in the soil.

Energy conservation. Conserving energy results directly in savings in the pocketbook. When you conserve energy with well thought out landscaping, you will save money in costs to heat and cool your home. Birds are attracted to large trees, and so if you carefully plan where to place trees like large evergreens and hardwoods, you can provide shelter for the birds and keep your home better protected from the elements.

Birdwatching. Birding is fast becoming one of the more popular hobbies in the United States. This is because it can be very relaxing to watch birds. Additionally, it can be a lot of fun to identify species and check off the species you see in the yard. Birdwatching also makes a great family activity. You can spend quality time with your family, while teaching your children to appreciate and enjoy nature. Some birdwatchers report a count of over 190 different species visiting their yards.

Wildlife photography. This is another great hobby that allows people time to enjoy nature. Studies have been done that prove the efficacy of nature in helping mental health and helping people for connected and a better sense of self. There is no need for professional equipment. Most of the fun is just snapping pictures. Then a scrapbook can be made of bird pictures, and this can result in a great sense of accomplishment.

Natural insect control. Insects can be somewhat annoying, and birds eat insects. By designing a landscape that attracts birds, you will find that they come and quite often eat the insects that plague your enjoyment in your yard. Without resorting to possibly harmful pesticides, you can control the insect populations in your yard.

Increased property value. Your carefully designed landscape provides more than just value for birds and intrinsic value for you. Property values go up when attractive landscaping is present. When you have an attractive home, it is worth more in hard cash. This means that carefully chosen plants can not only enhance your enjoyment of a home by attracting birds, but can cause an increase in the amount of money you can expect to get when you decide to sell.

Child development. Having a natural-looking habitat that attracts birds can also attract children. It makes an interesting place for children to play. Plus, it can help them develop a lifelong love of nature, conservation, and wildlife. This betters the world for the future and is part of helping your children become a more rounded people who enjoy doing more than just sitting in front of the TV or computer.

Natural beauty. Last but not least – birds are a part of the natural habitat. This means that when you create a natural landscape design that attracts birds, you are enjoying a more natural state. As mentioned before, many studies find a correlation to feelings of wellbeing and exposure to nature. You can improve your quality of life by creating a nature-filled landscape that includes birds.

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