Bird control
Bird control and proofing in Hampshire
Pigeons and gulls fouling ledges, roofs and solar panels. We survey the building, then proof it so birds cannot settle, with hawk deterrence where it fits.
Pigeons, gulls and other birds roost and nest on ledges, roofs and solar panels, and their droppings foul walkways, vehicles and stock. We survey the building, then proof it with spikes, netting or wire so birds cannot land, and add hawk deterrence where it fits. It starts with a free site visit.
Signs
Signs you need us
- Pigeons on the roof every morning
- Droppings under ledges and on the path
- Birds nesting under the solar panels
- Gulls on a flat roof in spring
What it costs
The site visit is free. You get a written price before any work starts, based on what the building needs.
What we do
-
Step 1
Survey
We look at where the birds land, roost and nest, how they get in, and how we can reach it safely.
-
Step 2
Plan and price
You get a written plan and price: which proofing goes where, and whether hawk deterrence would help.
-
Step 3
Treatment or installation
We fit spikes, netting, wire or mesh ourselves, and fly a trained Harris’s hawk where the site suits it.
-
Step 4
Check
We come back to check the birds have moved off and the proofing is holding.
-
Step 5
Prevention
We advise on food, waste and gaps that draw birds back, and time further work outside the nesting season.
Law and safety
Done properly, within the law
All wild birds, their nests and eggs are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Proofing and deterrence need no licence as long as no active nest is disturbed. Some nest or egg work for some species is allowed under Natural England general licences where their conditions are met. Herring gull nest or egg removal in England usually needs an individual licence. We work licensed where the law requires it. Read bird control and the law.
When to book
Gulls nest roughly from April to August, and the law limits what can be done once they do. Start deterrence between October and February, before birds settle.
- January: booking window
- February: booking window
- March
- April: gull nesting season
- May: gull nesting season
- June: gull nesting season
- July: gull nesting season
- August: gull nesting season
- September
- October: booking window, this month
- November: booking window
- December: booking window
- Gull nesting, roughly April to August
- Booking window, October to February
- This month
October: This is the window to start deterrence, before birds settle in spring.
Related
Other things we deal with
For one kind of bird, see pigeon control, seagull control or bird spikes and netting.
Pigeon control
Pigeon proofing, roost clearance and fouling clean-up for homes and businesses.
Gull control
Gull deterrence and roof proofing, planned before the nesting season.
Bird spikes and netting
Spikes, netting, wire and solar panel mesh, chosen for the building and fitted by us.
Questions
Questions people ask
What is bird proofing?
Bird proofing means changing a building so birds cannot land, roost or nest on it. That usually means spikes on ledges, netting over voids and courtyards, wire on parapets, or mesh around solar panels. It deals with the cause, so it tends to last longer than scaring birds off.
Do you use poison or shoot birds?
No. Our bird control is humane. We proof buildings so birds cannot settle, and fly trained Harris’s hawks and falcons as a deterrent where a site suits it. Any nest or egg work is done only where the law allows it, and licensed where the law requires it.
When should bird control be done?
Proofing can go in at any time of year if no active nests are disturbed. For gulls, the useful window is October to February, before they nest from about April. Pigeons can breed in any month, so we check for nests on the survey and plan around them.
Nearby
Where we do bird control and proofing
Bird control and proofing in Southampton
Southampton city centre, Shirley, Portswood and nearby.
25 min, northRats and mice in terraces; dockside gullsBird control and proofing in Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Southsea, Fratton and nearby.
45 min, eastGulls across Southsea; rats in old drainsBird control and proofing in Winchester
Winchester, Kings Worthy, Alresford and nearby.
40 min, northPigeons on stone ledges; mice in old buildingsBird control and proofing in the New Forest
Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst, Ashurst and nearby.
15 to 30 min, westMice in cottages and holiday lets; rats at stablesSources