By Alex A. Kecskes
In recent months, the Villa Del Arroyo mobile home park on the east end of Moorpark, CA has been invaded by birds. In a scene right out of the movie “The Birds,” thousands of crows have descended on the roofs of the park’s mobile homes.
Residents are rudely awaked every day at 6 a.m. to the incessant caws of the noisy black birds. At night, more waves of crows move in, creating quite a din and leaving pounds of droppings on roofs. Some of the birds pick off roof tiles, which residents claim, have caused their roofs to leak. Many residents avoid walking their dogs while the crows are visiting. The numbers seem to swell in the winter and then drop off near the beginning of the breeding season, usually in March. Getting them off rooftops has been a challenge, as they leave when frightened only to return later.
Fortunately, there are ways to keep birds from landing on rooftops. Here are some of the most effective and popular
bird deterrents.
Bird Spikes. If you’re a bird, you’ll flap and weave and circle around these spikes, but you’ll never be able to land. The spiked strips have been
keeping birds off rooftops, ledges and parapet walls for years. They’re easy to install using glue, nails or screws. And they come in rigid U.V.-resistant unbreakable polycarbonate spikes or high strength, durable stainless steel. The poly spikes cost a bit less and are a good choice around TV dish antennas or cell phone aerials, as they won’t interfere with RF transmissions. These spikes also come in a variety of colors--including white, tan, gray, black, brown, brick red and crystal clear to blend in better with the shade of roof. When
installing bird spikes, place them on roof crowns, parapet walls and ledges where birds tend to land.
Bird Gels. A popular and highly effective
bird proofing solution, Bird Gels create a sticky, unpleasant surface for birds to land on. Birds take a few steps and it’s off they go to more accommodating landing sites. Gels are easy to apply using a standard caulking gun. Use a zig-zag pattern on the surface--ledge, parapet wall, conduit, or pipe--and re-apply every 6 months or so. Gels, by the way, are safe for birds (except swallows). They are effective against small and large birds, including pigeons, sparrows, crows, gulls and starlings. The substance maintains its sticky constitution in a wide temperature range—from 15F – 200F.
Bird Spiders. These devices are ideal for keeping pest birds off specific roof areas—like A.C. units, skylights, vents and the like. They are compact and easy to move from location to location. The wildly flailing arms that bob and weave in the breeze make birds very nervous, so they simply move on. Bird spiders come in various sizes--including 2-, 4- and 8-foot diameter arm lengths to create ever widening diameters of protection. The devices are highly effective against a wide variety of pest birds, including gulls, pigeons, cormorants and raptors. The best bird spiders feature a glue-on base, which allows them to be easily attached to most surfaces. Some spiders come with a removable sand bag base that makes them easy to position where pest birds tend to gather. The best bird spiders have a U.V.-protected polycarbonate base for lasting durability in tough outdoor weather.
Bird Sonics. A highly effective
bird proofing device, particularly for larger rooftop areas, Bird Sonic Systems broadcast predator and distress calls to frighten birds away. The sounds alarm pest birds, but are not unpleasant to humans or pets. One of the best sonic systems currently available will broadcast distress and predator calls for as many as 22 different types of birds. It will broadcast sounds for about 2 minutes, remain silent for 10 minutes, then play for another 2 minutes, alternating this way to keep pest bird on their toes. These bird deterrents can be programmed to emit distress and predator calls day and night—or to shut off and come on and specific times. Some systems will continually alter the pitch, frequency, timing and intensity of their sounds for maximum effect.
For best results, bird proofing devices can be used in tandem with other
pest bird deterrents. Before you install these or other deterrents, clean the roof thoroughly of bird droppings, feathers and nesting materials. Birds are attracted to this debris and will consider the area “friendly.” Use commercial disinfecting cleaning agents to prevent exposure to any of the 60 known airborne diseases caused by birds. Use eye and respiratory protection if the area is heavily contaminated with droppings.
