How many times have you walked out to your garage to grab something or to get in your car and you are startled by a wild fluttering as a bird tries to frantically hide from you? Maybe you hear the fluttering and chirping, but don’t even see the bird itself, but you know you’ve got a little visitor. The first thing to remember is that birds are scared of us and want to hide or stay away from us, unless they think they are in danger. Then you might get to witness the bird trying to come after you and that’s always a fun experience.
In order to get a bird out of your garage, you need to first find its exact location and make sure that it has a clear unobstructed exit. Next, open the garage door and turn on a fan behind the bird’s location to encourage it to move toward the open garage door and not further into the garage. Use something like a broom to gently move objects to encourage the bird out of its location and toward the open door. If this doesn’t work, it is often helpful to leave the garage door open, turn off the fan, and leave the area to allow the bird a quiet and safe time to exit on its own. You’ll be surprised how fast this can work if you just give them some space to fly away after you have startled them.
Sometimes, however, a bird may have gotten itself stuck or simply has found a great hiding spot that makes it a little harder to get to and they are determined to hide out. In this case, you might have to get creative with your methods.
Other methods
Remove them by hand
This may not sound like the most fun way to remove a bird, but sometimes the bird is so scared that you are able to gently scoop them up and take them to a safe place to fly away. I have found that this is often the case with hummingbirds and they are grateful for the help. This can be a very cool experience, just be sure to handle them gently. It is a good idea to use a pair of gloves to protect yourself and the bird.
Use a bucket or basket
If you don’t want to pick the bird up by hand or are afraid you might hurt the bird, you can gently scoot them into a bucket or basket if they are willing to be still enough to tolerate this. Again, this often only happens when they are very frightened.
Preventing birds in your garage
Remove the nest
Often when I find a bird in my garage in the Spring, even if it’s only been a short time, I find that they have already begun to build a nest. I am always surprised at how quickly they work. I find the nests tucked into small spaces where they can burrow down and build a nest out of sight. When this happens, I remove all parts of the nest that they have started to build and discard them far away from the house. Doing this usually deters them from returning as they pick up human scent from the spot where they had been building a nest and will abandon their efforts. Once they start a nest, they become more insistent on returning even if the doors are only open a few moments, so it’s very important to remove the start of the nest quickly.
Place a bird repellent balloon
This method surprised me when I first heard about it as we were looking for a way to scare birds away from eating our newly laid grass seed in the yard. You can find inexpensive options like these bird repellent balloons with imitation eyes to scare off your bird intruders. They work quite well and take little effort to set up. These are more durable than using a regular latex balloon because they are able to withstand weather and temperature changes.
Hang bird blinders
Another effective and inexpensive option is to hang spiral bird repellent reflective rods inside your garage. These spiral rods produce strong reflections with even a small amount of light to scare off and deter birds from entering your garage. Even a light breeze makes these hanging rods spin and are even more effective, so it’s best to hang them closer to the door if possible.
Do not store open seed in the garage
Be sure not to entice the birds by keeping your bird seed or any other kind of seed open in the garage. It may be convenient to have open containers to scoop fresh seed for your bird feeders, but if they discover this treat in your garage, you will attract them in the wrong place! Not to mention this would encourage other unwanted pests and rodents as well.
Keep the garage doors closed
This one may seem obvious, but it’s easier said than done! If it’s a nice day or you are doing work in or around your garage, it is often convenient to leave the garage doors open. However, when you take a break or are going to be away from the garage for while, it’s best to keep the doors closed. Birds usually sneak in when things are quiet and no humans are around.
If you have the problem of birds getting into your garage, follow these methods to prevent them from flying into your garage and attempting to build nests, but if you find yourself with a new feathered friend anyway then try the ideas above to clear them out. Patience is always key and sometimes the best way is to give them some space after you have startled them just enough to let them know they need to make their way out.