Pigeon Spikes | Choosing the Best Pigeon Spike System
The questions we get asked most, answered properly.
What is an anti bird spike?
An anti bird spike, sometimes called an anti-roosting spike or a roost modification, is a device of long needle-like rods fixed to a surface to stop wild or feral birds perching or roosting on it.
They exist because birds produce a great deal of unsightly and unhygienic mess, and because some species are loud at hours nobody wants them to be. The point of a spike is to move the bird on without harming or killing it.
How do they work?
By reducing the flat area available to land on. A bird approaching the ledge cannot get its feet down, so it goes somewhere else. In normal use the bird never comes into contact with the pins at all, which is why this is a barrier rather than a punishment.
They are commonly fitted along ledges and wall tops, on the tops of commercial signage and CCTV cameras, and along rain gutters. They are most used in city centres and in coastal areas, where feral birds are commonest and most likely to come into conflict with people.
Which birds do they suit?
Pigeons, gulls, crows and birds of a similar size. Our strip protects a band about 70 mm across with roughly 60 pins per metre, and pins 115 mm long, which is geometry built around a pigeon's body and its landing approach.
They do not stop small birds. A house sparrow or a wren is small enough to sit down between pins spaced for a bird several times its weight, and on a nest site it will weave material around them and use them as anchor points. If small birds are the problem, netting or a fine mesh is the product, and we would rather write that here than sell you the wrong thing.
Is the mess actually a problem?
Beyond the look of it, yes. Droppings hold moisture against stone and metal, they block gutter outlets and downpipes, and on a commercial frontage they cost money every time somebody has to clean them off. Proofing a ledge once is usually cheaper over a few years than washing it down repeatedly.
How do I fit them?
Measure the run, double it because a strip is 50 cm, and round up. Clean the surface back to something adhesive can key to. Then fix with exterior silicone on masonry, screws into timber, nails into a soft fascia, or cable ties on railings and pipework. On anything wider than about 15 cm, fit two rows.
Take the run right to the end. A bare half metre at the end of a ledge is where the birds will stand, and it is the commonest reason a spike installation disappoints.
When should I fit them?
Outside the nesting season, or after the young have fledged. Wild birds and their active nests are protected in France as across the EU, and an occupied nest is not something to clear off a ledge in June.
Frequently asked questions
Why do pigeons keep coming back to the same spot?
They are loyal to a place rather than to a building. That routine is what a physical deterrent breaks: remove the footing and the habit has nowhere to attach.
Are your spikes the right size for a pigeon?
Yes. The 70 mm protected band and the 115 mm pins are geometry built around a pigeon's body and its landing approach.
Where should I look before buying anything?
Watch for ten minutes. Pigeons will show you which surfaces they use, and it is nearly always two or three rather than the whole building.
What are the three surfaces to look for?
A loafing ledge where they sit, a sheltered roost, and sometimes a nest tucked behind a pipe or under a panel. Each wants a different answer.
Which of those do spikes solve?
The loafing ledge, which is usually what makes the mess. A recess wants netting and a nest is a legal question first.
Do pigeon droppings actually damage anything?
They hold moisture against stone and metal and they block gutter outlets, which is where the real repair bills come from.
Is proofing cheaper than cleaning?
Over a few years on a commercial frontage it usually is, because cleaning recurs and proofing does not.
Will spikes hurt the pigeons?
No. Blunt-ended wire that removes the footing. A bird that tries to land lifts off again.
Do pigeons get used to spikes?
There is nothing to get used to. It is not a scare device: the surface is simply no longer standable.
Will they move to the next ledge?
Often. Plan on treating every surface on that elevation rather than the worst one.
How many strips for a four metre parapet?
Eight, and nine if you would rather not leave a bare end.
What about a wide window sill?
Over about 15 cm you want two rows, front and back.
Can I fit them to a balcony railing?
Yes, with cable ties, which avoids drilling anything.
They are getting under my solar panels.
Spikes cannot close a gap. That is a mesh job, and we sell a kit with the clips for it.
They are roosting in a recess, not on a ledge.
Netting across the opening. Spikes need a flat surface to protect.
Is it legal to remove a pigeon nest?
An active nest is protected. Fit before the breeding season or after the young have fledged, and if a nest is in place, wait.
Do I need to clean the droppings off first?
Yes. Adhesive will not key to droppings, and old droppings hold water against the stone anyway.
Should I hire a professional?
That is your call and we do not sell installation, so we are not going to push you either way. Most of these jobs are a caulking gun, a tape measure and an afternoon.
How long will they last?
Years outdoors. The failure mode is debris packing between the pins, not the product wearing out.
Do they work at night?
Yes. There is nothing to switch on, which is the advantage of a physical deterrent over a sound or light device.
Will they stop pigeons landing on the roof itself?
No. They protect the surface they are fitted to. A pitched slope is not a spike job.
Is there anything they will not stop?
Small birds. A sparrow is small enough to sit between pins spaced for a pigeon.
How much is delivery and how long does it take?
Free across France on orders over €35, and €15 below that. Orders are processed in 2 to 5 days and delivery takes about 10 to 18 business days, tracked from dispatch.
Which payment methods do you take?
Card and PayPal, and those are the only two. Both go through the checkout on this site.
Can I change my mind after ordering?
Yes. Fourteen days from delivery to tell us, and a further fourteen to send the goods back. Nothing here is made to a measurement, so it applies to the whole range.
What if it arrives damaged or faulty?
Tell us and we will replace or refund it. That is separate from changing your mind and it rests on the two year legal guarantee of conformity across the EU.
Is there a minimum order?
No. One strip, one disc, one roll: whatever the job needs.
Do you sell to trade?
Yes. There is a wholesale page with a quote form. Tell us the run length or the quantity.
Do you install?
No. Everything here is DIY, which is why the pages carry the fitting detail rather than a sales pitch.
How do I get hold of a person?
Email theteam@birdspikes.direct with a photograph of the surface. We answer this kind of question all day.