Starlings are one species that many people would rather not have hanging around their houses or bird feeders, especially when they decide that your home is an ideal nesting location. Our starling management services are designed to not only remove the nests (and therefore the starlings), but to also exclude the nesting location so they are unable to invade your space and nest there again in the future.
EUROPEAN STARLINGS – Sturnus vulgaris
European starlings are cavity nesters that may take advantage of openings in your home’s construction. They construct very large nests that often fill the entire void and will leave a fan-shaped spray of feces on the wall below the cavity they are using as a nesting site. Starlings typically lay 4-6 eggs twice a year.
They are found in both urban and rural settings and feed on grains, fruit, seeds, suet, and insects. In winter they will form large flocks that may cause excessive noise and droppings.
Starling Damage
Starlings can cause both physical damage to your property and pose health risks due to feces around their nesting sites. Nests can obstruct exhaust vents and even pose a fire risk depending on location. Droppings are acidic and can damage the surfaces of your home. Often times the nest will become a home for mites and lice that pose additional health risks.
Starlings also occasionally kill nesting native birds, causing damage to other species. They may consume livestock feed and contaminate it with feces, which raises the risk of disease transmission.
Because European Starling nests, eggs, young, and adults are NOT protected by Federal Law, we are able to offer services to remove nests, disinfect the area, and perform a proper exclusion to prevent recurring nesting.
*Starling species and damage information cited from “Wildlife Control Core Principles and Wildlife Species Information”, a Certified Professional Training Publication for the National Wildlife Control Training Program. Authors: Curtis, Hygnstrom, Vantassel, and Smith.
Common entry point for starlings
Bathroom Exhaust Vents
One of the most common entry points for starlings is the bathroom exhaust vents that exit the side of the house. If the vent is missing a cover or has a damaged cover, the starlings will view the opening as an ideal nesting cavity. We’ve even seen cases where they have broken or damaged the covers to gain entry to the vents.
When this happens, we first remove all of the nesting material from the vent and then install solid metal vent covers with magnetic closures that open when your exhaust fan is on but otherwise remain sealed tightly shut.
Gable Vents
Starlings may enter your attic space through a home’s damaged or unscreened gable vent. Once inside, they can create very expansive nests, as they often create nests that fill an entire cavity. Because there may be feces, mites, and lice in the nesting material, this also creates health concerns.
In order to properly seal gable vents, we perform all gable vent screening from the exterior using higher grade ¼ inch hardware cloth.
Soffit Returns
Sometimes starlings may push their way into small gaps where soffit returns meet the roof. If these junctions are not tightly sealed, the starlings are able to enter the soffit space and fill it with nesting material – sometimes along the entire length of the soffit!
Depending on the size of the gap, different materials are used to properly seal the junction of the soffit return with the roof. In some cases an industrial-grade caulk is used, while in other cases new soffit material or coil-stock metal is installed.
If you have a starling problem – Call 814 969-4188
Don’t put up with this nuisance any longer. We have the experience to get them out and keep them out. Call us today!