How to Get Rid of Starlings Fast: Safely Remove this Invasive Bird
Starlings are surprisingly intelligent creatures and they have a bright, pleasant song. Unfortunately, they also bring a lot of trouble. Here’s everything you need to know about Starlings: how to recognize them, how to prevent them, and how to get rid of them if you have them.
Starling Removal
Expert Wildlife Solutions You Can Trust
Starlings are surprisingly intelligent creatures and they have a bright, pleasant song. Unfortunately, they also bring a lot of trouble.
Starlings are an invasive small to medium-sized perching birds that can cause problems ranging from mildly annoying (like smelly droppings everywhere) to extremely dangerous (like house fires and bird mite infestations).
Here’s everything you need to know about Starlings: how to recognize them, how to prevent them, and how to get rid of them if you have them.
ARTICLE CONTENTS:
- Why Starlings are a Big Problem for Homeowners
- Fire Hazards
- Bird Mites and Disease
- Attic Infestations
- Damage to Property
- Foul Smell and Noise Pollution
- Identifying Starling Behavior
- 5 Effective Starling Prevention Strategies
- Northern Virginia Starling Removal Methods
- Our Starling Removal Process
- Areas We Services for Starling Removal
- FAQ About Starlings
Why are Starlings a Problem?
Why Starlings are a Big Problem for Homeowners
Starlings are a common nuisance for homeowners in Northern Virginia, mainly due to their aggressive and damaging nesting habits, droppings, and potential for carrying diseases.
Here are a few of the problems starlings might cause for your home if you don’t get rid of them quickly:
1. Fire Hazards
Yes. Starlings can be a huge fire hazard.
They love to nest in any cavities they find, particularly your dryer vent. If they get in there, they’ll clog it up with their nests (using a lot of your dryer lint), and then your dryer is at a high risk of overheating.
This can quickly damage your dryer, but it also creates a dangerous fire hazard, putting you, your home, and your family at risk.
If you think you have a starling nesting issue in your dryer vent, don’t wait. Reach out to our team to schedule a starling removal now.
2. Bird Mites and Disease
While starlings might be beautiful, they bring with them some not-so-pretty diseases and parasites (salmonellosis, E. coli, and other harmful viruses and fungi).
We recently responded to a call for a homeowner who had ignored his starling infestation, thinking they weren’t that big of a pest. Unfortunately, he soon had bird mites falling into his bathroom from the nest the starlings created in his vents.
Not long after that, these bird mites got all over his house. His entire family was itching. What started as a preventable issue turned into his entire home needing professional treatment for bird mites.
A quick, effective starling removal would have prevented the issue.
3. Attic Infestations
How often do you go up into your attic? Not often? That’s a big reason why it’s such a perfect environment for starlings. If they can get in, they will make themselves at home (and probably invite their entire family).
Starlings like to get into your attic or soffit and build their nests. They love using all the insulation in your attic for their nests, or even pecking into wood, ruining the whole area with mites and droppings.
4. Damage to Property
Wherever starlings go, their droppings follow.
While that’s fine out in nature, it’s not so great close up to your home. Something to keep in mind is that starling droppings are acidic. They quickly mess up cars, the siding on your home, and any landscaping around your home.
We worked with a homeowner who had a lovely gazebo in his yard and a pool with furniture. The only problem was that he wasn’t able to enjoy any of it because the starlings were leaving their marks everywhere.
After we removed his starling infestation, he was finally able to enjoy his yard again.
5. Foul Smell and Noise Pollution
Besides the overall mess of them, the smell of starlings can be extremely unpleasant.
Not only do their droppings stink, but if a starling gets trapped (and consequently passes away in your home vents, behind a wall, or somewhere else around your home), they’re going to smell terrible.
Starlings also love to be vocal, especially during nesting and mating seasons. Having a family in your attic—or even just in the eaves of your roof—will be noisy and disruptive.
Identifying Starling Behavior
How Do You Know if You Have a Starling Issue in Your Home?
Here are a few key starling identifiers:
- Flocking — Starlings love to flock together, usually in large numbers.
- Foraging — Starlings often forage on the ground with their strong beaks, looking for insects to eat.
- Chatty — Starlings are known for their noisy vocalizations.
- Synchronization — Starlings are known for something called “murmurations,” where large flocks fly in tight formations.
- Aggression — Starlings are known for being aggressive, especially when defending their nest sites against other birds.
- Glossy Feathers — Starlings have almost an iridescent look to their feathers during breeding season.
If you see this combination of birds around your home, it’s time to implement prevention strategies… and even removal methods if the situation is bad enough.
Safe Bird Removal
5 Effective Starling Prevention Strategies
Being proactive is the best way to prevent starling infestations. Here are 5 methods to implement in your home to keep starlings away:
- Vent Covers — It’s essential to install bird-proof covers on all your home’s exterior vents to prevent nesting. Without these, the starlings will move right in.
- Seal Entry Points — If your home has an entry point, a starling is likely to find it. Check your roofline, attic, and siding for any gaps or holes. Seal any that you find.
- Remove Food Sources — Unsecured trash, fruit trees, and pet food are all an invitation to starlings. Make sure to clean up after any backyard BBQs and consider emptying your bird feeders.
- Use Deterrents — If necessary, try using sound deterrents, predator decoys, bird netting, and bird spikes to discourage roosting where you can.
- Call in a Professional — Whether your methods aren’t working or you want to hand the job off to someone who will get it done safely and quickly, Hunt Country Wildlife Control is ready to remove your starling problem and prevent future issues.
Our Starling Removal Process
Northern Virginia Starling Removal Methods
At Hunt Country Wildlife Control, we specialize in safe, humane starling removal for both residential and commercial properties throughout Loudoun County, VA.
We understand that starlings can be more than just a nuisance—they often gather in large flocks, create health hazards with their droppings, and cause property damage fast.
Our experienced team understands starling behavior and employs effective, ethical methods to remove these invasive birds and prevent future infestations. Hunt Country Wildlife Control is here to restore your peace and protect your space.
1. Comprehensive Property Inspection
Our starling removal process begins with a detailed inspection of your property to determine the scale of the infestation and pinpoint nesting or roosting sites. We also check for structural vulnerabilities that may be allowing starlings to enter your home or business.
2. Tailored Starling Removal Strategy
Once we've identified how and where starlings are accessing your property, we develop a customized removal plan based on the birds’ behavior, nesting habits, and building layout. Our approach is designed to be humane, effective, and fully compliant with local and federal wildlife laws.
3. Humane Starling Deterrence & Eviction
We use proven humane bird control techniques, such as one-way door exclusion systems, sound and visual deterrents, and habitat disruption. These methods encourage starlings to vacate the area without causing harm. If nests with eggs or chicks are present, we follow ethical relocation practices when allowed under legal guidelines.
4. Sealing Access Points & Bird-Proofing
We seal all identified entry points with bird-resistant materials including vent covers or bird mesh. We also help address potential attractants, such as open food sources or sheltered ledges, to make your property less inviting to future flocks.
5. Damage Repair, Cleanup & Sanitation
Starling droppings can carry harmful pathogens and cause corrosion to building materials. Our team provides thorough cleaning and disinfection of affected areas. We also repair damage to your home caused by the birds.
6. Ongoing Monitoring & Support
With Hunt Country Wildlife Control, we don’t just walk away after the job is done. Our follow-up visits ensure the starlings haven’t returned and that exclusion measures remain intact. We’ll even adjust our deterrent methods or reinforce barriers if needed to give you long-term peace of mind.
Areas Served
Areas We Service for Starling Removal
Hunt Country Wildlife Control offers comprehensive starling removal services throughout Loudoun County, VA. Our dedicated team is experienced in handling starling issues common to both rural and suburban environments in the region. We proudly service the following areas:
- Purcellville
- Round Hill
- Leesburg
- Hamilton
- South Riding
- Ashburn
- Sterling
- Middleburg
Additionally, our starling removal services are available to homeowners in select parts of Fairfax County, including:
- McLean
- Arlington
- Alexandria
If you need starling removal in any of these locations, reach out to Hunt Country Wildlife Control for a professional and effective solution that will keep your home safe from wildlife intrusions.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
About Starling Removal
How do you get starlings
to leave?
The best way to get starlings to leave is by professional, humane removal. This will ensure we’ve cleared the entire starling infestation, removed all harmful pathogens, and prevented starlings from moving back in.
What is the best deterrent
for starlings?
The best way to deter starlings is to remove all food and water sources, make nesting locations impossible, and use visual, auditory, and physical deterrents to annoy them.
How do I keep starlings
off my porch?
If possible, use physical deterrents to keep starlings off your porch like bird netting or bird wire.
If that’s not possible, make sure to remove all food sources (like bird feeders and pet food). Consider putting some wind chimes on your porch or predatory decoys like plastic hawks or owls.
What frightens starlings?
Like most birds, starlings can be frightened through a combination of visual, auditory, and physical deterrents.
Loud noises startle them and they are frightened by predators like hawks.
Call now for expert wildlife removal and exclusion you can trust.
Don’t wait until a small problem becomes a big one. Call now and get the peace of mind you deserve.