Could Bird Detritus Be Blocking Your Gutters?

As the autumn rain heads our way and forces us to start thinking about pest control, one of the pests that often gets forgotten about in much of the talk about all the others, is birds. These don’t generally tend to register in our minds, because we’re so focused on rats and other creepy crawlies. It’s important to make sure that they do, though, as pest birds like pigeons can cause trouble with your homes…your gutters in particular.

Birds make nests in your gutters because they are safe spaces for them. They can allow their young to hatch safely and they are relatively safe from predators. That being said, what works for them, doesn’t for you.

Bird faeces and debris from their nests (or the nests themselves) can get caught in the pipe, and then cause your gutters to become blocked. This leads to all sorts of drainage problems.

Also, gutters give birds great access to your walls and roof, so finding a weak spot that they can use to sneak into your loft is very easy for them to do. It’s important to make sure that you both reinforce your walls and roof, and evict birds out of your gutter.

Remember that birds might be harming your home with their acidic faeces as well as in other ways. You need to make sure you do what you can to keep birds away from your gutters so they are not able to damage your paving and brickwork with their corrosive droppings.

Once the birds themselves have been dealt with, you can take anti-bird precautions such as pigeon spikes, and install a gutter that is covered. Covered gutters are great for leaf litter as well, so they double up on duties. If you don’t want to consider covered gutters, take a look instead at making sure you clear your gutters out at the start of the nesting season and then be prepared to do regular checks to make sure your gutters are totally free and clear of problems all year round.

If birds such as pigeons were not something you had thought about before, we’re glad that you’re thinking about them now. They can do a lot of damage, and it doesn’t take them long to create a nightmare situation for you and your loved ones. Work preventatively, and you’ll see the positive results simply by the fact that there are no negative ones!