Keep Birds Off Your Roof With Bird Spikes
Each year homeowners spend hundreds of dollar cleaning up after and repairing damage caused by pest birds. Pigeons love to roost on the edges of your roof looking for dinner or just enjoying the sun. They can cause a lot of damage to the roof as well as endanger you and your outdoor pet’s health. Pigeons can carry any of 60 transmittable diseases, including West Nile Virus and Hystoplasmosis. The debris left behind by the pigeons can contain fleas, mites and ticks. It is essential for homeowners to get rid of pigeons as soon as they see them arrive.
One of the best ways to keep pigeons off your roof is to install bird spikes on the peaks and edges. Most pigeons will land on the peak or edge of a roof first to look around and make sure that they are safe, they will then walk around the roof looking for a good roosting or nesting spot. Bird spikes make it impossible for the pigeons to land on the areas that the spikes are covering. If they cannot land on your roof they will most likely move on to a more hospitable spot.
Bird Spikes come in several types. There are all plastic spike strips as well as plastic with stainless steel spikes. Most bird spikes come in two-foot sections and are easily installed using either adhesive or screws. When installing bird spikes on your roof, you will most likely want to use adhesive, as nails or screws will put holes in the roofing material.
Plastic bird spikes will usually come in a variety of colors to match your roof. If you have a tile roof, you can get the terra cotta colored spikes. Plastic bird spikes tend to be less expensive that the stainless steel model. They are made of a polycarbonate plastic similar to that of the headlights of a car, thus they are very rigid and will last quite a while on the roof.
Stainless steel bird spikes have a plastic base with stainless steel spikes. They are as easy to use as plastic spikes; they are just less visible once installed. Stainless steel spikes come in two-foot sections and are easily installed using glue or screws. Again, it is best to use glue on rooftop applications, as you do not want to make holes in the roof. Once installed, the spikes make it virtually impossible for larger birds like pigeons and gulls to land on the roof peaks and edges.
Installing bird spikes is a great weekend DIY project. Depending on the severity of the pigeon problem, most spike installation jobs can take less than two to three hours to complete. It is important to do a thorough clean up before installing any type of bird control system. Pigeons and other birds are attracted to their scent, so they will try to land and nest in the same spots year after year. It is best to disinfect and deodorize the area before the bird spikes are installed. Use caution before cleaning bird feces; never remove dried feces as you may inhale the dust, which can carry diseases. Always dampen the feces first and scrape them into trash bags to dispose of it.