During the summer months, effective bird control becomes much harder than at other times of the year. The reason for this is that the birds are nesting, and it is illegal to interfere with birds’ nests. Instead, we have to wait for the birds to fledge and to leave the nest or work around the birds to try and deter them. Once the birds have fledged the nest in September time, we can move in and carry out the more effective forms of bird proofing. But when we say ‘effective’ what do we mean, and which bird control methods and bird proofing solutions are the best? How can you deter birds during the nesting period without breaking the law?
Various Bird Control Methods
Bird Netting
Of all of the methods of bird proofing and bird control that we use, bird netting is the most effective. Of course, being 100% effective, it is more costly than other methods of proofing. But why is it the most successful method of bird proofing?
View this post on Instagram
The netting prevents the birds from accessing the parts of the roof or areas that you want to protect. If there is a net there blocking access for nuisance birds then there is no way for them to reach your roof, ledges etc. If you want to do the job once and to get instant results, then this is the most recommended.
Bird Lasering
Lasering is a more recent service offered by Falcon and a more modern method of bird control. The laser beam deters the birds from landing, activates the bird’s survival instinct and causes them to fly away. It can reduce the presence of birds by over 70%. As you can see, this is less than the 100% effectiveness of bird netting, hence it is a less costly bird control service. The process is quick, efficient and hassle free.
As long as we have permanent and safe access, we can set patterns with the lasers which need to be monitored on a regular basis to ensure their effectiveness.
Bird Hawking
At Falcon, we use Harris Hawks to fly over an area to deter birds from nesting. At Plymouth Argyle Football Club for example, we regularly fly our hawks over when the stadium is empty to prevent the seagulls and pigeons from making themselves comfortable and leaving their mess everywhere. The trick with hawking is to fly the hawks at different times so that the prey doesn’t suspect that they are being tricked. The timing and frequency must be accurate. If the birds don’t know when the hawks are coming, they see the threat of a predator and move on to other areas.
View this post on Instagram
For the best results, hawking should be carried out before nesting season as it is very difficult to move birds from their nesting spot. Combining hawking with roof access will give us a better chance of success as we will work to clear the roof of any debris on a very regular basis to prevent nest building.
A Combination of Methods
Another great combination is having roof access to keep the roof clear, using a bird of prey to deter the birds from choosing the customers roof space and using a bird scarer which will set off distress calls in the absence of the bird of prey. Bird scarers on their own will be effective at first but the birds will realise that every time that distress call goes off there isn’t actually any danger around and therefore will continue to nest anyway. Combined with actually seeing the hawk on a regular basis and keeping the roof clear will provide much better results!
Bird Spiking
Bird spiking is the least expensive method of bird control and is more to prevent birds settling in awkward spaces. It stops the birds perching on roof edges which prevents bird droppings on the side of buildings or on whatever is below. It won’t stop the birds from nesting though.
It is a great method of bird control when used alongside netting for example when you can use the spikes on the more awkward spots. Some birds however have got more wise to spiking and will sometimes use them as anchor points for their nests.
Solar Panel Bird Proofing
Effective for nesting and roosting birds that use solar panels as somewhere to roost at night solar panel bird proofing, removes the ability for the birds to settle will mean that they will move on. It is also crucial to protect the panels from the mess that birds can make underneath and on top of them to ensure that they don’t lose their effectiveness or that the airborne nasties from dried bird mess doesn’t enter your property.
View this post on Instagram
Chimney Proofing
Using a solid cage structure, we are able to offer prevention against birds nesting in the chimney. If there is no way for them to access the chimney, they will move on. We can also combine solar panel and chimney proofing with spiking to deter the birds from roosting even if they can’t nest.
Commercial Bird Proofing
We carry out large commercial bird proofing projects at Falcon using a combination of bird netting, lasering, bird scarers, hawking and spiking. We will use whatever we have in our toolbox to come up with the most effective bird control methods for your business.
Residential Bird Proofing
Spiking, solar panel bird proofing and chimney proofing are the most common solutions for residential properties when we often provide solutions on the roof.
If you would like to discuss any or all of our bird control methods and proofing options and discuss the best solution for your home or business, give us a call on 01752 929292.
