Bird netting is one of the most popular and efficient methods available for protecting structures from any species of pest birds.
Its success is due principally to the fact that, if correctly installed, it is virtually the only system that can be used with confidence in places subject to high levels of bird pressure, where birds are roosting at night or nesting.
Nets can protect small features, such as a single ledge or the eaves of a house, or they can be used to cover an entire roof or complete elevations of a large building. They can be installed at any angle. As one net can be used to protect many perching places, bird netting is often the most cost effective solution to urban pest bird problems. The principal of the system is that a tensioned wire rope is fitted around the periphery of where the net is to be placed. The wire rope is anchored using heavy duty corner fixings that take the weight of the net; and lighter intermediate fixings that hold the edge of the net close to the structure being proofed. The net is the attached to this ‘straining wire’. Although adding to the cost of installation, in order to prevent corrosion, all fixings and straining wires should be stainless steel. When properly installed, bird net is extremely difficult to see from just a few metres away and then usually only in silhouette against the sky.
Polyethylene knotted bird netting is designed to withstand a wide range of environmental conditions. Provided the netting is supported using a corrosion resisting suspension system, and the installation is not vandalised or damaged by other trades working on the building, you should expect a working life of around 10 years or more in UK weather conditions.
