GREATEST PROOFING EFFECTIVENESS
Grahame Turner - Technical Manager
Proofing buildings and structures from perching, roosting and nesting birds will only be successful if it provides the greatest all-round protection against the particular bird problem you face. Each bird proofing system has its own strengths and weaknesses, making careful selection vital to effectiveness. For instance, you need quite different proofing approaches for larger and more robust gulls, agile and more persistent pigeons, and smaller and more manoeuvrable sparrows.
The type and extent of proofing you require is also determined by the level of infestation pressure. In turn, this depends on precisely how birds are using the locations – established nesting and roosting locations needing better protection than feeding sites.
Suitable for all bird species and infestation pressures, nets can be used to protect individual features like eaves or ledges, or to cover entire roofs or elevations. You must, however, select both the right mesh size and sufficient twine strength for the job – gull nets being thicker than pigeon nets. And the nets you use have to be both tough wearing and securely fastened to the substrate along all their edges with appropriate fixings. Otherwise they will not remain taut at a sufficient distance from the building surfaces to prevent landing, access or entanglement.
Spikes can be very effective in deterring birds from alighting on specific areas like ledges, parapets, beams, pipes, gutters and roof ridges. But you'll need to use longer ones for gull proofing and a greater density of spikes for heavier pressure infestations. You'll also need to specify spikes that are appropriate for the width of ledge involved, as well as positioning them correctly and securing them effectively with the right adhesive or clips if they are to resist what can be very intensive efforts to overcome the protection they provide.
Bird wire mounted on posts just above building surfaces offers the third main passive option for deterring pigeons and gulls. Like spikes, it is better suited to ledges, parapets, beams, pipes, gutters and roof ridges than extensive surfaces. Like spikes too, the correct specification of system is essential with bird wire. In particular, you have to have longer posts and thicker wires for gulls, and multiple rows for wider ledges. The distance between rows of bird wire and correct tensioning are, of course, equally important to effectiveness.
Whatever system and specification you choose, do make sure you also assess areas currently showing relatively little evidence of activity for their likely appeal to birds displaced by any proofing of more favoured locations. Protecting these as part of the initial installation can save you a lot of additional time and expense.
For further information and advice Grahame Turner of Network can be contacted on
the Sorex technical helpline (0044 151 4207151) or grahameturner@network-pest.com
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