bird nesting issue!

rebelson

Active Member
Some small birds (finches?) are trying to build a nest in one of our 2 front porch lights. They can access the inside from down below openings.

This has been going on for like, a week. Each day, there is a mess on our front porch of twigs, sticks that they are dropping. Each day I am having to clear our the few twigs that they manage to get IN to the light.

This is a fire hazard, I use those lights many nights a week for when my hub works late.

Where we live is full of trees and other homes! Why so persistent to nest at ours?

We have acres of woods in our back yard. But, we also have a 'bird feeding station' in our back yard, that's always stocked with bird feed/sunflower seeds, where they likely eat daily. So, they must want to stay close to the food. Lol.

Anyone have any simple deterrents?

I guess I could cram paper towels up in the openings, but that's also a fire hazard.

Would just leaving the lights ON 24/7 until they give up, help? Or, would they not care about the heat emanating from the 5 small candelabra type bulbs?

Thanks!
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
Why don't you cover the hole with duct tape? If the hole needs to be open for ventilation you could poke or leave small holes. Maybe tape a wire mesh over it?

Leaving the light on might help. I'd try leaving it on several hours and then putting your own hand up there and see how hot it is.
 
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Jabberwockey

Well-Known Member
They have found a good, out of the wind spot to nest. If the bulbs are that small they are probably putting off just enough heat to make it toasty which is part of the reason they are trying to nest there. The mesh might work. You could also try draping a rubber snake on something nearby.
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
You could also try draping a rubber snake on something nearby.

Shoot - how could I forget the rubber snake? lol

Jabber and I had a sparrow that insisted it was going to nest right next to our front door. We finally laid a rubber snake (left over from my nifty Medusa Halloween costume) on the spot and she left it alone.

We have woodpecker problems and have found that dangly, spinny things scare them off. So you could try dangling something flashy and shiny from the light - a wind spinning thing - I can't remember the name for anything.
 

RN0441

100% better than I was but not at 100% yet
We have the same problem right now with the light next to our back slider! My husband keeps dismantling what is there and they keep coming back. I told him to stick a sponge up there or something. It's just on top of the very small light.

We had this happen many years ago at our old house. The nest wasn't as close as the one they are trying to make now but it was not fun to have them so close, mother bird flying out of nest each time we opened door and squawking at us.

The worst part was when our dog jumped up and killed the baby bird on what we believe was it's maiden voyage out of the nest!
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
The worst part was when our dog jumped up and killed the baby bird on what we believe was it's maiden voyage out of the nest!

Awww. Poor baby!

Duct Tape people! Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the world together.

It'll also cover holes that birds get into.
 

RN0441

100% better than I was but not at 100% yet
We don't have any holes though. It's just on top of the light. Kind of a balancing act for the nest and we have tons of trees too!
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
Finches aren't a desirable bird to have nesting. We also have problems with those and the wrens. You should go to Lowes or Home Depot and get a small bit of 1/4 inch construction mesh - like goes over the crawl space in the house - use some wire clippers and cut them just 1/2 an inch larger than the opening of the light. Then bend up the edges and insert them into the bottom of the fixture.

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I purposely have houses for bluebirds because they eat a ton of bugs, but they stay in the houses I put up for them, which include snake/squirrel guards as well as a metal clamp around the opening of the hole so that house finches can't get in and rob the nest.
 

rebelson

Active Member
When I typed this question there were only 2 sticks in the light, put there sometime overnight.

An hour later, they had created a full blown nest. For the past week, it's been one or 2 sticks in there a day, which I'd promptly remove.

So in that hour this morning, they ramped up their nest building!

I think mama bird's eggs are ready to pop, fall out & they didn't have anymore time to mess around! They got down to business.

And then hub removed the whole thing. [emoji17] I feel bad, but they need to go on over to the neighbors & stake out their lights. Ha.

I love the snake or wind spinner idea! I'm going to Walmart later today:).

Duct tape wld likely cause a sticky residue & then more work for me to remove that. I'm pretty anal retentive. [emoji23]
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
If you can do it tastefully given the location of the light...

Gluing tacks or nails on top pointing up usually helps, because they have to land there before they build.
 

rebelson

Active Member
I bought 2 rubber reptiles today to hang from the 2 porch lights.

But this morning I turned the lights "on" to see if that kept them out. As of tonight no more sticks or nest in there.

Will keep lights turned on through tmrw & see what happens. If this works, I will return the rubber reptiles to the store.

I appreciate all the ideas!

A few years back, a bird pair were successful, laid eggs in one light. We came out one morning to a dead baby on ground. It had fallen out of nest & I guess smacked down on to the porch cement. [emoji22] About a 7 ft. drop.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
I used plastic canvas - the kind for needlepoint/crafts - and wire twist ties to block similar holes in a light fixture a few years back. It was invisible from more than about 2 feet away and the birds never did figure out how to get through it. Total cost was under a dollar because I had the twist ties on hand.

The birds in my folks yard have never been fooled by rubber snakes. No clue why not, they just are no deterrent. Neither are the cats because they only go after the mockingbirds unless attacked first. They don't want to upset my father. I am serious about this - he tells them not to go after them and the cats don't. Of course they come in at whatever time he says, even if he changes it daily. He has had quite a number of odd cats.
 
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