Birds bring life, color, and music to your yard, but should you actively attract them with feeders and setups? It depends on your goals and how ready you are for both the perks and the challenges.

Attracting birds can be rewarding, but it’s important to understand the impact they’ll have on your space. Done right, feeding birds can create a healthy, lively environment. But too much food or poor setup can invite unwanted wildlife.

For Milwaukee homeowners, it’s all about balance—beautifying your yard while staying in control. Let’s weigh the benefits and challenges of welcoming birds and explore the best ways to keep your feathered visitors happy and your yard thriving.

The Benefits of Attracting Birds to Your Yard

Birds bring more than just beauty to your outdoor spaces. Here are some key advantages to making your yard a bird-friendly retreat:

Natural Pest Control

Many bird species feast on insects, making them great natural pest controllers. Wrens, chickadees, and sparrows, for instance, are known to eat mosquitoes, beetles, and caterpillars. Attracting these birds can help keep your yard and garden healthier with fewer bugs buzzing around.

Pollination and Seed Dispersal

Hummingbirds, finches, and some other species play a role in pollination and spreading seeds. By attracting birds to your backyard, you’re indirectly supporting plant growth and maintaining a natural cycle that keeps your yard vibrant.

Stress Relief and Joy

There’s nothing quite like watching birds hop from branch to branch or listening to their cheerful songs. Studies have shown that birdwatching can reduce stress, boost mental health, and even improve focus. A yard full of these animals can be a daily source of joy and relaxation.

Environmental Support

Providing food and water for backyard birds can help support local bird populations, especially during tough seasons like winter. It’s a way to give back to nature while creating vital habitats for migratory birds.

Educational Opportunities

For families, attracting birds to your backyard offers a unique chance for kids to learn about nature. Identifying different species or observing bird behaviors can be both fun and educational. It’s a great way to foster curiosity about wildlife right in your backyard.

The Downsides of Attracting Birds to Your Yard

While the benefits are noteworthy, attracting birds to your backyard does come with potential drawbacks. Here’s what you should know before setting up those feeders:

Attracting Unwanted Wildlife

Feeders and baths don’t only attract these animals. They can also lure in other animals like squirrels, raccoons, and even skunks. These animals may cause damage to your property or bring safety concerns. It’s worth noting that Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control in Milwaukee often recommends preventative measures to keep larger animals from taking over your yard.

Property Damage

Birds can sometimes be messy guests. Their nesting materials, droppings, and discarded seeds might damage roofs, siding, or outdoor furniture. While a few birds may not cause issues, a large crowd might create ongoing cleanup challenges.

Overpopulation and Health Risks

Sometimes, too much feeding can lead to overcrowding. This can increase the spread of diseases among birds and to humans, as droppings can carry bacteria like salmonella. Regular cleaning of bird baths and feeders is a must to avoid these problems.

Noisy Encounters

While birdsong is lovely most of the time, some species can be quite noisy and, for some people, annoying. If you have species like jays or crows in the area, they might dominate the space, making it harder for smaller songbirds to thrive.

Feeding Missteps

Bird feeding tips suggest using appropriate feeders and food types, but mistakes like overfeeding or leaving out the wrong food can harm birds rather than help them. For example, some processed foods or moldy seed can be harmful to birds’ health.

Bird Feeding Tips to Keep in Mind

If you decide to give this a try (or you’ve already got feeders up), a few practical tips can make your yard an inviting but manageable space for birds.

• Choose the Right Food: Sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, and suet are great for many bird species because they are packed with nutrients these animals need. Avoid bread, as it adds no nutritional value for birds and can even harm their health if eaten in large amounts.
• Clean Regularly: Wash feeders and birdbaths weekly to prevent disease and mold growth from dirty or wet food. Keeping feeding areas clean also ensures the birds stay healthy and your yard remains an inviting space for them.
• Strategic Placement: Place feeders away from dense shrubs or structures that could be hiding spots for cats or predators, as these can be dangerous for birds. Open areas with clear views give birds a safer space to eat and fly away if needed.
• Use Deterrents for Other Animals: Baffles or squirrel-resistant feeders can reduce unwanted visitors like raccoons or squirrels so that birds get first access to the food. These tools also help protect your feeders from damage caused by larger animals.
• Avoid Overfeeding: Install only a few feeders to keep bird populations at a healthy and manageable size and to prevent excess food from piling up. Too much food can attract unwanted animals or lead to waste that creates an unhealthy environment.

How to Handle Problems That Come With Birds

While you may take precautions, attracting birds to your backyard could still lead to problems with nuisance animals. This is where our professionals at Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control can help. 

Our team in Milwaukee specializes in humane animal control solutions, such as one-way doors that allow wildlife to leave your property safely but prevent them from coming back in. Whether you’re dealing with skunks snooping around for birdseed or raccoons investigating your birdhouses, we’ve got you covered.

It’s important to take action if nuisance animals threaten the safety or cleanliness of your property. Wild animals carry risks, from scratching or biting to spreading diseases through droppings. Our team ensures these issues are resolved without harm to animals, keeping your property safe and protected.

What’s the Verdict? Should You Attract Birds to Your Yard?

Attracting birds to your yard is a personal decision, and it depends on how much you value the benefits versus managing the challenges. For many people, the beauty and joy birds bring make it worth the effort. With proper bird feeding tips and preventive measures, you can enjoy the good aspects of backyard birds while minimizing the cons. 

However, if issues arise, such as other animals becoming a problem, it’s wise to call in professionals like Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control in Milwaukee.

Ready to Reclaim Control of Your Yard?

Attracting birds to your yard can be a wonderful experience when done thoughtfully, but it’s essential to stay prepared for the possibility of challenges. 

If you’re facing issues with unwanted wildlife or need expert advice, Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control in Milwaukee is here to help. Request an estimate today, and we’ll help you keep your yard safe, peaceful, and full of life!