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The first step is to cut 4 pieces of galvanized wire mesh that will cover, completely, the 4 sides of the bird table. Staple these in place to the upright posts that form the supports for the roof. You will then need to cut several holes in the mesh no bigger than the size of the largest bird you want to feed on your table. These holes must clearly be smaller than a hole through which a pigeon could squeeze (approx. 2-3 inches square). Below each of these holes you should provide a small perch so that a small bird can first land on the perch prior to entering the meshed table area through the hole. These perches can be fashioned from a small branch of a tree or shrub. You must also ensure that the lip around the edge of the bird table itself is high enough so that food does not spill onto the ground below because, if it does, pigeons will simply wait under the table for scraps to fall off. One of the major causes of loose gutter spikes is the accumulation of debris. This can come from leaves, stems, or twigs. Where public feeding of pigeons has been identified as the main source of the problem in an urban area the only realistic and effective method of controlling both pigeons and pigeon feeders is to provide a specific area where pigeons can both be fed and their numbers humanely controlled. The Pigeon Control Advisory Service pioneered this type of area-wide control where persistent pigeon feeders are catered for as well as the pigeons that they feed. This control option is now seen as being the only effective means of controlling pigeon populations in an area-wide situation. Most period properties will have been fitted with sash windows and even if the windows have been replaced over the years most property owners will choose a like for like replacement window rather than fitting a modern UPVC window. Most sash windows are constructed from wood and will either be painted or varnished, but sash windows can also be sourced in UPVC. Sash windows always open up and down rather than inwards/outwards. If your property is fitted with sash windows it is likely that the property will be a period property and, as a result, is likely to have large and wide windowsills, a common feature on this type of property. This type of windowsill offers open opportunities for perching, roosting andem> breeding.
The deliveries below are for mainland UK, for Highlands, Channel and offshore islands an extra charge per consignment will be applied as below, we can also arrange Saturday delivery at extra cost. So now you know what can happen if you leave those pigeons alone to perch, don’t panic we have the simple answer for you! In both cases the mesh should be cut to size so that the arch-shaped piece of mesh can be adhered to the flat fascia of the window frame.If the window is particularly large it may not be possible to cut the mesh panel from one single roll of mesh and therefore two separate pieces will need to be cut and joined in the centre. This can be done either with several small electrical cable ties or, ideally, with ‘C’ clips for a neater job. Make sure that you remove only the spikes and retain the aluminum spacers. These will keep your gutter in place so that it doesn’t bend when you pry. The Defender® Gutter Spike will fit all standard half-round or square plastic guttering or hoppers that do not have a lip or ornate design on the front edge.Defender® spikes are made from a high-performance plastic which means it is long-lasting and UV-stabilised, this is why it comes with a 15-year warranty. No one wants to keep replacing a product over the years, especially when it is often installed in high inaccessible areas. Once the mesh has been cut to size a decision must be made about whether the panel will be glued in place with silicone or whether a baton frame is to be used with the mesh stapled directly to the frame. If the panel is to be glued in place then all that will be necessary to do is to provide several blobs of silicone around the flat fascia of the window frame at regular intervals and then push the mesh into the silicone. Of course, it is important to clean the fascia first to ensure the silicone has a good clean surface to bind to. This completes the installation. There are three ways you can fix loose gutter nails—all of which are fairly easy. On top of that, you only need a few basic tools, such as a hammer and an electric screwdriver. Weather and climatic conditions are also to blame for those loose gutter spikes. This is especially true when your area experiences drastic temperature changes.
Spikes are fastened to the fascia board, which is typically made out of wood. This material is sensitive to temperature and moisture. Anti-Roosting SpikesAlthough there is one DIY pigeon deterrent method of protecting these windows, which we will discuss below, there is no doubt that one small strip of anti-roosting spikes is by far and away the easiest and most cost effective option. The use of anti-roosting spikes would still constitute a DIY solution as they can be installed simply and easily by the property owner. The spikes would be glued in place by using a bead of silicone and will be 100% effective. The only thing left to do is to line the base of the cylinder so that any food that falls out of the feeder as the small birds are feeding will fall into a cup at the base of the cylinder and not onto the ground below. A round plastic food container such as a margarine tub would be ideal for this purpose. If you choose to use a food container for a base it will probably be easier to identify the container before starting work and build the cylinder to fit the food container rather than the other way around. Make one or two very small holes in the base of the container so that when it rains it will not fill up with water. If the horizontal base of the (wooden/UPVC) window frame itself is wide, as is often the case on period properties, it may be worth considering protecting this area with another wire as it is not uncommon for a pigeon to perch or roost on the base of the frame once the sill has been fully protected. This is particularly the case if the pigeon/s has been using the sill for overnight roosting for some considerable time or has previously bred on the windowsill. As there are so many different window types, most of which require different products or solutions, we will discuss each window type separately.OK, so we have discussed how to identify a pigeon-related problem and also how to differentiate between the various problems that you might be experiencing. Hopefully, you are now in a position to install pigeon deterrents or to take necessary exclusion action prior to the installation of deterrents. You may observe brown spots or patches in constantly affected areas. Worse, walls or ceilings may weaken and collapse in the long run. Gutter spikes drive through the gutter and into the fascia board that is behind the gutter. If you have water getting behind the gutter in any way, that will start to soften and eventually rot the wood. Once this happens, the wood will no longer be able to support the gutter and the gutter will either start to pull loose, or sag in that area. Making sure that your gutters don’t get clogged will help prevent water from getting behind the gutter. DEBRIS/CLOGS The industry standard method of protecting exposed pipework is to use anti-roosting spikes. A good quality spike should be sourced from a reputable company on the Internet and the product can then be DIY installed as described above. Our Gutter Spikes will fit all standard half round plastic guttering or hoppers that do not have a lip or ornate design on the front edge.
Anti-roosting spikes stand higher, once installed on a flat surface, than the wire-based system previously described so it will not be possible to install the spikes directly onto the sill as they will interfere with the window opening and closing. The anti-roosting spikes will therefore need to be installed directly onto the base of the frame of the window itself horizontally. Please note that the anti-roosting spikes will need to be glued/attached to the base of the wooden/UPVC/alloy frame of the individual window, not the window frame. This will ensure that when the window is closed the anti-roosting spikes will protect the windowsill and prevent pigeons landing on the sill. Many modern properties will be fitted with windows that open inward/outward and which are constructed from either UPVC, alloy or wood. Assuming that the gap between the base of the window (when open) and the sill is greater than 3” then the provision of wires spanning the sill from one side to another, as described for sash windows, will be the most effective DIY option (link to ‘sash windows’). If, however, the clearance between the base of the window when open and the sill is less than 3” then another option will need to be considered. For essential maintenance, use professional gutter cleaning products so your guttering can benefit from the maximum lifespan. Ensure your gutters stay debris-free and in the best condition with our gutter brushes, gutter guards and other accessories suitable for keeping the system clean. We have looked at all the do-it-yourself pigeon deterrent options for protecting the roof and guttering, so now we will concentrate on the remainder of the building from the guttering down to ground level. A vast majority of problems associated with pigeons roosting or perching on a building will be confined to upper floors. It is rare to find pigeons perching or roosting at ground floor or basement levels. The only exception to this might be car parking areas below ground, light wells or secluded basement areas where human activity is at a minimum.Once the screw hooks have been installed a small spring should be hooked onto each one. The fishing line or steel wire should then be attached to the other end of each spring and pulled as tight as possible without stretching the springs. Each span of wire or line should be able to take the full weight of a pigeon landing in the centre of the span without the wire or line touching the sill, therefore tension is critically important. If, once provided, the wire does ground on the sill when a bird lands upon it, it will then be necessary to raise the height of the screw hook or to further tension the line or wire. It is extremely important to remember, however, that if the line or wire is too high pigeons will simply walk underneath it. Many commercially available systems fail to be effective for this very reason. Although anti-roosting spikes are considered to be the industry standard method of protecting windowsills, many specialist contractors will recommend a post and wire system. These systems are not only expensive but are also prone to failure as a result of wires breaking or due to poor installation. In many cases, where the wires are installed at the incorrect height, pigeons will perch and even nest beneath, behind or beside the wires – this is common. The integral clip on the Defender® Gutter Spikes slips over the leading edge of the gutter, whether half-round or square guttering. No other tools are required, no glue or any extra fixings! This positions the bird spike strip in the centre of the gutter while leaving a gap underneath to allow for the flow of rainwater. The pins of the spike fan out and act as a visual deterrent to stop pigeons approaching the gutter, but if they are determined to give it a try, the pins make it uncomfortable to land and they simply fly off and find another more accessible perch to sit on. The type of DIY system described for recessed balconies (wire or line suspended above the handrail) is a possible option for this balcony type but it will be considerably more difficult to provide based on the fact that the balcony has three external sides rather than just one. In most cases this system would be too complex to provide as a DIY option. The same applies to netting or meshing this type of balcony. It can be netted or meshed but it will be a complex installation. If wire mesh is used it will need to be made up and provided in panels (one for the front and one each for either side) and if nylon bird netting is used a steel retaining wire will need to be provided around the periphery of the recess, to which the netting would be hooked. Angle nails correctly and fasten them with enough force into the fascia board. Otherwise, they can come loose, even with little pressure.
Another common roosting area on the roof of a property is under the roof and/or gutter overhang of a dormer window in the ‘V’ that is created where the roof of the dormer window meets the main roof of the property. This area is an ideal roosting environment for pigeons as it will provide protection from the elements at the same time as being at roof height and therefore free from most forms of predation. Due to the angle of the slope of the roof these areas are rarely ever used for nesting. Simply press the Gutter Spikes onto the guttering lip, using the integral plastic clips (shown on the above picture). The clips are on the outside edge of the guttering, positioning the bird spikes in the centre of the gutter. Another area of your rainwater goods that may need to be protected from pigeons is the ‘hopper’, a V-shaped plastic or cast-iron funnel that connects your horizontal gutter to the vertical downpipe. Pigeons will use hoppers for both roosting and for nesting. It is common to find a pigeon nest built inside a hopper, particularly on period properties that have large cast-iron hoppers.An advantage of screws over nails is that they’re threaded, so they grind against the grain of the material they’re attached to. As a result, they have more holding power and are less likely to come loose. Birds singing in the garden is often beautiful and relaxing, but birds scrabbling around in gutters often at night is not! Fixing loose gutter spikes is the easiest gutter repair there is. All you need to perform this is a ladder, and a rubber mallet. potential food source The other problem is overnight roosting/ breeding where the birds are using a building for the purposes of roosting and/or breeding. It is unusual for a property owner to experience both daytime perching and overnight roosting problems on the same building. This method of protection will mean that the windowsill is unprotected when the window is open, but if the sill is being used by pigeons for the purpose of overnight roosting only, the installation will be 100% effective.
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