Birds’ nests can be destructive to your property, but as nests are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it’s illegal to get rid of them. As such, we’ve create a guide to what you should do if you think there are birds nesting on your roof.
Check Your Roof
If you believe that there are birds nesting on your roof, then the first thing you need to do is have a professional examine it. It’s possible that your roof is just dirty, and in this case you can have it cleaned. If birds are nesting on your roof, then a professional can assess if there’s any structural damage or danger. If there is damage to the whole roof, then the repair job will be much bigger and will likely need scaffolding. If this is the case you can work with a provider of quality scaffolding solutions like Scaffold Towers, who are one of the UK’s top suppliers, to create a secure platform from which a roofing professional can examine your roof and give you an update on the situation before you take any action.
Learn More About The Birds On Your Roof
Should you discover that there are, in fact, birds nesting on your roof, you need to find out more about them so that you can be prepared. After all, they’re going to be unwanted guests on your roof until their eggs have hatched and their chicks grown, so try to find out about their sleeping patterns, the foods they eat and the amount of noise they make. This will help you to coexist with your new feathered neighbours until they relocate.
Keep Your Property Clean
When birds decide to nest on your roof, there will be more faeces, twigs and corpses of prey around your roof and the rest of your property, so you’ll need to keep things cleaner than usual. Wash your windows regularly and clean your gutters so that the birds don’t clog them and cause structural damage to your home.
Remove The Nest Only When The Birds Have Left
As part of your research into the birds on your roof you should look into their nesting timeline, then try to figure out when they will abandon their nest. Keep an eye on the nest during these times, and when you notice that it hasn’t been used in a few weeks you can safely remove it.
Create Deterrents During The Winter Months
As the law protects birds’ nests and doesn’t allow you to move them, the best way to keep your roof free from nesting birds is to deter them during the winter, when most birds are not nesting. There are many ways to discourage birds from nesting on your roof, including putting spikes on it or using reflective ribbons to visually deter them. However, the best way to make birds nest somewhere other than your roof is to give them an alternative. Place nesting boxes around your garden and home to encourage birds to use these instead of building their own nests on your roof.
It can be hard to deal with birds nesting on your roof, but by keeping calm and taking care of your property you can minimise the damage they do and live peacefully alongside any birds that choose to make their home on top of yours.