One pigeon roosting on your roof might be cute. But what about a whole flock?
If you’re a business or homeowner, the consequences of bird overpopulation on your property can be dire. It’s not just that a large gathering of birds is unsightly, noisy, and unwelcoming – it’s also potentially unsafe.
Bird droppings are a magnet for diseases like salmonella. They also present a slip-and-fall risk, along with birds’ nesting materials. Speaking of nests – if you see birds on your roof, they could be inhabiting chimneys and vents before long. Their nests are made of flammable material, like twigs and hay. It may not look like it, but the birds’ presence represents an accidental fire waiting to happen.
Even if you turn a blind eye to these potential risks, it’s only a matter of time before the worst happens: the weight of the birds, nests, and droppings grows too heavy, and your roof starts to sag. This leads to a leak and, soon, a total roof collapse.
Not something you want happening to your roof, right? The best way to get a bird off your rooftop is to stop the problem before it can start. Here are a few services a bird control company like AviAway can provide to keep your roof bird-free.
By far, bird netting is the most effective option for permanently keeping birds out of your roof. Unlike other deterrence methods, which discourage birds from remaining nearby, netting is an exclusion method. This means birds are excluded entirely and can’t access the netted area. If installed correctly with the best materials, the netting will last for decades through all weather conditions with 100% effectiveness and little to no maintenance.
You can install netting over the entire roof or selectively in smaller areas where birds often nest – underneath solar panels, around vents, you name it!
Bird spikes installation is one of the more common methods of bird deterrence if you’re looking for something with lower visibility than netting. You’ve likely seen bird spikes on ledges, often in parking garages. Bird spikes don’t hurt birds but act as an obstacle to prevent them from landing. However, their effectiveness may sometimes be counteractive. Larger birds will keep away, but smaller birds, like sparrows, use the spikes for support and build their nests between them.
You may be interested in installing bird wire for a more aesthetically pleasing bird control option than bird spikes or netting. Deterrent wire spans the roof width and confuses birds flying overhead. The birds are under the illusion that the wire will tangle their wings, so they’ll seek a landing strip elsewhere. This method is also low-visibility and lasts for many years with very little upkeep.
Sonic and ultrasonic deterrents are low-cost and low-visibility, if somewhat less predictable in efficiency. Sonic devices emit bird distress calls, and ultrasonic devices put out high-pitch frequencies unhearable by humans. Both can be installed on roofs to deter flocking, but the birds may realize there is no real threat over time and will resume congregation.
Lastly, electric shock tracks may sound unpleasant but fret not – this will not seriously hurt the birds that land on the tracks but deliver a small shock on impact.
Remember that it is usually best to hire an expert who will often provide a free consultation to handle your bird problem. Most species in North America are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, so handling their nests and the birds themselves is dangerous and could also land you in legal trouble. Keep yourself and your roof safe!