When it comes to roofing, you’d often be surprised at the things that can damage it. Sunlight and mold are the common surprises, but there are others. One that many homeowners don’t often consider is birds. All manner of wildlife can cause damage to your home, but birds can be a particular risk. This leads many homeowners looking for a reliable method for chasing birds off of their roof while doing as little harm as possible. Unsurprisingly, the internet is full of all kinds of seemingly odd and unique gizmos that claim to chase birds away by a variety of methods. While they may seem strange, some of these methods do work, and we thought we’d review a few general methods for keeping birds off of your roof.
The first method used to keep birds off of your roof involves using some kind of noise. Usually, these techniques involve creating a noise that either mimics the sounds created by predators, which chases the birds away, or simply creates some kind of discomfort for the birds. This is usually accomplished by placing some kind of speaker on your roof that plays the sounds. In some cases, this will be a sound that can be detected by human hearing, so you’ll need to find a balance between making it loud enough to be effective, but not so loud as to be irritating to yourself or your neighbors. Other devices are designed to play sounds from a sonic register that’s outside of the range of human hearing, so you won’t need to worry about the irritation. The effectiveness of these methods can be unreliable. Many devices that are advertised as generating bird repellent sounds may only work on a limited selection of birds. Different bird species will react in different ways, particularly with devices that are designed to operate outside of the range of human hearing. You’ll also need to check on local noise ordinances before installing such systems.
Another general category of methods is going to be those that through various means physically prevent birds from landing on your roof. One of the more common are bird spikes, small sharp spikes made of either metal or plastic that make your roof uncomfortable for birds to land on. Bird spiders are long wired devices that resemble a large spider that spin around to make it harder for birds to land. Some homeowners will use large electrical pads that generate a slight shock to any bird that lands on them. Finally, some homeowners will use a bird repellent gel that makes the roof surface uncomfortable for the birds to land on. This gel has to be reapplied every 6-8 months. With all of these methods, you can expect to do some maintenance as they can sustain damage over time. Also, before installing any of the physical barriers to birds, you’ll want to use caution that you don’t damage your roof more than the birds ever would. Improperly installed brackets for bird spikes or spiders could puncture your roof underlayment or even decking, voiding any warranty you have and causing significant damage.
One final category to be considered are methods that are based on the birds vision. This can include such devices that use motion or reflective surfaces to disrupt a bird’s sight causing confusion and discomfort, making your roof unattractive for landing on, or decoys or devices designed to cause a bird to believe a predator is present. This can range from unusually designed devices that look something like a weather vane with mirrors to simply a large plastic owl. Similar to the noise focused repellents, these methods will likely work more on some bird species than others.
Most of the damage birds can cause stems from birds pecking through roof material to get at seeds or insects that have become lodged within the roof shingles, as well as building nests using twigs and other debris storms and wind leave on your roof. Regular roof cleanings help keep these factors to a minimum and your roof looking its best.
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To assist you in identifying noises coming from the walls and roof, there is additional information below.
Oh no, are there any noises coming from the walls or the roof? More importantly, what do you believe is causing them?
Buildings are infested by rats and mice through roof spaces, gaps in the walls, under floors, and above ceilings. They move around, particularly at night, so if you hear sounds in the early hours of the morning and hear the patter of tiny feet, you may have a rat or mouse infestation. Because these rodent vermin cause a lot of damage and carry diseases, they must always be controlled. For a customer in Perth who had experienced multiple anxious and restless nights, we recognized sounds similar to this and utilized mouse control.
If in doubt, contact us by phone or email for expert guidance on identifying pest issues and eliminating pests. With our thirty years of experience, we offer free pest control surveys.
The majority of the harm caused by birds to your roof comes from their nest-building with twigs and other debris left by storms and wind, as well as their pecking through roof material to get at seeds or insects that have become stuck in the shingles. Frequent roof cleanings help minimize these issues and maintain the best-looking roof possible.
Using some sort of noisemaker is the first step in keeping birds off your roof. These methods usually entail producing a noise that either imitates the sounds made by predators, driving the birds away, or just bothers the birds in some way. Typically, to do this, you install a speaker of some sort on your roof that emits the sounds. In certain instances, this sound may be audible to humans, so you’ll need to strike a compromise between amplifying it sufficiently to be useful and not loudly enough to annoy your neighbors or yourself. There’s no need to worry about the irritation because other devices are made to play sounds from a sonic register that’s beyond human hearing. The effectiveness of these methods can be unreliable. Many products that claim to produce sounds that repel birds might only be effective against a specific kind of bird. Various bird species will respond differently, especially when it comes to gadgets meant to function beyond human hearing range. Prior to installing such systems, make sure you are aware of any local noise ordinances.
You would frequently be shocked by the things that can harm roofing. The usual surprises are mold and sunlight, but there are other kinds as well. One that many homeowners don’t often consider is birds. Although any kind of wildlife can harm your house, birds pose a special risk. This causes a lot of homeowners to search for a safe way to chase birds off their roof with the least amount of damage. Naturally, there are a plethora of seemingly peculiar and unusual gadgets on the internet that advertise that they can drive birds away using a range of techniques. Some of these techniques, despite their peculiar appearance, do work, so we thought we’d go over a few basic strategies for keeping birds off your roof.
Another broad category of techniques will be those that, by different means, physically keep birds from perching on your roof. Among the most popular are bird spikes, which are tiny, sharp spikes made of plastic or metal that make it difficult for birds to land on your roof. Bird spiders are long, wired devices that spin around to make it more difficult for birds to land. They resemble big spiders. Some homeowners install big electrical pads that give any bird that lands on them a mild shock. Last but not least, some homeowners will apply a bird repellent gel, which makes it difficult for birds to land on the roof. This gel has to be reapplied every 6-8 months. You should expect to perform some maintenance with all of these methods because they are susceptible to damage over time. It is advisable to exercise caution when erecting any physical barriers to prevent birds from damaging your roof, as the birds would never cause as much damage as you would. Inadequately placed bird spike or spider mounting brackets may pierce your roof’s underlayment or decking, voiding any warranties you may have and resulting in serious damage.
The techniques that rely on a bird’s vision constitute the last group to be taken into account. This can include things like decoys or gadgets meant to trick birds into thinking there is a predator nearby, or things that use motion or reflective surfaces to interfere with a bird’s vision, confusing and discomforting it and making your roof an unappealing place for it to land. This can be anything from oddly constructed objects that resemble mirror-equipped weather vanes to a big plastic owl. Like noise-focused repellents, these techniques probably work better on certain bird species than others.
FAQ
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