Blackbirds

Entry

Are blackbirds known to enter homes or yards?
Though they rarely roost inside homes, blackbirds will absolutely take up residence on lawns, parks, golf courses, and the like. Blackbirds are omnivorous and eat a variety of seeds, grains, and insects. They commonly forage for ripening corn, sunflowers, citrus fruits, rice, beetles, and earworms. As such, farmlands and lawns with gardens make especially favorable nesting sites.

Damage

Do blackbirds harm people or property?
While their presence can be beneficial since they eat a number of damage-causing insects, blackbird populations are mostly harmful to agricultural crops. As they often feed in large flocks, blackbirds are capable of devastating entire fields of corn, rice, and other crop plants. Additionally, they leave behind collections of droppings, which may contain harmful bacteria.

Control and Safety

Though no single solution is entirely effective, exclusion methods can be used in conjunction with one another to reduce the possibility of blackbird feeding and roosting. Covering fields of crops or gardens with mesh netting is perhaps the most efficient way to deter blackbird feeding. Though time consuming, scare tactics, like the use of frequent loud bangs or reflective tapes, also have favorable results.

Trapping and Removal

Various species of blackbirds become aggressive when they feel their nests are in danger. Red-winged blackbirds, for example, will attack horses and even people they feel threaten their territory. As such, individuals should not attempt to approach populations of blackbirds. Instead, contact our Critter Control technicians who have the tools and training to remove the birds in the safest way possible.

We can help you get rid of blackbird problems.  Call Critter Control of Cape Cod today: 508.690.0076