When Spikes Won’t Cut It: Controlling Nuisance Birds
Birds can cause a problem on our buildings in towns and cities, as their droppings harbour bacteria, attract insects, block up gutters, create a slip hazard and look unsightly. Spikes are one option when it comes to deterring them, but there are other methods which may prove more effective.
What Are Spikes?
Bird spikes are typically used on horizontal building surfaces like ledges and window sills. The spikes, made of either plastic or metal, point upwards and work to deter larger birds such as pigeons from landing, roosting and building nests on these surfaces. Spikes are an environmentally safe option, can be used on hard-to-reach areas and on almost any surface and have a long life span. However, they are not without their limitations.
What Are the Limitations of Spikes?
The main problem is that the spikes will collect debris such as bird droppings, feathers and nesting materials and will therefore need fairly regular cleaning to remain effective. Spikes also tend not to deter smaller birds, who can get in between them to roost and nest.
What Are the Alternatives?
There are several alternatives to spikes that work as bird deterrents. The right solution for your problem will depend on a number of factors, including the age and size of the building, whether birds are nesting or roosting, how long the bird colony has been there and how big it is.
When it comes to nuisance bird management, specialist companies such as www.vvenv.co.uk/ have a range of solutions available to them and the knowledge and experience to make the right decisions for your particular situation.
Solutions may include physical deterrents other than bird spikes such as netting and methods to create an unstable surface for the birds to land on, such as coils, points and wires, some of which are removable to allow for ease of access. Other techniques include noise deterrents like recordings of loud noises or the bird species’ own alarm call, and in general denying access to food sources by ensuring all bins are inaccessible to birds. An additional technique is to use predatory birds as a deterrent – hawks and falcons can disrupt the behaviour patterns of the nuisance birds.
Nuisance bird control is essential to maintaining buildings and ensuring health and safety. Spikes are just one option amongst many.
