Why You Need Plastic Bird Spikes for Your Commercial Building

Without proper bird control, pest birds can create a lot of expensive headaches for your commercial building. It may start with just a few birds on your building, but birds are drawn to the scent of their fellow birds and soon, you’ll have flocks of birds damaging your roofing, AC units, signage, lighting systems, solar panels, skylights and rooftop ventilators. Bird droppings can also damage the controls on skip loaders, power dollies and pallet trucks. These are expenses you don’t need in this down economy.

There’s also the problem of wet bird droppings on walkways and loading docks. These can create dangerous slip-and-fall hazards for workers. To get rid of birds around your commercial building, you should first start by removing any possible food sources around it. That includes sealing of dipsy-dumpsters to deny birds access to food scraps—a big draw for most birds. Once that’s done, consider implementing a tried and true bird deterrent. Here’s what today’s bird control experts recommend:

Plastic Bird Spikes

These anti-perching, anti-roosting spike strips have proven their value time and again in keeping birds away. No bird, no matter how skilled or determined, can negotiate a landing on or near these spikes. Ideal for large birds like pigeons, crows, and gulls, plastic bird spikes are used by commercial buildings nationwide. Plastic spikes are less expensive than stainless steel bird spikes, but they get the job done. They’re non-conductive, too, so you can use them around cell phone and other RF antennas without worries about interference.

Choosing the Right Plastic Bird Spikes

There are bird spikes and there are bird spikes. Make sure you get high quality bird spikes that last. The best plastic bird spikes are made of rigid UV-resistant unbreakable polycarbonate. They resist weathering and sun exposure and will provide many years of reliable bird deterrence. Incidentally, high quality bird spikes are blunted at the tips, so they won’t harm birds or installation crews. They have even been approved by humane groups like the US Humane Society and PICAS. The other advantage of high quality plastic bird spikes is that they come in a variety of colors—including crystal clear, brick red, light grey, brown, black and tan—to blend in naturally with your building.

Easy to Install

Plastic bird spikes are easily installed by your maintenance crew. They can be glued down, nailed or screwed into most any surface. High quality plastic bird spikes will have pre-drilled holes or glue troughs for easy mounting. Before installing any bird spikes, your maintenance crew should first thoroughly clean the surface, removing any loose rust, peeling paint, bird droppings, feathers and nesting materials. The use of commercial disinfecting cleaning agents is recommended to prevent exposure to any of the 60 known airborne diseases carried by birds. It’s also recommended to provide eye and respiratory protection if the area is largely contaminated with bird droppings.

For additional advice on how to properly install plastic bird spikes, consult an expert like the folks at Bird-B-Gone.

How to Install Plastic Bird Spikes

by Fran Prisco

Each year homeowners spend hundreds of dollars cleaning up after and repairing the damage created by pest pigeons. The domestic pigeon has become quite a nuisance in urban areas. Pigeons build relatively flimsy nests from sticks and other debris, which may be placed in trees, on ledges, or on the ground, depending on species. They lay one or two eggs, and both parents care for the young, which leave the nest after 7 to 28 days. Pigeons build relatively flimsy nests from sticks and other debris, which may be placed in trees, on ledges, or on the ground, depending on species. They lay one or two eggs, and both parents care for the young, which leave the nest after 7 to 28 days. Pigeons have adapted to most of the habitats available on the planet.  

How to Install Plastic bird spikes

 There are many products out there that can help to get rid of pest pigeons from your property. By far the easiest to use and one of the most effective are plastic bird spikes. Bird spikes are made of plastic or stainless steel. Some have a plastic base with stainless steel spikes. They usually come in either one foot or two-foot sections. Plastic bird spikes come in different widths some as wide as 7” to be sure to cover the entire surface where pest pigeons are landing. They are used on flat as well as curved surfaces such as window ledges, roof edges, patio covers, arched entryways and other areas that pest pigeons like to roost and nest.

Installation of plastic bird spikes is relatively easy. You can glue or screw them down. Make sure that all debris left behind by the birds is cleaned up first. Use a mixture of bleach or ammonia with water to wet down the area and rinse it clean. Do not clean bird droppings dry as they can be inhaled in dry form and cause illness. When cleaning bird droppings use a mask and gloves. Use enough plastic bird spikes to cover the entire area that the pigeons are landing or roosting on. If they are in an area that is hard to get to it might be wise to call an expert. There are many companies that install bird control products like plastic bird spikes.  

How Plastic bird spikes Work

Once properly installed plastic bird spikes make it difficult for pigeons to land. The plastic bird spikes are usually 4.25” to 4.50” high so that pigeons and larger birds can not straddle the spikes. Be sure to look for a spike that has a “center” spike running down the middle. This will keep the birds from building nests in the spikes themselves. Covering all of the surface of a ledge or widow sill, will keep the pigeons form landing as birds land feet first, they will sense that something is there and move on. When first installing plastic bird spikes, you may want to watch and see if the birds find another area of your home or building to land on. That area too will need to have plastic bird spikes installed. If you are unsure if you can put in the plastic bird spikes yourself to call a local bird control installer. Most pest control companies can help, or call the pigeon spike manufacturer for an installer near you. Getting ride of pest pigeons can be as easy as “gluing and screwing”!

Plastic Bird Spikes Combine Economy with Efficiency

by Alex A. Kecskes

One of the best values in bird proofing today is the Plastic Bird Spike. These clever devices deny birds a suitable landing zone. After a few unsuccessful attempts to negotiate around the intimidating spikes, birds wise up and just move on. The spikes are ideal for deterring larger birds--like pigeons, crows, gulls, vultures and raptors. And they can be used virtually anywhere with little or no maintenance. The blunted spikes are safe for birds and maintenance crews, which is why they have earned the approval of humane groups around the world--including the U.S. Humane Society and PICAS (Pigeon Control Advisory Service). They are also GSA approved. This might be one reason why plastic bird spikes have been widely recommended by building contractors, architects, and municipalities.

Spikes for Many Species

Let's say you're being inundated by pigeons. Plastic bird spikes have proven to be highly effective in keeping these filthy birds from landing and roosting on ledges, parapets, rooftops and other structures. As most property owners may have noticed, pigeons can be very aggressive and often feed in flocks, devouring seeds, bread, vegetables, meat and almost any food discarded by humans. They roost together on rooftops, on walls, or any nook or cranny they can find. And they create quite a mess in droppings, which often carry any of 60 known diseases, some of which can be quite serious and life-threatening to humans.

If you have a problem with seagulls--and many property owners do, since these birds have begun to migrate inland--you'll need an effective bird proofing measure. Gulls are attracted to food scraps in cities, suburbs and municipal dumps. Recently the large birds have begun to nest in shopping centers, near fast food eateries, and on supermarket roofs. Gulls are clever birds that have increasingly been born and bred in cities, scavenging for food and becoming very aggressive, especially during breeding season. What's most alarming is that gulls have begun to dive-bomb and strike construction crews and roof maintenance and repair workers. In one instance, they even grabbed an ice cream cone right out of a little girl's hand. Installing plastic bird spikes is economical and effective way to deter these pest birds.

Another pesky bird is the crow. These smart birds set up close-knit communities to keep an eye out for predators or other threats. In the winter, crows roost in large flocks reaching up to 1,000 birds. Plastic bird spikes will discourage these birds from landing, forcing them to move on. Crows will invade school grounds, commercial property, healthcare facilities and fast-food eateries. They are not very particular about their diet and will eat anything from seeds, grains, and fruits to scavenged carcasses and small animals--imagine the diseases they can transmit on their beaks and feet as they hop from table to table at an outdoor restaurant.

Plastic bird spikes also do a nice job in deterring turkey vultures. These big birds have wide 6-foot wingspans and a short, hooked bill, which they use to rip apart carrion.  Turkey vultures inhabit the southern United States, Mexico, and South America, as well as subtropical forests, shrublands, deserts, foothills, pastures, grasslands, and wetlands. The big birds will feast on lifeless animals, forage for food individually during the day, and return to a roost after dark. They mostly nest in the nooks and crannies of buildings, and as much as you might be tempted to shoot them, they are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Advantages of Plastic Bird Spikes

One of the major benefits of using plastic bird spikes is that, unlike steel bird spikes, they are non-conductive. Which means they can safely be used near electrical equipment and any kind of antenna radiating RF energy. Since they won't interfere with EM transmissions, you can use them near cell phone towers, airport towers, relay stations and other areas where high-frequency transmissions are being generated.

Another advantage of plastic bird spikes is that they are highly durable. They can stand up to tough weather conditions. The best spikes in this category are made of 100% post-industrial plastic materials. The material is tough, strong, and eco-friendly. Better plastic spikes are also U.V. protected to endure long periods in sunlight and bad weather. One popular brand of plastic spike can stand temperature swings form +310 degrees F to -200 degrees. F.

Many architects and builders like plastic bird spikes because they blend into a structure's design and color scheme. Which means, the spikes are not as visually intrusive as other bird deterrents. One company even offers plastic bird spikes in a wide range of colors--including white, tan, gray, black, brown, brick red and even crystal clear.

Plastic bird spikes are also surprisingly easy to install. They come in 3-, 5- and 7-inch widths and they need no assembly. A single row of plastic bird spikes will typically cover an area of 7 inches wide. The spiked strips come in two-foot sections. The best plastic spikes feature a flexible base that easily conforms to any flat or curved surface. Installation is a snap since each spike strip comes already pre-drilled with holes along the base, allowing the strip to be screwed onto any surface. You can also glue the strip down in areas where screws are either impractical or prohibited. A glue trough on the base of each spike strip allows for fast and easy application and facilitates rapid installs.

Finally, plastic bird spikes are more economical than their steel counterparts. This can be a factor in large installations or for companies that have an extremely tight bird control budget. Keep in mind that some manufacturers offer a full 5-year guarantee on their plastic bird spikes. So you are covered against breakdown of the product and UV degradation of the plastic.

Bird Spikes for the Ultimate in Bird Control

 

If you own a small retail shop, pest birds can quickly turn it into a “little shop of horrors.” Unless you implement some type of effective bird control, pest birds can “dive bomb” your customers coming and going. Birds can also deface your signage, your windows and doors, even your walkways. Bird droppings on walkways can be a double problem since they can be tracked into your shop and they can create dangerous slip-and-fall hazards. Customers who slip on your property and become injured can file a legal claim against you for injury. The last thing you need right now. 

Without effective bird deterrents like Bird Spikes, pest birds can tie up your staff with daily cleaning chores. Windows and doors must be constantly cleaned. Walkways must be hosed down. Signage must be cleaned and cleared of bird nests (this usually requires your maintenance staff to climb a ladder). Birds nests and droppings can also clog rain gutters and spouts. And they can damage rooftop AC units, skylights and solar panels.

One proven way to get rid of birds is to use today’s most popular and effective bird control device: the Bird Spike.  

Bird spikes are easy to install on ledges, parapet walls, conduits and signs--on either flat or curved surfaces. Long lasting, USA-made stainless steel spikes come in 3-, 5- and 8-inch wide spiked strips and two-foot sections. Here’s how to evaluate the spiked strips for the coverage you need:

• 3-inch spikes will provide 2 to 4 inches of coverage on a 5-inch wide ledge
• 5-inch spikes will cover 5 to 7-inches on a 7-inch wide ledge
• 8-inch spikes will cover 8 to 10 inches on a 10-inch wide ledge

A company called Bird-B-Gone offers a stainless steel spike with a patented “bend-and-crush” design that has 40 spikes per foot. This will provide ample bird deterrence for many applications. Bird spikes also come in unbreakable polycarbonate. These versatile spikes can be used to keep birds off cell phone antennas and other radio frequency aerials. Poly spikes come in rows of spiked strips in 3-, 5- and 7-inch widths and two-foot sections. Some shop owners prefer these spikes simply because they come in a variety of colors—like white, tan, gray, black, brown, brick red and crystal clear—to match their storefront.

Before you install bird spikes, clean out any nests and droppings. When installing bird spikes, the spike’s width should leave no more than a 1-inch gap on either side. To attach the spike, use glue, screws or tie-down straps. To install the spikes on pipes and conduits, use common hose clamps, nylon ties or wire lashings. To glue down the spikes, use a construction-grade adhesive (available at hardware stores). To screw down the spikes, use the offset pre-drilled holes provided. Better quality spikes will have breakaway notches if you need smaller spiked sections.