Pigeons Nesting On The Roof

What's happening?

Feral pigeons roost and nest wherever there is a flat, sheltered ledge, and modern houses give them several: the gap beneath solar panels, a flat roof parapet, a box gutter, a chimney stack, and the space behind a fascia. The nuisance is not the birds so much as what follows. Droppings are acidic and stain masonry and paintwork; accumulated nesting material and droppings block gutters, hoppers and box gutter outlets, which is how a pigeon problem becomes a damp problem; and nests carry bird mites and insect pests that get into the roof space. There is also a legal frame around what may be done. All wild birds, their nests while in use or being built, and their eggs are protected in the UK, so proofing and deterrence are the routine answer and lethal control is a licensed exception.

What usually causes it?

• The sheltered gap between solar panels and the roof covering — the most common modern nesting site
• Flat roofs, parapets, box gutters and chimney stacks providing flat, sheltered ledges
• Gaps behind fascias, soffits and bargeboards giving access to the eaves
• Feeding — deliberate feeding nearby, spilled bird seed, open bins or food waste
• An established roost on a neighbouring roof, so the flock is already local
• Blocked gutters holding standing water and debris that supports the roost
• Previous nesting material left in place, which attracts the flock back the following season

When should you call a pest controller?

Call a pest controller who does bird proofing, ideally outside the nesting season so the work is straightforward. They will survey the roof, tell you which ledges are the problem, and fit proofing — solar panel mesh, netting, spikes or wire — at height with proper access. Call sooner if gutters are blocking, if droppings are running down a wall, or if you can hear activity in the eaves rather than on the roof. If a nest is currently in use, proofing waits, and honest advice will say so.

What will the pest controller actually do?

• Survey the roof, panels, gutters and eaves to establish where the birds are actually roosting and nesting
• Confirm whether any nest is in use, since that decides what may lawfully be done and when
• Fit proofing at height with proper access — solar panel mesh, netting, spikes or post-and-wire, correctly tensioned
• Clear nesting material, droppings and blocked gutters and hoppers using wet methods and protective equipment
• Treat bird mites and associated insect pests left behind in the roof space
• Work within the general licence conditions, and apply for a specific licence where the situation requires one

What the law allows on your own roof

It is a common assumption that a feral pigeon is fair game because it is not a rare bird. It is not. Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds, their nests while in use or being built, and their eggs. Feral pigeons are included.

Control of certain species, including feral pigeons, is possible under general licences issued by the statutory nature conservation body for each country. Those licences are not a free pass: they apply only for defined purposes, they carry conditions, and they generally require that non-lethal methods have been considered and found ineffective or impracticable first. In practice this makes proofing and deterrence the route for a domestic roof, and licensed control the exception.

• Do not disturb, remove or block a nest that is in use or being built
• Proofing, netting, spikes and solar panel mesh are the standard lawful answer on a house
• Netting must be correctly fitted and tensioned — trapped birds create an animal welfare offence
• Lethal control requires a general or specific licence and must meet its conditions in full
• Clean droppings wet, gloved and masked, and never by dry sweeping