Bird control and pigeon proofing in Bedfordshire
Birds cause more structural damage than most people expect, and nesting law means timing and method matter as much as the work itself.
What nesting birds actually do to a building
Nesting material blocks gutters and hoppers, which pushes water back into brickwork and eventually into the building. Droppings are acidic and degrade stonework, paintwork and roofing over time, and on walkways and fire escapes they are a slip hazard a business has to take seriously.
Nests also bring their own pests. Bird mites, fleas and beetles live in them and move indoors when the birds leave, which is often when a household first realises the roof space has been occupied.
Solar panels are the problem we get called to most
The gap beneath a solar array is close to ideal for pigeons: sheltered, warm and out of reach. Once a pair is established under a panel the mess builds up quickly, and droppings and nesting debris reduce panel output as well as damaging the roof beneath.
Proofing the perimeter of an array is straightforward when it is done properly and it is far cheaper than repeatedly clearing underneath it.
When the job is bigger than a nest
Some bird work is a different scale entirely: netting a large commercial roof, proofing a whole industrial unit, or a managed deterrent programme across multiple sites. That is a specialist discipline with its own equipment and access requirements.
Ace is part of the JG Group, and bird work at that scale is handled by the group's own bird division. If your job is larger than we would take on ourselves we will tell you so, and JG Pest Control’s bird control teamTyro Group company is who it would go to.
Doing it lawfully and humanely
All wild birds, their active nests and their eggs are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. That governs what can be done and when, and an active nest generally has to be left until the young have fledged.
Since 1988 our approach has been to trap and release away from the property where that is the right answer, and to proof properly afterwards so the problem does not simply return. Proofing after fledging is usually the point at which the cycle actually breaks.
Common questions
Can you remove a nest that has chicks in it?
Not while it is active. Wild birds, their nests in use and their eggs are protected by law. We will look at what can be done safely in the meantime and book the proofing for once the young have fledged.
Do you proof solar panels against pigeons?
Yes, and it is one of the jobs we are called to most. Proofing the perimeter of the array stops birds getting underneath while leaving the panels accessible for cleaning and maintenance.
Is bird proofing permanent?
Properly fitted proofing lasts for years. It should be checked periodically, particularly after roof work or storm damage, because birds find any gap that opens up.
We work from Cople, and cover the county from there
Tell us what you have seen
Describe it on the phone and we will tell you what it is likely to be, and what sorting it actually involves, before you book anything.