Birds in Your Home
While most birds are welcome visitors to your yard, they become a significant nuisance when they nest inside your home's vents, soffits, gable openings, and attic spaces. In the Raleigh-Triangle area, the most common bird intruders are European starlings, house sparrows, and chimney swifts. Bird nests in vents are a fire hazard, and accumulated bird droppings create health risks and property damage.
Bird in Dryer Vent or Bathroom Vent
Birds nesting in dryer vents and bathroom exhaust vents is one of the most common calls we receive. The warm air exiting these vents attracts birds looking for nesting sites, and they'll build nests of twigs, grass, and debris deep inside the ductwork. A blocked dryer vent is a serious fire hazard — lint buildup behind a bird nest creates extremely flammable conditions.
Signs of a bird in your vent include scratching or chirping sounds from the vent, debris visible at the vent opening, reduced airflow from your dryer or bathroom fan, and birds repeatedly seen entering or exiting the vent cover.
Bird Exclusion
After removing birds and nesting material, we install animal-proof vent covers that allow airflow while preventing birds from re-entering. These professional-grade covers are far more effective than the standard builder-grade covers that come with most homes.
Chimney Swifts
Chimney swifts are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. If chimney swifts have nested in your chimney, it is illegal to remove them until the young have fledged and left on their own — typically by mid-fall. After they leave, a chimney cap should be installed immediately to prevent their return the following spring.
Health Risks from Bird Infestations
- Histoplasmosis — a respiratory disease caused by fungus that grows in bird droppings
- Bird mites — parasitic mites that can migrate from bird nests into living spaces and bite humans
- Salmonella and E. coli — found in bird droppings, especially near food preparation areas
- Fire hazard — nesting material in dryer vents and near electrical wiring