While it might sound like something that doesn’t happen very often, birds nesting in your building or attic is a fairly common occurrence. Often, birds are simply looking for a safe, warm place to lay their eggs and keep them safe until they hatch. However, this can be a problem for homeowners for many reasons, including the smell, the hygiene risks, and the noise that can be made by birds moving around in the middle of the night.

If you have noticed scratching or odd noises coming from your attic at all times of the day and night, you might have a bird nesting there. The next question that crosses your mind after realizing that there might be a bird nesting in your attic or crawlspace might be wondering how long they will be there if you just leave them alone.



Unfortunately, after a bird has started nesting in your attic or crawlspace, they will often end up staying there for roughly three or four months. This time may change, depending on how long it takes for the female bird to lay her eggs, as well as hatching them and teaching her nestlings how to fly; the species of bird will often change this number around a little bit, but generally it will take anywhere from two to four months, sometimes longer if the nesting process ends up failing.

There are many problems, though, with allowing a bird to take up residence in your attic, or any other areas of your home, such as health implications, as well as safety concerns. Often, birds carry multiple diseases, as well as lice and mites, which can easily take over your attic and migrate into the rest of your home, causing the infamous ‘bedbug’ syndrome.

Often, there are other problems with bird’s natural predators, as well. One of the most dangerous of these natural predators is the snake, which will often invade a bird’s nest to eat the eggs. If a bird is nesting in your attic or crawlspace, this nest can put your entire family, as well as your pets, at a high risk of bites.

While you might be tempted, when wondering if a bird has begun nesting in your attic or crawlspace, to leave it alone and let it run its course, there are many problems with this frame of mind that might make you, or your family, sick in the long run.

Read the How to get rid of birds page for helpful information and to learn more about How long does it take to remove birds in a building?

How long does it take to remove birds in a building?