7 Best Sparrow Repellent Remedies

Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:25 pm

End sparrow plague: the 7 best means of sparrow defense.

Annoying sparrow chirping from early morning to evening, sparrow droppings on the terrace and furniture on the balcony soiled with excrement.
If the culture successor sparrow nested once under the roof, many a homeowner is close to the madness.

Those concerned wish for nothing more than for the songbirds to finally disappear again and for peace to return.

But house sparrows (Passer domesticus) as sparrows are actually called, are sociable and social birds that live together in large associations and colonies and do not leave their ancestral territory so easily.

In this article you will learn how you can use simple means to gently repel sparrows.

Driving sparrows out of the property. That’s how it really works.

When do sparrows breed?

“Sparrows breed between March and August. There are usually two to three broods a year.
The female lays three to seven eggs and after 12 to 14 days the chicks hatch. Only less than 50 percent of the young birds survive the first year.” Source: European Wildlife Foundation

Important. Sparrows, like all wild animals, are protected and must not be killed or injured.

Sparrows must not be disturbed while breeding!

In the period from March to August, the breeding sites of sparrows must not be destroyed. It is also forbidden to play defenses on the breeding sites during the breeding season.

The legal requirements are intended to prevent the birds from being disturbed while breeding and the parents from leaving the nest. This would cause the sparrow offspring to starve.
Is it allowed to remove sparrow nests?
Sparrow nests may only be removed as part of construction work after the breeding season from September – February.

This requires a permit from the lower nature conservation authority of the city or municipality.

Sparrows are on the forewarning list for endangered bird species, so the authorities don’t take any jokes when it comes to infractions.

The nesting sites of building nesting birds e.g. swallow nests, jackdaw nests, house sparrows and swifts are protected all year round.

No unauthorized removal of the nest (all year round) is allowed.

Drive away sparrows: 7 means for sparrow defense.

The remedies presented in the following section can be used to repel sparrows.
The deterrent measures should be carried out in February, when the birds are in search of nesting sites and breeding grounds.

It is preferable to use several agents at the same time to increase the chance of effectiveness.

1. sparrow defense with optical means
   Sparrows are very skittish birds that can be scared off and deterred with optical reflections and light shows.

Reflective wind spirals
Wind chimes
Aluminum foil (cut into strips and hung up in the wind)
rattling windmills with reflecting wings
Hanging old CDs
Important. As the only measure, visual aids are not sufficient to deter sparrows.

It is important to know that the presented optical means for sparrow deterrence must be installed at regular intervals (every 5 days) at other locations to prevent a habituation effect of the sparrows.

2. bird dummies for sparrow defense
   Kestrels, sparrow hawks, tawny owls and owls prey on adult sparrows.

Ravens and magpies are dangerous for young birds.
You should take advantage of this in sparrow defense and hang dummies of these birds widely in the garden, property, on the house and near the roof. (these flying ravens* are available in a value pack).

Again, the locations of the dummy birds should be changed regularly.

3. animal dummies and pets to chase away sparrows.
   Cats and stone martens are dreaded hunters that prey on sparrows, often careless young birds become victims of the hunters.

Sparrows give a wide berth to areas where a cat makes its home and stone martens are active.

If you are lucky enough to have a very playful dog, a “hunting” dog can also be a deterrent to sparrows in the property and garden.

Squirrels are a latent danger to the nests of sparrows. If you can acquire dummies of these animals, you can post them near the sparrow nests.

Again, the location of the dummies should be changed regularly.

4. chase away sparrows with noises
   If sparrows appear near your house in January and February, they may be looking for nesting opportunities.

You should keep flushing the birds out with sounds to prevent them from nesting near your house or under your roof.

You can do this with a whistle or build your own bird flap.

If you want, you can also buy an acoustic bird repellent (which simulates the calls of birds of prey), for example the Blanko Birdchaser with motion detector*, which should solve the sparrow problem very quickly.

5. chase away sparrows with ultrasound
   Ultrasonic chasers send sound waves in the ultrasonic range, which are not audible to humans.

Sparrows and other bird species such as pigeons, magpies, etc. can perceive them. The birds feel disturbed and prefer to look for another place to settle.
Ultrasonic devices have now become established as bird deterrents and are very effective.

Important. The devices may only be used for preventive defense against sparrows.

Personally and from my own use in the garden, I can recommend the VOSS.sonic 1000 ultrasonic repeller*. The device changes the frequency ranges independently, so there is no habituation effect. TOP.

6. eliminate food sources
   Parallel to the defense measures, sparrows should be deprived of their food sources in the property.

This means:

clean tables after meals and sweep up the crumbs
no bird food in the bird house near the house
do not store animal feed, e.g. for chickens, openly in the property
protect berry bushes with nets
cover compost heap with a tarpaulin
do not leave pet food open for dogs and cats

7. make the plot unattractive for sparrows
   These measures should be taken in winter when sparrows are not breeding.

Cut back bushes so that breeding opportunities are reduced
Close and eliminate nesting opportunities under the roof
Plug up holes in wall niches
cut back trees
block old nesting sites
Eliminate watering holes in the garden

In order to drive away sparrows permanently, several defense measures should be applied at the same time, so that the animals do not nest near the house or under the roof.
In this regard, the defensive measures should always be carried out only in the months of September – February.

Therefore, to be precise, these are not defensive measures, but preventive measures.

In parallel, you should create sparrows breeding places away from the house, so that they do not nest under the roof, on the balcony or in niches. More about this later in the article.

What are sparrows useful for?

Sparrows use insects to raise their young, which can infest garden plants as pests. These include aphids, various types of caterpillars, mosquitoes, larvae and various species of flies.

In this way, sparrows can help reduce the need to apply chemical pesticides and help home and garden owners have a bountiful harvest in their home gardens.

Why are sparrows threatened with extinction?

Sparrows are not threatened with extinction, but they are subject to a negative population trend. The sparrow is on the forewarned list for endangered species.

There are fewer sparrows from year to year. The population has been reduced by 80% in some cases.

Reasons are an insufficient food supply in the cities, by less and less green spaces.

Another problem is that the cultural successor finds fewer and fewer nesting opportunities in cities. Smooth and sealed facades do not provide suitable nesting sites for the building-breeding sparrow.

If the downward trend continues like this, the sparrow could actually be threatened with extinction one day.

Do bird nets help to keep sparrows from breeding under the roof?

Bird netting can help to protect areas under or near the roof to prevent sparrows from settling there to breed.

It is imperative to make sure that the bird nets are extremely fine mesh so that no birds get tangled in them and subsequently die in agony.

The YHmall bird net narrow mesh* meets this requirement and also has a very good price-performance ratio.

What to do about sparrows under the roof?

Sparrows are niche and cavity breeders. They like to breed in roof gaps and under loose roof tiles.

Once the sparrows are there, there is nothing you can do, because the animals must not be driven away during the breeding season.

After the breeding season from September – February you should take a closer look at the nesting areas under the roof. You should think carefully about how to prevent the birds from nesting there again the following year.

For this you can close the roof spaces, put up precautionary bird dummies, optical defense measures (CDs”” hang up, bird protection tapes e.g. the LuluDa bird repellent bird tape* install and a bird scare with ultrasound* install.

It is best to combine these measures to scare the sparrows so that they do not nest under the roof again the following year.

Can sparrows transmit diseases?

Yes, sparrows can transmit diseases to humans. Sparrows are considered carriers of bacteria, such as salmonella or avian flu.

In addition, there are research findings that attribute a role to the house sparrow in the spread of West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis.

Nevertheless, one should not fall into panic. Those who follow common hygiene rules and wash their hands after contact with dead birds, for example, or after removing bird droppings are on the safe side.

What does a sparrow need to survive?

Contrary to popular belief, sparrows (sparrows) are not undemanding birds.

They need a variety of conditions to settle in one place.

Pools, garden pond, watering places for drinking and for the care of plumage.
Sandboxes (sand) or dry beds (dust) for plumage care
Safe breeding sites, which offer protection from natural enemies such as martens, cats, birds of prey
Rich food supply
If you want to keep sparrows away from the house or balcony permanently, you should deprive the animals of these conditions in the property or garden.

Noise pollution from sparrows: It’s a problem

The song of the house sparrow is probably familiar to everyone. The monotonous, loud “Chilp Chilp” can be heard from afar. But the song is only performed by male sparrows.

Much to the chagrin of house residents who have to endure this “concert” every day.

During the mating season, the noise level is particularly high, as the males try to attract the attention of the females with particularly loud calls.

Is it allowed to use poison wheat against sparrows?

No, you must not use poisonous wheat against sparrows in any case. It is strictly forbidden.

This method of killing dates back to the 1950s when sparrows were thought to cause serious damage to agriculture.

At that time, people actually blew up hedges at the edges of fields with dynamite to kill the animals. It was hard to believe.

Later investigations showed that this was not the case. The result, however, was that sparrow populations had greatly reduced and were slow to recover.

Therefore, under no circumstances should poison, poison bait, etc. be used to kill sparrows.

According to the Federal Nature Conservation Act, anyone who uses poison against animals can expect heavy fines or even imprisonment.

Does aluminum foil really help against sparrows?

Yes, aluminum foil can help against sparrows. The mirror surface creates an optical effect, which can blind and scare away the birds. Aluminum foil should be cut into thin strips.

Can sparrows be relocated?

It is not possible to relocate sparrows, but it is possible to make sparrows look for another, quieter nesting place.

These measures should be carried out at regular intervals to ensure permanent protection.

Do sparrows drive away other birds?

No, sparrows do not usually drive away other birds. The sparrow only defends the close vicinity of its nest or roost.

Occasionally, aggressive behavior towards other cavity-nesting birds such as great tits, nuthatches and titmice may occur.