How To Stop Birds on Your Roof

These Tips And Tools Will Make Doing So Doable

By Richard Worden

Birds and roofs go back a long way. When the first roof was built, I bet there was a pigeon that found a suitable spot on it immediately–and since then, we’ve had to deal with birds on our roofs to little or no avail. So, when it comes to how to stop birds on your roof, what's the bet way?

The best way to stop birds on your roof is to scare them away. You can use many bird deterrent products to do this, including bird spikes and nets, ultrasonic deterrents, or some colorful and shiny objects. Also, if you notice a nest on your roof before it’s complete, relocate it somewhere else.

In this article, I’ll talk about everything connected to birds and roofs, including why they like to perch on them, what to do when birds don’t want to leave your roof, and some of the best products available to deal with this issue many of us experience.

Why Are Birds Attracted to My Roof?

Birds are attracted to your roof because it allows them to see everything from miles away, including food and potential predators. If your house is somewhere in nature without many trees, birds will use your roof to perch and even nest.

If you noticed that your roof is sometimes filled with what looks like a hundred pigeons and your other neighbors only have a sparrow or two–no, you’re not crazy. Birds will often assess what a good roof is for them. 

Basically, birds will try to find their perfect roof, which should be:

• High enough so the birds can notice predators.
• Close to a food source.
• Hard to reach by predators that can’t fly, like cats.
• Full of places for a nest, like gutters, chimneys, and open eaves.
  
  

Can Birds Ruin Your Roof?

Birds can ruin your roof in smaller localized roof areas, especially around gutters. The main reason your roof gets ruined is that birds tend to poop on the roof. Because of that, your roof will be aesthetically ruined, but it can also get physically damaged since bird poop is acidic.

Because of the type of food birds eat, their poop is acidic and high in uric acid. Some might say that’s fine as long as we’re not touching it. However, the acidity left on your roof for years slowly eats into your roof, damaging it permanently. 

Apart from that, birds usually like to build their nests around various cables, making it dangerous for birds and you. Some birds might peck those cables, which is a serious fire hazard. 

Another problem that’s somewhat connected with roofs is gutters getting clogged up with bird nests. This is a huge problem for everyone with open gutters because they’re just perfectly shaped for birds to nest in.

How Do I Keep Birds From Pooping on My Roof?

The best way to keep birds from pooping on your roof is to use some bird deterrent products to keep birds away from your roofs, such as bird spikes or ultrasonic deterrents. The only way not to have bird poop on your roof is to scare birds away for good.

Unfortunately, we can’t just have birds all around our roof without bird poop, and even when the birds are gone, the poop remains behind, ruining our roof. The fact is that birds will poop wherever they’re spending the most time. So, if a bird makes a nest somewhere on your roof, be sure there’ll be a lot of poop. how to stop birds on your roof

Therefore, the only solution is to get rid of the birds if you want to keep your roof clean and poop-free. There are many ways you can deter birds from your roof. Some solutions are really cheap, while others will cost you a pretty penny. So, it depends on how much you’re willing to spend. 

If you’re unsure what products there are, I included a whole section about the best bird deterrents right in this article, so just keep on reading.

Should I Worry About Birds Nesting in My Roof?

You should worry about birds nesting on your roof only if you don’t want any birds around your house. Nesting usually means hatching eggs and having small chicks. However, some migratory birds won’t return to that nest once they leave it before winter.

Birds nest wherever they can find a small crevice to hide and protect themselves and their future babies. Birds nesting on your roof is particularly problematic because it means you’ll probably have to deal with small chicks and their constant cry once they hatch. Nesting around roofs also brings poop that we talked about but also larger predator birds and cats.

However, many birds that settle and make a nest in your roof are migratory birds, which means you’ll have to spend a few months with them, and once the winter approaches, they’ll leave their nests–usually for good.

How To Stop Birds From Nesting on Roof

If you want to stop birds from nesting on your roof, you should always do it before it’s too late. As soon as you notice a bird starting to build a nest in your roof, remove it somewhere else. Additionally, use some bird deterrent products, like nets or shiny objects, to keep birds away.

In case you have a bird on your roof that has made a nest already, remember what I mentioned about migratory birds. Just wait for the bird to leave its nest, and you can remove it once you know it’s empty and abandoned. 

Some people will wonder if you destroy or at least relocate a nest from your roof that has birds in it. how to stop birds on your roof

Unfortunately, the answer is no. If you’re living in the US, you’re prohibited by law from destroying or moving a nest that has birds or eggs in it. You’ll have to wait for the nest to be abandoned entirely.

However, you can remove a nest before a bird completes it, which is exactly the best thing you can do to stop birds from nesting on your roof.

How To Stop Birds Tapping or Walking on Roof

To stop birds tapping or walking on the roof, you’ll have to scare those birds away. Otherwise, they’ll just keep coming and walking on the roof. You should either build a safe spot for nesting so the birds can relocate there or simply use some bird deterrent products.

The fact is that birds will just continue coming back to your roof once you scare them away by shouting or throwing small stones. Instead, you should use a bird deterrent product to permanently keep every bird away. 

Besides, many people build “a safe spot” for birds to nest around their houses. So, many birds will simply nest, poop, and tap there instead of on your roof. Just make sure you build a safe spot for birds not far away from your home because they won’t be able to find it if it’s too far away from your roof.

Best Bird Deterrents for Your Roof

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How To Stop Birds On Your Roof...Conclusion

Birds flying on our roofs are a major problem, not just because they’re always tapping all over the roof, which is annoying. Birds nesting on our roofs is a safety hazard because they produce acidic poop and usually nest around various wires, which can be dangerous. 

The best way to keep birds from your roof is to:

• Install a gutter guard and chimney cap.
• Put on some bird mesh and spikes.
• Remove nests before they’re complete.
  
  

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Hi! I'm Richard Worden, the author and founder of We Know Birds.

Over 20 years ago I developed a keen interest in birds and birdwatching, and it has been my passion ever since. I am committed to spreading useful knowledge about birds to others so we might all enjoy them to the fullest.

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