Pests We Treat - House Sparrows Break in Bathroom in Farmingdale, NJ

Recently, I went on a service call for a new residential client in Farmingdale, NJ who contacted us to resolve an issue with birds inside their home. The client informed me that they have been hearing chirping, pecking and rustling sounds in their master bathroom very early in the morning. As I inspected the exterior of their home, I came across an exhaust fan that appeared to be damaged. I could tell by some of the marks all around the outside of the exhaust vent and the fact that two of the louvers are missing, that the homeowners have house sparrows. House sparrows prefer to live anywhere there are people because we create the perfect habitat for them. They are attracted to exhaust and dryer vent ducts to nest because they are private places to lay their eggs hidden from potential predators and they like the warm air that flows through them.  

The most effective method to safely remove the birds from the home is set up a custom one-way exclusion. A one-way exclusion allows the birds to safely exit the home and prevent them from getting access back into the house. I took a piece of hardware cloth and placed it over the exhaust vent. Then I cut a hole in it, attached a flap, and then weighed it down with washers. So the bird is able to push out and exit the vent and the door will close behind him. Which means that it can’t get back in. I’m going to schedule a follow-up with the homeowners to make sure that their home is bird-free. Once the birds have been evicted I’m going to cover the exhaust vent with a more permanent and durable cover.