In London, birds are both a common and a wonderful sight.
However, when they decide to make your property their home, they can become a nuisance.

At PestPatrol, we have plenty of experience advising home owners and businesses about their unwanted feathered guests.

Detering birds legally and humanely is not only the right thing to do but it’s a legal requirement in the UK.
So how do you deter birds legally?

Understanding the Legal Restrictions

In London as in the UK birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

It is unlawful to intentionally kill, injure or take a wild bird or damage its nest or remove any of its eggs unless you have the proper permission or license.

Other than the potential for a court fine, shelling out up to £5,000 or worse due to a breach of this law is not ideal.

This does not mean that you don’t have options.
There are many humane and legal bird deterrents that are effective and will protect your property.

Humane and Legal Bird Deterrents

Bird Spikes

Bird spikes are one of the most well-known legal bird control measures.
They are not as harsh or offensive as they may sound!

Bird spikes do nothing to harm birds;
they only deter landing or roosting on your ledges, roofs and window sills,
and they do it comfortably.

They are great for pigeons and larger birds and are cost effective and very efficient.

Bird Netting

Bird netting will do very well in larger areas such as roofs, gardens and industrial sites.

Professionally fitted.
Netting creates an impenetrable barrier preventing birds access to specific areas without causing harm.

It is soft, humane, and very effective.

Wire Systems

Wire deterrents are also a popular choice within bird pest control London.

Wire deterrents or wire systems are tensioned wires strategically placed to prevent birds roosting.

They provide discreet, low visual-impact deterrent
ideal for protecting the aesthetics of historic structures and buildings.

Visual Deterrents

Visual deterrents like reflective tape, bird scarers, or imitation predator deterrents
(such as plastic owls or plastic hawks) can be effective birds deterrents!

While these are usually not permanent solutions,
visual deterents can be useful in smaller gardens and domestic contexts.

Practical Tips To Ensure Effective Deterrent Solutions

• Finding early signs of nesting is critical, you must check your property regularly.
  Timely action is paramount.
• If you are concerned about managing birds in your property,
  maintaining a clean environment is essential;
  rubbish or leftover food attracts birds.
• Regular property inspections and maintenance are a great defence
  to be used against early infestations in order to
  prevent escalating bird management strategy into something severe
  and require pest controller services.

Real Life Situations

PestPatrol have helped many businesses in London to solve bird problems.

For example, a local café in Camden had frequent problems with pigeons
preventing outdoor seating from a rooftop terrace.

After they installed bird spikes and bird netting, the café not only reduced their cleaning costs,
the result significantly improved the overall customer experience too.

Another project was for a heritage-listed building in Westminster.
PestPatrol installed wire systems discreetly for the building owner.

A wire deterrent system for birds was the ideal solution in preserving the overall heritage look of the building, which the pigeons were making worse.

When to Consult PestPatrol?

It is possible to effectively apply many deterrents yourself.

However, you may wish or need to seek professional help from PestPatrol in the following situations:

• When there is a persisting, extensive bird infestation;
  or it is not practical to manage alone.
• If you are dealing with protected buildings or heritage sites
  to install deterrents study specialist installation.
• When on-site or to be confirmed package or product deterrents don’t work;
  specifically what you are trying to achieve!

We ensure effective, humane, and completely legal solutions to suit your specific situation.

Protect Your Property Legally and Humanely

Bird deterrents in London do not have to be complicated.
PestPatrol can help you understand the maze of legal bird control methods
to keep your home or business safe from birds.

Don’t let a minor bird problem become a major issue.
Speak to PestPatrol about professional advice,
and humane bird management solutions best suited to your needs.

If you are looking for comprehensive details, find our dedicated Bird Pest Control page.