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Protect your Roof from Birds
July 16th, 2015
Nesting birds can be a nightmare for homeowners as they can have a significant negative impact on the quality and durability of your roof. Not only can their droppings make a considerable mess, but they also expose your home to parasites such as worms and mites. Nesting birds can also cause damage to roof tiles and shingles while also making a lot of noise. Still, preventing birds from nesting in and around roof structures can be difficult, especially if you prefer to take humane measures. So what are some safe methods for protecting your roof from birds?
Birds are often put off by surfaces that reflect the sun – so, if you want to “deflect” birds, there are a few easy enough solutions. Using drinking cans, disposable baking dishes, old CDs, or aluminum foil, you can create reflective strips and attach them to the sides and surface of your roof. Birds will usually avoid the glare created by these reflective surfaces and nest elsewhere.
Scare the Crow
Scarecrows are used by farmers for a reason; and while you probably don’t want to fix scarecrows to your roof, figures of cats or owls are often enough of a distraction without being an eyesore. In fact, home supply stores often sell owl decoys that can be installed on roofs or in gardens to deter pesky birds.
Peppers and Spray
Now, I’m not suggesting you go out and buy pepper spray (which is actually illegal in Canada), but you can make a natural pepper spray that helps deter birds and other wildlife. First, crush some chili peppers and put them in a large glass of water. Let the mixture sit in the sun for a couple of days until the peppers ferment, then put the mixture in a spray bottle. You can then spray this mixture around the surface of your roof, or even around established nests. Birds will be reluctant to establish themselves, and already nested birds will likely depart.
Protect with Nets
Your local home and garden supply store is sure to sell bird netting. You can lay this netting over your roof (and specifically roof structures that are prone to nesting) and this will prevent birds from access. The netting does not harm the birds and it’s not intended to catch the birds. Instead, bird netting is intended as an easy solution for preventing birds from getting into areas where they like to build nests. Take care to buy netting specific for birds, as other types of netting can be dangerous for birds.
Unfortunately, natural solutions are not always effective. You may find you need to employ more than one of these techniques. If you’ve tried one or more of these solutions without success, you should consider hiring a pest control expert.
