How netting can prevent birds from nesting on your property
Posted on 6th November 2020 at 08:04
Pigeon problems in Reading? We have the solution.
Feral pigeons can be extremely difficult to dislodge from a roost, these birds were once domesticated for their use as a food supply, they have little to fear from us and they are more than comfortable living in close proximity to mankind.
In fact its rare to find the feral pigeon living anywhere else, this living habit of the birds means that once they move onto a site they will need to be effectively removed and the best way of doing that is to create a physical barrier in the form of netting that seals off the area.
Bird netting the ultimate deterrent
Bird netting should be the first and only consideration when choosing a method of bird deterrent in a situation where the birds are in situ; feral pigeons are very intelligent and visual decoys will have little effect.
The regular flying of birds of prey in the area will also fail in time as the birds realise that the area is safe once it’s gone and they will return when the raptors have left; this action will become quicker over time as the birds get used to the intrusion.
Bird netting provides a physical barrier that keeps the pigeons from settling on the site and these can cover small areas like a domestic balcony on a block of flats to much bigger areas like those covering industrial roof top air conditioning machinery.
Guaranteed pigeon prevention
Pigeons will roost just about anywhere where there is protection from the elements and we also install netting beneath commercial loading bays where the birds will congregate in the roof trusses and defecate onto the vehicles below.
The nets that we install are made from polyethylene and ultraviolet light stable; this means that they don’t degrade in sunlight and they can withstand strong winds and airborne pollution. The life expectancy of a bird net is around ten years, the biggest risk to our nets are other trades people who will cut the net to access the void behind. To combat this we can build in flaps that can be unfastened or install a zip into the net to allow access to equipment like lights and cameras that maybe sheltered behind the ‘wall’ of netting.
A recent job just completed by us for Sainsburys in Friar Street - the installation of new refrigeration equipment meant that the old net in place beneath the loading bay had to be re-installed.
A series of nets spans an area 30 metres by 20 metres and will prevent the birds from accessing the pipework that runs beneath the roof.
Why do you need to keep pigeons off your building?
It always surprises us when surveying a site how many people ignore the problem of pigeons and spend years cleaning up after them and living with the stink and the noise of the birds. Pigeons will eat just about anything that they can find and not surprisingly they produce a lot of poo, this matter is thick and very smelly, and it quickly builds up into a thick mass.
Pigeon poo is extremely hazardous for many reasons, for one its slippery and so surfaces that get covered can be dangerous; this is particularly an issue on commercial buildings where rooftop machinery may have to be accessed by raking ladders and the rooftop itself becomes unsafe to walk on.
Employers have a duty of care to the staff and contractors working on site and we often get called in to install nets over air conditioning equipment where pigeons have roosted and made the site unhygienic.
The hazards of pigeon droppings
Pigeon poo or guano to give its correct name is especially hazardous from a biological viewpoint; the mass of nutrient rich material is a breeding ground for bacteria, fungus and viruses all of which are hazardous to health.
As well as being incredibly smelly the mass contains the following organisms –
A very nasty fungus called cryptococcus which is present in pigeons droppings, an infection of cryptococcus can take different forms depending on where the infection is picked up. In the lungs it may present as pneumonia however it can be spread to the brain and the nervous system where it causes meningitis. Skin infections are common and the fungus causes swelling, and ulcers, eye and ear infections are also common.
Salmonella, the bacteria we associate with food poisoning is also present in pigeon droppings, this causes sickness and diarrhea and can be a big risk to the young and the elderly. Even for a healthy person salmonella can be debilitating and cause ill health for many days.
E.coli is another bacteria found in pigeon droppings and again this has the ability to make you very sick, there are strains of the E.coli bacteria that cause kidney failure and seizures and these can prove fatal.
Two other fungi can give breathing problems especially where the pigeons have roosted inside a building and the droppings dry out and become airborne as a dust; these are Candidiasis and Histoplasmosis. Both of these infections can be serious and their presence can be prevented through pigeon control.
Effective pigeon control in Reading
We install bird netting in Reading and throughout the South-East, from a simple clean up and installation of a net to barrier off a domestic balcony to a more involved structure over roof top plant as a local pest control company, no job is too big or too small.
If you have a problem with feral pigeons roosting on your property don’t ignore it, the birds will not leave of their own accord and the problem will just get worse. Give us a ring and we will provide you with a no-obligation quote, the solution maybe easier and cheaper than you think.
To find out what we can do for you, whether a small domestic balcony or a large industrial premises click on this link to our bird control page on our website.
Just call 07491 247 999
Tagged as: Pigeon control
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