Bird Deterrents

Bird spikes

Stainless steel bird spikes are fitted along ledges, sills, parapets, signage, and other flat surfaces to stop unwanted birds landing.

The spikes are mounted on a durable polycarbonate base and create a physical barrier that makes the surface impossible to perch or roost on.

Despite their name and appearance, they don’t hurt the birds. They’re a humane deterrent that just makes the surface uncomfortable to land.

Pigeon spikes are one of the most reliable and long lasting bird deterrents for commercial and domestic buildings. They’re tough, require no maintenance once fitted, and they protect the building year after year.

If the problem is pigeons on specific ledges and sills, spikes are usually the first thing we’d recommend.

The one limitation is visibility.

Spikes are discreet but not hidden, so on listed or heritage buildings, bird wire systems may be a better fit.

Bird netting

Bird netting is a highly effective way to create a physical barrier that excludes pest birds from an entire area.

UV-stabilised net is stretched across stainless steel frameworks to cover loading bays, courtyards, warehouse ceilings, undercrofts, and roof plant areas.

If birds are getting inside a building or accessing a large covered space, netting is the only deterrent that fully solves the problem as it physically prevents the birds from entering.

This makes netting the standard approach for warehouses, food production sites, car parks, and covered walkways.

For external ledges and narrow surfaces, spikes or wire would do the job more simply.

Bird wire systems

A bird wire system uses tensioned stainless steel wire strung between small posts to create an unstable landing surface. Birds can’t balance on the wire, so they move on.

The big advantage is that it’s nearly invisible from the ground.

On buildings where appearance matters, from heritage properties to hotel facades, wire does the same job as spikes without the visual impact.

Wire suits listed buildings, historic properties, heritage sites, and hotels.

Just bear in mind that smaller bird species like sparrows can sometimes get between the wires, and the system needs periodic tension checks, so it’s not fully maintenance-free like spikes.

Electric bird deterrent systems

Electric track systems (sometimes sold under brand names like Avishock) run a low-voltage pulse through a thin track fixed to ledges, parapets, and roof edges.

When a bird lands on the track, it gets a mild shock that doesn’t injure it but discourages it from returning.

Electric deterrents are effective on high-pressure sites where birds have been roosting for a long time and are strongly attached to the location.

We typically recommend electric systems for stubborn colonies on commercial buildings, flat roofs, and parapets where other methods haven’t worked. They do cost more to install and need a power supply, so they’re mainly a commercial solution rather than a domestic one.

Bird free gel

Bird free gel is one of the more unusual bird deterrents available. Small dishes of gel are fixed to ledges and other surfaces. To the human eye, they’re barely noticeable.

But the gel reflects UV light in a way that looks like fire to birds. They see what appears to be flames and the surface becomes completely unappealing to birds.

It sounds unlikely and too good to be true, but it genuinely works.

Bird free gel is effective on ledges, signage, flat roofs, and other exposed surfaces. It deters pigeons, gulls, and crows, and it lasts several years before needing replacement.

The limitation is that gel deters landing but won’t disperse an established colony on its own. It works best as a preventive measure to keep birds away, or combined with a thorough clean-up and nest removal first.

Bird scarers, sonic deterrents, and visual deterrents

Sonic deterrents and acoustic bird scarer systems play recorded distress calls or predator sounds to scare birds away from an area. The better bird scarers alternate the calls randomly so birds don’t get used to the pattern.

Visual deterrents include reflective tape, predator decoys (hawk kites, owl models), and laser bird deterrent systems that project a moving beam across a site to disperse birds. On large open areas like agricultural land, airfields, and landfill, these can be part of an effective bird deterrent programme.

On urban buildings, results are less reliable.

Pigeons in particular are quick to learn that a plastic owl on a roof isn’t a real threat, and sonic deterrents in built-up areas can cause noise complaints. Bird scarers work best alongside physical barriers like spikes and netting rather than on their own.

Choosing an effective bird deterrent

The single biggest mistake with bird deterrents is choosing the wrong one. A decoy owl on a roof where pigeons have been nesting for three years won’t scare birds away. Netting across a whole building facade when the problem is concentrated on two ledges is overkill.

Every property is different, which is why we survey first and recommend afterwards.

We’d rather tell you what you actually need than sell you something that won’t solve the problem.

Get a free survey with Clark Pest Control today

Not sure which bird deterrent suits your property? We offer a range of bird control solutions, from pigeon spikes to professional bird netting and electric systems.

We’ll come out, assess the situation, and recommend humane solutions that actually work. No charge, no obligation.

Our pest control technicians install bird deterrents across Scotland and Northern England, so where ever you are located, we aim to help.

Call 0800 808 5615 or get in touch through our website to receive your free, no-obligation quote.