Why Pest Birds Want to Nest on Your Building

If you own or manage a building, you know that pest birds can be a costly problem. Nesting pest birds create roof damage, block ventilation systems, start fires in electrical signage, damage solar panels, and leave disease-carrying droppings that must be cleaned on a regular basis, especially if you serve, store or display foods.

Understanding Bird Attractants: Food, Water, and Shelter

Pest birds are always looking for a place to roost and nest on buildings and commercial property. They need a place that is high enough to avoid ground predators and close enough to food and water sources.

Most buildings provide these necessities. Signage offers warmth, security, and shelter for nests. Rooftop AC units offer the warmth of electrical motors/compressors and shelter from the elements. Rooftop water towers provide all sorts of nooks and crannies for birds to build nests. Many buildings essentially invite pest birds through their open attics.

The Importance of Proactive Bird Deterrence

Once birds have settled on a building or warehouse, they tend to gather in greater numbers, so it is best to be proactive and deter them before they arrive. Here is what the bird control pros recommend.

Stainless Steel Bird Spikes

Birds will often perch to test out a nesting site. Stainless Steel Bird Spikes will keep birds from perching on beams and other areas. Available in three different widths—3-, 5- and 8-inch—they provide increasingly wider areas of pest bird deterrence. The base of these spiked strips is just 1.5 inches wide, so they can easily be installed on very narrow surfaces. A built-in glue trough and pre-drilled mounting holes allow for fast, easy installation. The spiked strips can be affixed to any surface using commercially available glues, screws, or tie-downs. A flexible base—which bends a full 360 degrees—allows the spiked strips to easily follow a variety of curved exterior surfaces. A patented “bend and crush” design keeps the spikes embedded in an unbreakable UV-protected polycarbonate base.

Gutter Spikes

Whether your rain gutters are seamless, bonderized, copper, aluminum, steel, or vinyl, our Gutter Spikes will keep pest birds from nesting in them. Specially designed for easy installation in virtually any size gutter, the spiked strips come in two-foot long sections, each four inches wide. Each section includes clamps along the base, which hook right up to the lip of the gutter. Every two-foot section has three “C” clamps to create a secure mount. The clamps are thumbscrew adjustable and will adapt to both wide and narrow gutters. Once installed, the bird spikes are virtually invisible.

Solar Panel Bird Deterrent Kit

Rooftop solar panels create an ideal environment for pigeons and other pest birds to nest and roost. The panels provide shade from the hot sun, security from predators, and an easy in-and-out vantage point for birds. What’s more, birds can be incredibly persistent, especially if they’ve nested under solar panels the previous season. Since most solar panels are usually just 8″ off the roof deck, removing nests and droppings can be a challenge. Our Solar Panel Bird Deterrent Kit includes a weather-resistant mesh that effectively blocks pest birds from nesting or roosting under the panels. Installation is a snap, thanks to specially designed clips that will not scratch or affect the integrity of the solar panels. There’s no drilling, and the mesh is virtually invisible when installed.

No Knot Bird Netting

No Knot Bird Netting is a heavy-duty, flame-resistant polypropylene netting that blocks birds from entering unwanted areas like attics or any semi-open structure. The 3/4-inch mesh netting creates an effective physical barrier that keeps birds out. The lightweight netting is a flame-resistant, multi-strand polypropylene fiber with a break strength of 50 pounds. The netting will not rot, absorb water, or mildew. It has UV inhibitors that allow the netting to withstand years of direct sunlight. It can also tolerate a wide temperature range without degrading, so it’s ideal for industrial settings. No-Knot Bird Netting has a 10-year guarantee. Easy to handle and install, the netting is virtually invisible when installed. For further information on how this exclusion method integrates into a professional bird control strategy, see our article on bird netting as a deterrent.

Bird Slope Panels

Bird Slope panels are ideal for keeping birds, especially swallows, from nesting under eaves and other overhangs. When pest birds attempt to land on these angled, slippery panels, they slide right off. The panels are easily screwed, glued, or nailed to any flat surface. A glue trough on the underside of each panel simplifies installation using standard outdoor polyurethane adhesives. A convenient "snap on" Slope Extender easily adapts the panels to ledges wider than 10 inches. Special mounting clips allow the panels to be easily installed vertically on the sides of buildings, and “end caps” prevent birds from getting behind the panels. Bird Slope comes in two colors—stone and grey. Panels are made of UV-protected PVC material for lasting durability in punishing weather, and they are non-conductive for extra safety near electrical wiring.

Copper Mesh

Ideal for keeping both large and small birds out of small crevices, holes, and nooks in your building, our Copper mesh is easily “shaped” to seal out pest birds. The mesh comes in 6-inch wide, 20-foot rolls. It is also rustproof and stain-proof. Copper mesh even keeps birds from working their way under roofing shingles and nesting around conduit and lighting fixtures.

Visual Deterrents

Our Visual Bird Deterrents are easy to install, inexpensive, and effective. There is Flash Tape, an iridescent foil tape that crackles in the breeze and reflects sunlight to keep pigeons away (the mirrored red-and-silver surface bounces sunlight). There is also the inflatable “beach-ball” size Bird Scare Balloon, which features a large, mock predator eye to spook pigeons. Sporting an equally intimidating predator eye is the tear-drop-shaped Scare Eye Diverter. When these deterrents twist and bob in the breeze, they are perceived as life-like predators.

Sonic Deterrents

The Bird Chase Super Sonic is a specially designed sound-based system that keeps birds on alert and reluctant to build a nest. It broadcasts pre-recorded distress and predator calls for over 24 species of birds. The calls are repeated every 10 minutes, and the device can be programmed to turn on or off at night. A volume control allows the sound intensity of birdcalls to be adjusted—from 65-105 decibels. The sounds resemble normal birdcalls, so they will not bother pets or people. Unlike ultrasonic bird deterrents, which birds cannot hear, the Bird Chase device emits sounds within a bird’s hearing range, making it highly effective. The unit is AC-powered.

Expert Assistance

We provide effective and humane solutions for a bird-free environment. For more information on how physical barriers provide long-term protection, see our guide on how bird netting excludes birds from your property. For the complete line of products, call 1-800-392-6915, or email us at nobirds@birdbgone.com. You can also view our online catalog.