What To Do if Birds Build a Nest in Your Grill (Tips)

If you haven’t used your grill in a while, it can be quite a surprise to open up the grill lid and find a bird nest cozied inside. Of course, there’s no way to start grilling until you’ve removed the nest. And the inside of your grill might also be messy with nesting materials and bird droppings. To help you solve this problem, here are the steps of what to do if birds build a nest in your grill, including tips to prevent new nests in the future.

What To Do if Birds Build a Nest in Your Grill

If you open your grill lid and find a bird nest in there, here are 5 steps to take.

1. Check inside the nest

Before touching a bird’s nest, always wear gloves to protect yourself from dangerous bacteria in bird droppings. Depending on how the nest is built, you might be able to check inside without touching it. Look to see if the nest is an empty or active one.

Active nests mean there are still eggs in the nest or baby birds. This first step of checking is important because removing an active nest takes additional steps and requires understanding the laws around disturbing an active nest.

If you check the nest and it is empty, you can skip the next step and head straight to step 3.

2. Do research before removal

Over 800 bird species in North America are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. This list includes most of the birds that could use your grill as a nesting place.

This Act makes it illegal to interfere with an active nest. So, definitely do your research on what species has made a home inside your grill if the nest is active.

Some bird species that the Act doesn’t protect, include:

• House sparrow
• American crow
• Red-winged blackbird
• Common grackle

If you are unsure of the species or find that it is protected under the Act, you’ll have to contact a local wildlife rescue organization to help with removal. These organizations can get permits to handle removal situations legally.

3. Remove the bird nest

If the nest in your grill is empty, go ahead and follow the following steps to remove the nest:

• Protect yourself: with gloves, long-sleeve clothing, and a face mask before attempting to remove a nest
• Use antibacterial spray: to disinfect the nest before you touch it
• Lift the nest: and place it away from your grill
• Clean yourself: by rinsing your hands with soapy water and washing your clothes in hot water

Removing active nests

If you are trying to remove an active nest of a bird species that isn’t protected by law, there are some additional precautions to consider before following the steps listed above for nest removal.

For starters, you want to relocate the nest to somewhere near the grill, so the parents can easily find the nest again. If you move it too far, such as over 300 feet away, this can result in the nest being abandoned by the parents.

Also, make sure you:

• Handle the eggs or birds with care during relocation
• Move it to a sheltered place, protected from rain and other weather conditions
• Relocate it closer to the grill initially and watch for the parents to come back before choosing to move it a little further again

4. Clean your grill after removal

Once you’ve successfully removed the bird’s nest, it’s time to clean your grill. Birds can leave various residues behind such as straw, grass, twigs, feathers, and bird droppings. Most of these will contain bacteria that you don’t want around in your food.

To properly sanitize your grill, you’ll want to:

• Remove all large residues, including doing an initial rinse
• Make a mixture of hot soapy water – you can use a grill degreaser or dish soap
• Clean the outside and inside of your grill with the soapy water
• Make sure to use a scouring pad to scrub all areas
• You can also use a non-toxic cleaning spray or white vinegar mixed with water as an additional step to disinfect your grill
• Do the final rinse with clean water
• Let your grill dry
• Wipe your grill burners and grates with cooking oil to prevent rust

5. Preheat your grill before cooking

Before you use your grill for cooking up some food, take one more protective step to ensure all the bacteria are gone. By preheating your grill for 20 to 30 minutes, you’ll make sure it reaches a temperature high enough to kill off any remaining bacteria. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most bacteria are killed at temperatures above 149 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

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How to prevent birds from nesting in your grill

To avoid having to go through the methods above to clear your grill of nests, here are 4 preventative tips to keep the birds away.

1. Use a grill cover

A heavy-duty, waterproof grill cover not only protects your grill from weather elements but it’s also useful to keep birds out. Properly covering your grill after using it or before storing it away will prevent birds from getting inside your grill to build a nest.

You want to make sure you get a cover that has a drawstring and elastic bottom, so you can tightly secure all openings. Or find one long enough so birds can’t fly up from the bottom of the cover. For example, you could use a full-body grill cover comes with velcro straps and elastic hem rope to secure it in place.

2. Block small openings

Some birds are very small and need only a slight opening to access your grill’s interior to build a nest. Whether you have a grill cover or not, it’s best to inspect your grill to find these openings and cover them up.

Copper mesh is a great material to use and block holes. You can cut them into any shape or size and easily stuff them into holes you have identified.

3. Wrap your grill in bird netting

While bird netting is typically used to protect your plants from birds, you can also use it to wrap up your grill. Drape the bird netting over your grill and secure it to the ground, making sure there aren’t any gaps or openings at the bottom. You can also place weights, such as rocks or bricks, on your netting to prevent the net from shifting or exposing gaps.

4. Use visual deterrents

Birds use their vision to identify predators and stay safe, so using visual deterrents to scare them can be an effective method. For instance, reflective surfaces that shimmer in the light can cause a visual disturbance and scare birds away.

You can even hang scare eye diverters on your grill or the patio where your grill is located. These metal diverters have predator eyes on them to resemble danger on top of the reflective surface.

Another visual deterrent option is to place objects shaped like natural predators on your grill lid. This includes owls, eagles, cats, or dog-shaped sculptures.

It becomes even more effective if you get one that moves, such as the owl sculpture with a rotating head, and make sure to relocate it to different places around your grill every few days.

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Conclusion

When you open up your grill and find a bird’s nest inside, don’t panic! There are ways to handle the situation easily, especially if the nest is empty. However, if you find an active nest, you have to do your research on the species and contact a wildlife rescue organization for help if the bird species is protected by the law.

Once your grill is ready for use again, adopt the preventative tips above to make sure no more nests are being built in your grill so you don’t experience delays in outdoor grilling sessions!