A bird control spike, also known as an anti-roosting spike, pigeon spike, or roost modification, is a device consisting of long, needle-like rods used for

bird control Bird control or bird abatement involves the methods to eliminate or deter pest birds from landing, roosting and nesting. Bird control is important because pest birds can create health-related problems through their feces, including histoplasmos ...

. Bird control spikes can be attached to building ledges,

street light A street light, light pole, lamp pole, lamppost, street lamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or path. Similar lights may be found on a railway platform. When urban electric power distribution ...

ing, and

commercial signage Signage is the design or use of signs and symbols to communicate a message. A signage also means signs ''collectively'' or being considered as a group. The term ''signage'' is documented to have been popularized in 1975 to 1980. Signs are any ...

to prevent wild or

feral A feral () animal or plant is one that lives in the wild but is descended from domesticated individuals. As with an introduced species, the introduction of feral animals or plants to non-native regions may disrupt ecosystems and has, in some ...

birds from perching or roosting. Birds can produce large quantities of unsightly and unhygienic

feces Feces ( or faeces), known colloquially and in slang as poo and poop, are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. Feces contain a relati ...

, and some birds have very loud calls that can be inconvenient for nearby residents, especially at night. As a result, bird control spikes are used to deter these birds without causing them harm or killing them.

Styles and usage

Bird control deterrent spikes are normally around long, and work by reducing the area available for birds to land on. This forces larger varieties of birds, such as

seagull Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to the terns and skimmers and only distantly related to auks, and even more distantly to waders. Until the 21st century, m ...

pigeon Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

s, and

crow A crow is a bird of the genus '' Corvus'', or more broadly a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. Crows are generally black in colour. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not pinned scientifica ...

s, to land elsewhere. Birds that attempt to land on spike-protected surfaces receive a light prick from one or more of the spikes, which is uncomfortable but generally not harmful. As a result, the

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a charitable organisation registered in England and Wales and in Scotland. It was founded in 1889. It works to promote conservation and protection of birds and the wider environment throug ...

(RSPB) recommends bird control spikes for deterring pigeons from gardens. Passage Vendôme (Paris) 06

Described as "the most effective (type of) stand-alone bird deterrent", bird control spikes can be placed along ledges, walls, on top of

closed circuit television Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly t ...

cameras A camera is an optical instrument that can capture an image. Most cameras can capture 2D images, with some more advanced models being able to capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of sealed boxes (the camera body), with a ...

and in

rain gutter A rain gutter, eavestrough, eaves-shoot or surface water collection channel is a component of a water discharge system for a building. It is necessary to prevent water dripping or flowing off roofs in an uncontrolled manner for several reasons ...

s, in order to prevent birds from perching on the surfaces. Bird control spikes are most common in city centres and coastal areas, where feral birds are more common and more likely to come into conflict with humans. In addition, killing or harming birds without a valid reason is illegal in some areas; for example the

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom implemented to comply with European Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds. In short, the act gives protection to native species (especia ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

forbids killing wild birds that are not causing serious damage to property or posing a serious risk to human health, which puts pressure on authorities and landowners to find non-lethal bird control methods. Stainless Steel Anti Bird Spikes

As well as being used to control wild birds, bird control spikes and similar deterrent measures see use in preventing larger climbing animals such as

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...

raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...

opossum Opossums () are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia () endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 93 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered North ...

s and

snake Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...

s from crossing an area. Rings of sturdy metal spikes or plates with a sawtooth-shaped edge are often mounted horizontally or vertically around exposed or suspended water, sewerage, electrical, and communications infrastructure in areas where such species are highly active. The intention is to prevent possible damage and increased maintenance costs of such essential infrastructure by safely discouraging these animals from using it as a system of transit. Silbermöwe

Some bird control deterrent spikes are electrified, using the same principle as an

electric fence An electric fence is a barrier that uses electric shocks to deter people or animals from crossing a boundary. The voltage of the shock may have effects ranging from discomfort to death. Most electric fences are used for agricultural fencing a ...

to increase effectiveness, and the distress call of the shocked bird can frighten others in the area. However, such devices cause unnecessary harm to birds or other wildlife, and are therefore illegal in some areas, such as the United Kingdom. Sharp-tipped bird control spikes are illegal in much of the rest of the world, and are unsuitable for areas which are regularly accessible for humans. As a result, some companies manufacture special blunted spikes for use where sharp spikes are dangerous or illegal. However, the blunt spikes are less effective at deterring birds, and cannot block climbing animals. The same "passive deterrent" concept is also frequently employed to discourage human intrusion into secured or dangerous areas. In this application, spikes are employed in a similar manner to

barbed wire A close-up view of a barbed wire Roll of modern agricultural barbed wire Barbed wire, also known as barb wire, is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strands. Its primary use is t ...

razor wire Barbed tape or razor wire is a mesh of metal strips with sharp edges whose purpose is to prevent passage by humans. The term "razor wire", through long usage, has generally been used to describe barbed tape products. Razor wire is much sharper th ...

, providing a clearly visible and obvious deterrent to climbing or attempts to traverse a particular area. A common example is where pipes, conduits, structural beams and other such infrastructure must penetrate a fence or similar barrier and may provide a means to circumvent the barrier. A collar of large spikes approximately long is fixed around part or all of the circumference of the penetrating element. Such measures are often employed near bridges, dams, cliffs and other such fall risks as an aid to public safety.

Alternatives

The spikes can become clogged by leaves, debris and bird feathers. If left unchecked, this can allow birds to perch easily on top. In addition, spikes can make buildings appear less attractive or untidy, especially landmark buildings. In these cases, other methods of control must be used. The only reliable bird control methods are barriers that do not allow the birds to be in an area or on a surface. Netting and mesh exclude or totally block birds from unwanted areas. Low current electric barrier will protect any surface or ledge from unwanted birds nesting, roosting, or loafing.

References

{{reflist Bird pest control

Styles and usage

Alternatives

See also

References