Using Pigeon Spikes to Keep Pigeons from Roosting and Nesting

by Alex A. Kecskes

Ever wonder why you don’t see many pigeons in Disneyland? After all, the place is a food paradise for pest birds, what with popcorn and food scraps under tables and chairs in just about every Kingdom. The reason is simple: the Magic Kingdom uses one of the most effective bird deterrents ever devised--the Pigeon Spike. You can see them if you really look for them.  They’re on many light poles and other lofty fixtures, structures and buildings. But they blend in because the spikes come in various colors.

The ubiquitous rock dove or pigeon is now just about everywhere. They have learned to live with humans and will boldly move into an area, digging for food in and around restaurants, trash bins, schools, colleges, amusement parks—anywhere there are people.

To survive, pigeons need a place to land and observe their surroundings. They’ll survey an area before roosting and nesting to makes sure there are plenty of food scraps, water and protection from predators and the elements. Unless there are deterrents like pigeon spikes to discourage them, they will quickly invade an area and take it over.

If you’re a property owner, you need to act proactively to ensure pest pigeons don’t invade your property and create an unhealthful mess.  One way to keep them away is through the proper use of effective pigeon spikes.

Pigeon spikes won’t allow these pest birds to land. The specially designed spike strips are easily mounted on rooftops, parapet walls and ledges using glue, nails or screws. Bird spikes come in rigid U.V.-resistant unbreakable polycarbonate spikes or high strength, durable stainless steel. The less expensive poly spikes are suggested for use around RF or cell phone antennas, since they won’t interfere with radio transmissions. Pigeon spikes also come in different colors--including white, tan, gray, black, brown, brick red and crystal clear so they’ll blend in better with a structure or building. One manufacturer offers bird spikes with a non-reflective metal finish.

Before you install pigeon spikes, clean the area thoroughly of bird droppings, feathers and nesting materials. Pigeons are attracted to this debris and will consider the area “friendly.” Use commercial disinfecting cleaning agents to reduce your exposure to any of the 60 known airborne diseases carried by birds. In some cases, it may be necessary to equip cleaning crews with PPE (Proper Protective Equipment) in the form of eye and respiratory protection. In severely infested areas, you may need to hire certified bio-hazardous waste removal companies to do the job. After live enzyme treatments are applied, germicides/viruscides or both may have to be employed to ensure that pathogens are completely removed.

When installing bird spikes, make sure to leave no gaps for the pigeons to squeeze through. Stainless steel spikes come in 3-, 5- and 8-inch wide spiked strips. The 3-inch spikes offer 2 to 4 inches of coverage on a 5-inch wide ledge; the 5-inch spikes will protect 5 to 7-inches on a 7-inch wide ledge; and the 8-inch spikes will cover 8 to 10 inches on a 10-inch wide ledge. One manufacturer offers a stainless steel bird spike with a patented “bend-and-crush” design for permanent installations. The best pigeon spikes feature a unique “no-nest” design with no-gap spacing to deter birds from roosting or landing.

Sometimes pigeons will build nests in rain gutters. This can clog the gutters and prevent them from directing water away form the roof. This, in turn, can cause extensive water damage. In this case, you should install Gutter Spikes, which are specially designed to fit onto gutters.

The best way to deter pest pigeons is through the use of effective bird deterrents like pigeon spikes. Once installed, they require very little maintenance. The best spikes will offer years of service and will hold up under harsh weather conditions.

Protect Your Home from Pigeons with Bird Spikes

by Alex A. Kecskes

Unless you protect your home with effective pest bird deterrents—like Bird Spikes—pigeons can cause a considerable amount of damage. Like most birds, pigeons look for sunny areas that provide safety from predators and shelter from the elements. They also look for venues that offer a close proximity to food and water. Most homes offer these and other advantages to pigeons.

A favorite nesting place for many pigeons is the rain gutter. The dish-shaped runways offer ideal nesting sites for most nests. While it’s great for pigeons, it’s bad for homeowners. The nests are often filled with bird droppings and form a solid clump that blocks gutters, sending water under roofing tiles and shingles, and eventually causing leaks when it rains. All the more reason to install specially designed bird spikes for gutters called Gutter Spikes. The best gutter spikes have adjustable clamps at the base, which makes them easy to mount to the lip of your gutter.

Another headache caused by pigeons occurs when they nest and roost on and in your home. Pigeons like to gather on rooftops because it affords them a “bird’s eye” view of the landscape, allowing them to spot predators, water and food.  If you have a broken attic window, vent grille or loose soffit, pigeons will end up in your attic and that can be a real problem. It’s surprising how little an opening they need to sneak into an attic. Bird spikes can keep them out—but you have to install the spikes before flocks of pigeons show up.

Once inside, the scent and cooing of pigeons will attract other pigeons (pigeons are very sociable) and before long, you’ll have a sea of nests and mini mountains of poop in your attic. This can create a potential fire danger and a breeding area for disease. Pigeons can carry and/or transmit any of 60 diseases—including bacterial, viral, parasitic and fungal.  Chief among these are Histoplasmosis and West Nile Virus.  There’s also the noise factor, which can drive you crazy in the mornings.  You can eliminate these headaches by installing bird spikes.

The high levels of uric acid in pigeon droppings can etch most surfaces--including brick, concrete, metals, paints and marble. If you leave your boat, car or RV in the driveway, pigeon droppings can eat into and permanently mar the paint. If you have a rooftop AC unit, solar heating panels or circulating air vents, pigeon droppings can damage these systems over time (unless you regularly clean the pigeon droppings off your solar panels, the efficiency of these panels will be drastically reduced). To save your home, car, boat and RV from the ravages of pest pigeons, you should install bird spikes, the proven effective pigeon deterrent. 

The best bird spikes are constructed of flexible, marine-grade stainless steel and feature a U.V.-protected polycarbonate base. Some bird spikes are available in a non-reflective metal finish, which means they’ll blend in more easily to your home’s aesthetics. Steel bird spikes come in 3-, 5- and 8-inch widths to cover areas up to 8 inches wide. Mid-sized pest birds, like pigeons, can be easily deterred by a 3-inch wide spike.

If you’re on a budget, you can get plastic bird spikes. They do the job nicely and last many years. They also come in a rainbow of colors to match your home’s color scheme. Current colors include white, tan, gray, black, brown, brick red and crystal clear. These spikes come in 3-, 5- and 7-inch widths to protect areas up to 7 inches wide. Consider plastic spikes if you need to protect areas near your dish TV antenna, as the plastic won’t interfere with the antenna’s ability to pick up signals.

If your home is near the sea or a lake, opt for a bird spike called the Mega Spike. It’s ideal for deterring large pest birds like cormorants, turkey vultures or raptors.
Installing bird deterrents is easy. Especially if you choose high quality bird spikes. These come with pre-drilled holes and glue troughs for fast, easy mounting. The best bird spikes are blunted at the tips and won’t harm birds or pets. They’ve been approved by a number of humane groups worldwide, including the U.S. Humane Society and PICAS (Pigeon Control Advisory Service).

Before you install bird spikes, make sure the surface is clean and dry. Prepare the area by removing any loose rust, peeling paint, bird droppings, feathers and nesting materials. Use commercial disinfecting cleaning agents to prevent exposure to airborne diseases carried by birds. If the area is heavily contaminated with bird droppings, use proper eye and respiratory protection.

How to Install Pigeon Spikes

Keeping your Home Pigeon Free!

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 Pigeon Spikes

There are many products out there that can help to get rid of pigeons from your property.  By far the easiest to use and one of the most effective are pigeon spikes.  Pigeon 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.  Pigeon 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 pigeon 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 pigeon 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 pigeon spikes.

How Pigeon Spikes Work

Once properly installed pigeon spikes make it difficult for pigeons to land.  The pigeon 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 pigeon 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 pigeon spikes installed.

If you are unsure if you can put in the pigeon 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”!