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Getting birds to stay away from your house can be a real challenge. Because these animals are able to fly, you have to be able to employ different kinds of barriers to be able to exclude them. This isn't like putting up a fence to stop a pesky raccoon from coming onto your property. You have to take measures that will keep a flying animal from landing on your roof, while considering that it can come from many different angles to be able to gain access. This sounds like a rather daunting task.



To try to accomplish this, some turn to such things as bird spike installation to assist in keeping birds away. If you are unfamiliar with these devices, they are a strip with metal spikes sticking up out of that you attached to your roof in areas where you know that birds are known to gather.

If you have never seen these before, they are quite similar to the kinds of structures that you would've seen around Army fortifications 100 years ago. They are spikes that stick up and crisscross one another so that they are dangerous for a bird to try to land on. Not only are they uncomfortable to the bird, who can't find a location to roost at, but they also pose a health risk as they can puncture the carcass of this flying animal.

These really do work, but it is the installation of them that it makes it a successful measure for you to employ. It's not that they are difficult to install. Many come with adhesive strips to them or offer you the opportunity to either nail or screw them into a portion of your home. These are quite easy to get up, it is in making sure that you are choosing the right location that is the most important factor for placing up the bird spike.

Where you will find is that most birds roost in one of two areas on your home. This is either on the edge of your roof or directly under the eaves. In fact, birds are more likely to build a nest under the eaves of your home then on any other place on your property outside of a tree. What this tells you is that you need to place these bird spikes under the eaves of your home, maybe even in several locations. You may also have to place them on the edges of your roof in several spots as well.

This may make your house look like you are preparing for battle, and the truth is that you are. Large numbers of birds pose a serious health risk to you and your family because of the waste that they leave behind. Plus, they can be noisy as anything you can imagine. You may not like the fact that you have to place on so many of these bird spikes around your home, but you will find that they are extremely successful in keeping these flying creatures away.

Bird Spike Installation

Need bird removal in your hometown? We service over 500 USA locations! Click here to hire us in your town and check prices - updated for year 2020.

If you have ledges or wall-tops that birds regularly land on or roost on, bird spike installation could very well be the way forward for you. Bird spikes are a method of bird prevention that stop the bird from being able to land. When the bird can't land, it can't roost, and it certainly can't get itself comfortable. It won't be long before the bird is encouraged to fly away.



These spike strips tend to work better for the larger birds. Smaller ones that sometimes still land on the edges of the spikes, and also in between them. Crows, pigeons and gulls, on the other hand, can't land when these strips are present, making them a great way of eradicating the problem from your home or property.

Not just perfect for ledges, bird spike installation can work for other spaces, including light posts and eaves, I-beams and signs, parapet walls, ledges, signs, windowsills, roof lines, and more. What's better is that they are relatively inexpensive, especially when you compare them to other methods of keeping birds away.

Installing the strips themselves is relatively simple, but we do urge you to make sure you've read all of the instructions before you start getting handy. You will need to get things started with a cleanup operation, removing all debris and bird droppings from the surface on which you want to affix these bird spike strips. You'll want to protect yourself as you do this, making sure you have on eye protection, thick gloves, and even a respiratory or face mask. The feces left by birds, just as with many other wild animals, is often rife with disease.

Once all debris and waste is removed, you must then clean the area thoroughly with a disinfectant. This is get rid of any scent or pheromones that the birds may have left behind, which act as signals to other birds and even other animals. Essentially, you want to remove all signs that the birds were ever there in the first place, and you will also want to make sure the area will be kept clean. You should cut down any overhanging or low-lying branches, for example, that could get tangled up in your spike strips, or allow birds to still land there.

Once the area is clean, it is then time to affix your bird spike strips. You will have various methods of mounting them, and the adhesive you use will depend on the surface you're mounting them on to. Concrete, for example, requires an outdoor-suitable construction glue or adhesive. You should avoid using any kind of adhesive that is silicone based. If you're attaching your spike strips to wood, on the other hand, such as ledges, windowsills and fences, you should consider screwing the strips with wood screws.

In some cases, you may need to cut down the bird spike strips in order to make them fit. They are available to buy in different sizes, but usually comes in strips that are approximately two foot in length. You may also need to double-up on your spike strips, using two rows to cover a large ledge, for example. You should also check to make sure they're overhanging ever-so-slightly. A hacksaw or wire cutters can be used to make them smaller, if required. Just make sure you haven't left enough of a flat base for the birds still to land on. That would defeat the point of all your hard work.

Despite looking quite vicious, bird spike strips are not designed to hurt birds in any way. These methods of bird prevention are actually approved by most cruelty-free charities and organizations, including PICAS and The Humane Society of the United States.

    For more information, you may want to click on one of these guides that I wrote:
How much does bird removal cost? - get the lowdown on prices.
How to get rid of birds - my main bird removal info guide.
Example bird removal photographs - get do-it-yourself ideas.
Bird job blog - learn from great examples of bird jobs I've done.