Barriers to Outdoor Roosting Sites
Birds instinctively fly to “landing strips”, such as window sills, air conditioners, roof ledges, cornices, rafters and beams. When it is just one or two pigeons, we do not even notice. When a squadron of ten pigeons zoom in to roost on the roof or on the edge of the roof’s gutters, we can view this as a problem. The Bird-X Company makes a product, Spikes Needle Strips, that is designed to block pest birds from these comfortable landing areas. The product will work for decades of maintenance-free protection.
The all-plastic barrier strips project upward and outward at varying angles to both sides of a base strip. “Branches” protude from vertical spiked shafts to offer full, dense coverage. Birds avoid surfaces treated with Spikes as people avoid walking on nails. Spikes is not lethal; just extremely uncomfortable.
Several other commercially available wire barriers will prevent roosting and nesting. Stiff wires project in various directions, making it impossible for pigeons to land where the wire barriers are affixed. If roosting surfaces are numerous, however, installation costs can be quite high.
Glue-like, sticky repellents are applied to roosting and nesting surfaces. Their extremely sticky, gluey consistency makes such surfaces unpleasant to pigeons, and they abandon them. Sticky repellents come in spray, aerosol and tube jelly forms, and can be applied to metal, stone, wood, masonry, and vegetation. The spray is best suited to use on vegetation; the tube form may be best on rafter or ledges.
Pre-treat porous material with silicone or strips of tape to prevent absorption. It is essential to treat all roosting surfaces. Otherwise, pigeons may be repelled from one roosting surface to another on a partially treated structure.
Barriers to Indoor Roosting Sites
igeons often become a problem in barns and other building when the architecture of the building or improper maintenance creates ideal roosting and nesting spots inside the structure. In many older buildings, broken windows, doors, and damaged woodwork and roofing allow pigeons into buildings where they roost and nest. The only solution is to make the necessary repairs so they are denied access in the first place.
Products for controlling pigeons can be found in our Yardener's Tool Shed in bird control products.
