Kelly's Korner - For The Birds

Hey, All,

Not all dryer vent clogs are caused by not cleaning them regularly.  Those open vents for your dryer are a prime place for birds to build nests.

Creative Commons license on image.

Think about it - these vents are usually placed high enough that marauders can't get in them.  And they are pretty protected from the elements with a nice warm stream of air to keep those little chickies warm.  Perfect place to raise a family, right?

For them, yes - for you, not so much.  So how do you keep your feathered friends out of your vents?  Contrary to popular belief, birds are not birdbrained.  They are very clever and can figure out a lot of ways to get into what they're not supposed to, but W L May has a couple of different products to help you with that.

PB50

One is a bird guard wall cap - part number PB50.  This will fit nicely over your 4" vents.  Inside dimensions are 7" x 7" so it will fit over larger venting, too.  And all you need to do is screw it to the wall.

PMH4WXZ

Another item is PMH4WXZ in white, or the PMH4BXZ in brown.  This does the same job as the bird guard but has a 4" rigid aluminum vent tube to go through your wall.


These two products will deter the birds from making your home theirs, and keep them in the trees where they belong.  It is a good idea to check your whole exterior for any other vents (or unauthorized openings) you have - range hood, bath fan, attic vents, and even your gutters.  Don't forget to check for the four-footed varmits, too.  Your attic makes a great place for squirrels to hide their winter stash of nuts and they will chew through wood and plastic to get where they want.  Get rid of these freeloaders (I just wished they worked for grown children still living at home lol!).

Have a great week!