Carports are popular nesting areas for swallows and other birds.
Carports protect cars from the harshest elements, such as hail, heavy rain and falling tree limbs. However, because carports are open, they can also attract birds that roost and build nests on the inside of the carport. Most car owners do not want birds around their cars messing up the car with bird droppings, and creating a general nuisance. One way to discourage the birds from roosting inside your carport is to employ various bird scaring tactics to keep the pests away.
Instructions
1. Start with the most basic scare tactic. Place a rubber fake snake or owl somewhere on your carport. This should be enough to scare away the birds at first. Move the snake or owl around every two to three days. This should deter all but the bravest birds from roosting in your carport.
2. Fill some balloons with helium and tie them to a few places under your carport. The constant movement will make the birds nervous, and they will roost elsewhere. The more movement that the balloons make the better. If the balloons are shiny, then that will yield even better results. There are even some balloons sold specifically for scaring birds away.
3. Attach foil tape over the areas of the carport where birds usually sit. This reflective tape will scare birds away because they will see their own reflections. The tape also reflects the sunlight, which will cause birds to roost somewhere else.
4. Attach bird spikes to common roosting areas if all else fails. Bird spikes do not pierce the birds, because when the birds notice the spikes they will land somewhere else. This may not work as well in a carport, because the object that they decide to rest on might be your car. Along with other scare measures, however, bird spikes can be effective in a carport.
5. Attach bird netting over areas where birds commonly sit and make nests if you do not like the idea or appearance of bird spikes. This netting can be stapled to almost any material, and is very effective at making birds find other locations to rest.
