Keep birds off your roof with bird spikes

Every year, homeowners spend hundreds of dollars cleaning up and repairing damage caused by bird pests. Pigeons love to perch on the edges of your roof looking for food or just basking in the sun. They can cause a lot of damage to the roof and endanger you and your pet’s health outdoors. Pigeons can carry any of 60 communicable diseases, including West Nile virus and histoplasmosis. The droppings left behind by pigeons can contain fleas, mites and ticks. It is essential that owners 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 first perch on the top or edge of a roof to look around to make sure they are safe, then walk around the roof looking for a good place to perch or nest. Bird beaks make it impossible for pigeons to perch on the areas covered by the beaks. If they can’t land on your roof, they will most likely move to a more hospitable location.

Bird spikes come in various types. There are plastic spike strips and also plastic with stainless steel spikes. Most bird spikes come in two-foot sections and are easily installed with 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 usually come in a variety of colors to match your roof. If you have a tiled roof, you can get the terracotta colored spikes. Plastic bird spikes tend to be less expensive than the stainless steel model. They’re made from a polycarbonate plastic similar to that of car headlights, so they’re very rigid and will last quite a while on your roof.

Stainless steel bird spikes have a plastic base with stainless steel spikes. They are as easy to use as plastic picks; they are simply less visible once installed. Stainless steel spikes come in two-foot sections and are easily installed with glue or screws. Again, it’s best to use glue on ceiling applications, as you don’t want to put holes in the ceiling. Once installed, the spikes make it virtually impossible for larger birds, such as pigeons and seagulls, to perch on the peaks and edges of the roof.

Installing bird spikes is a great weekend DIY project. Depending on the severity of the pigeon problem, most nail installation jobs can take less than two to three hours to complete. A thorough cleaning is important before installing any type of bird control system. Pigeons and other birds are attracted to its scent, so they will try to land and nest in the same places year after year. It is best to disinfect and deodorize the area before installing bird spikes. Be careful before cleaning up bird feces; never remove dry feces as you may inhale the dust, which can spread disease. Always wet the stool first and put it in garbage bags for disposal.