Damaged tiles
One of the most obvious ways a bird's nest can cause damage to your roof is if they make their nest on, or in between, your roofing tiles. Birds can easily crack, move or damage weak tiles whilst building their nests.
So how would this affect your roof? Well, as the birds move or damage your roofing tiles, the opportunity of water to seep through your roof could lead to a leak. If you believe a missing tile has created a leak, we would advise you to get in touch with your local roofing company.
More advice regarding roof windows and skylight leaks can be found here.
Ways to prevent birds nesting in your roof
Birds nesting under roof tiles can cause damage, but no need to fret: there are a number of ways to stop birds nesting and to protect your roof.
Visual bird deterrent
A great visual deterrent to stop birds from nesting under your roof tiles would be a British decoy bird. Placing a decoy bird, such as a hawk or eagle, on top of your roof should be more than enough to keep any potential nesting bird away.
Decoy birds look like birds of prey that would threaten nesting birds. Although they do look rather fake to humans, birds will not want to risk getting too close to the decoy, especially when looking for a new place to call home.
When looking at purchasing a decoy bird, we would advise taking a few things into consideration, such as;
Audio bird deterrent
A highly effective way of stopping birds from nesting under your roof tiles is an audio deterrent. Installing an audio bird deterrent, also known as a bird repeller, can be a relatively inexpensive option to take.
An audio bird deterrent is typically installed on or around your roof and emits an irritating, high-pitched sound that would deter birds from nesting anywhere near your roof.
One of the drawbacks of using an audio bird deterrent is that birds will stop visiting your garden altogether. You need to take into consideration the overall need of birds in your garden and how it would affect your garden’s ecosystem.
Chimney caps
If your chimney is out of action or not in use, a chimney cap could be the perfect solution to your bird problem. A chimney cap is placed on top of your chimney to avoid any birds making their nests inside. These caps are also great at minimising the chance of damp reaching your chimney as well.
Bird spikes
Bird spikes are a product that can be applied to numerous surfaces to minimise the risk of birds nesting under your roofs tiles. Although bird spikes sound rather destructive or inhumane, they’re actually rather harmless to our flying friends. Birds will still be able to sit around the spikes, but will find it difficult to set up a nest because of the intricacies of manoeuvring around the spikes.
Eaves comb fillers
Frustratingly, the eaves of your roofs are commonplace for birds to set up their makeshift homes.
As the eaves are located underneath the roof hang, these small gaps give birds the perfect opportunity to find a home that protects them from hazardous weather environments as well as predators.
Like bird spikes, eaves comb fillers can be used as a protective barrier that will shield the space between the felt and tiles of your roof. The eaves comb fillers are typically nailed into place and can be fitted to suit any roof tile.
What if a bird is already nesting under my roof tiles?
If a bird has already nested under your roof tiles, you have to be careful on how you go about removing them. The Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 prohibits the injuring, killing and the disturbing of wild animals, which includes the destruction of bird nests.
With this in mind, we would advise you to try and find out what type of bird is nesting in your roof.
If your bird is of a breed that migrates, such as a starling or swallow, you may be best off waiting until the bird has migrated away from the nest before removing it. You can then check for damage and set up deterrents ready for next year.
If the nest is causing damage to your roof and needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later, we would advise you to get in contact with a bird nest removal specialist.
