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Written and reviewed by Elaine Bliss, Technical Manager, PestFix
Last reviewed 5 October 2026
Use bird spikes on ledges, sills and parapets where pigeons or gulls roost, or return to nest sites once the nest is empty, or where you want the simplest fit and the lowest materials cost: stainless steel spikes cost from £2.04 a metre and bond on with adhesive. Use post and wire where the bird pressure is light, on new buildings before birds settle, on glass fronted buildings, or anywhere the proofing needs to be as discreet as possible: thin, tensioned stainless steel wires on short posts are almost invisible from the ground. Post and wire takes more parts and more fitting, and it is tensioned work at height, so it is usually worth having fitted.
Prices checked on 5 October 2026 and taken from the EnviroGuard shop. All prices include VAT.
Post and wire and bird spikes side by side
| Bird spikes | Post and wire | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Rows of stainless steel or polycarbonate spikes leave no room for a bird to land on the ledge. | Nylon coated stainless steel wires are tensioned between short stainless steel posts, usually in two or three parallel rows, so birds cannot land and move about freely. |
| Birds | Pigeon spikes for feral pigeons and doves; taller seagull spikes for gulls | Pigeon wire for pigeons; heavier gull wire with taller posts for gulls |
| Level of bird activity it suits | Designed to stop pigeons roosting and nesting on ledges | Light pressure problems, and new buildings where birds have not yet started to roost |
| Where it suits | Ledges, window sills, parapets, pipes, fences, gutters (with clips) and window ledges in front of opening windows (with window clips) | Window sills, stone and brick ledges, glass fronted buildings, gutters and structural steelwork. Surface mount bases suit glass, lead, cladding and uPVC. |
| Visibility | Pigeon spikes are 110mm high and seagull spikes 165mm | Almost invisible. Pigeon wire is 0.45mm thick, coated to 0.7mm, and masonry rivets come in grey or stone colours. |
| Stated life or warranty | Narrow stainless steel spikes carry a 10 year materials warranty; medium, wide and seagull spikes a 1 year materials warranty | No figure is stated. The kit pages describe stainless steel posts, wire and springs with nickel plated crimps, giving a long service life in all weather. |
| DIY difficulty | The simpler fit: clean the ledge, snap strips to length and bond them with adhesive. | More involved: drill and plug for each post (or bond surface mount bases), then run, tension and crimp the wire. It is tensioned work at height. |
| Typical materials cost | £2.04 to £3.54 per metre for stainless steel pigeon spikes, £3.36 for seagull spikes, plus adhesive | Posts are sold in packs of 100 from £55.36, wire from £11.33 for 50 metres, plus springs, crimps, fixings and a crimp tool. Complete 15 metre gutter or steelwork kits cost £107.60. |
The products compared
Bird spikes for ledges
Measure the depth of the ledge and match it to the spike. Narrow stainless steel pigeon spikes protect 60mm to 125mm at £2.04 a metre, medium 140mm to 165mm at £2.94, and wide 180mm to 205mm at £3.54. For gulls, the seagull spike is 165mm high and costs £3.36 a metre. The Defender 4 and Defender 8 polycarbonate spikes, at £3.10 and £4.45 a metre for runs under 20 metres and less per metre on longer runs, are non conductive, which is useful near electrical fittings.
Spikes are bonded with adhesive such as Fix All Crystal, at £7.93 a tube, which lays about 8 metres. For a window that opens over the ledge, pigeon spike window kits mount the spikes on clips so the window can still open, from £41.42 for a 5 metre kit. For longer runs, the spike and glue bundles include one tube of adhesive for every 10 metres of spike. Our bird spike cost guide compares every width, and our bird spike fitting guide shows how to fit them.
Post and wire for ledges
On stone and brick, posts fix into 25mm nylon masonry rivets, £10.72 for 100, each set in a 6.5mm hole drilled with a 6.5mm masonry drill bit, from £2.51. Posts are set at about 1.3 metre centres, and you need at least two rows. Pigeon posts for masonry are made from 316 stainless steel and sold in packs of 100: the 115mm single headed front row post costs £55.36, the 130mm double headed front row post £71.56, and the 150mm second row post £60.13.
The wire is pigeon wire, 304 stainless steel with a nylon coating, from £11.33 for 50 metres. Standard springs between the wire and the posts keep it tensioned (£21.89 for 100), nickel crimps secure it (£5.68 for 100), and the bird wire crimp tool (£21.90) crimps and cuts.
Where you cannot drill, such as glass, lead, cladding or uPVC, surface mount bases are bonded to the surface and the posts slot into them, using pigeon posts for surface mounting. For gulls, use seagull posts, the thicker gull wire, micro springs and copper crimps, because nickel crimps do not fit gull wire.
For gutters and steel beams there are complete kits, described as a low profile alternative to bird spikes. The pigeon post and wire kit for guttering and the kit for steelwork each cost £107.60 for 15 metres or £173.99 for 30 metres, with the posts, wire, springs, crimps and a crimp tool included. See the full posts and wire range and our bird wire page for more on how the system works.
A worked example
Suppose pigeons are landing on a 10 metre brick ledge, 140mm deep.
- Spikes: 10 metres of medium stainless steel spikes at £2.94 is £29.40, plus two tubes of Fix All Crystal at £7.93, which is £15.86. The materials cost is £45.26.
- Post and wire: at 1.3 metre centres, each 10 metre row needs 9 posts, so two rows need 18. Because posts come in packs of 100, you buy one pack of front row posts (£55.36) and one pack of second row posts (£60.13), a 50 metre reel of pigeon wire (£11.33), a pack each of springs (£21.89), nickel crimps (£5.68) and masonry rivets (£10.72), a 6.5mm drill bit (£2.51) and a crimp tool (£21.90). The materials cost is £189.52.
The post and wire packs would cover far more than 10 metres. Two rows along a 50 metre ledge need about 80 posts, which is still one pack of each, so the cost per metre falls on longer runs. Check the spring and crimp quantities against your own layout before ordering.
On a gutter the gap is smaller. Fifteen metres of half round gutter takes 15 narrow stainless steel pigeon spike gutter kits at £6.15 each, which is £92.25, compared with £107.60 for the 15 metre post and wire gutter kit.
Which should you choose?
- Pigeons roosting on the ledge, or returning to a nest site once the nest is empty: spikes.
- Light pressure, or birds just starting to visit: post and wire.
- A new building before birds settle: post and wire.
- Glass fronted buildings, or where the proofing must not be seen: post and wire.
- Glass, lead, cladding or uPVC you cannot drill: post and wire on surface mount bases, or spikes bonded with adhesive.
- A short run you want to fit yourself: spikes are the simpler fit and the lower materials cost.
- A window that opens over the ledge: a pigeon spike window kit.
- Gulls on ledges and parapets: seagull spikes, or gull wire on seagull posts.
- Gutters and steel beams: either spike gutter kits or the post and wire gutter and steelwork kits.
When to combine them
On one building you might use both: spikes on the ledges the birds are using most, and post and wire on the prominent or glazed elevations where appearance matters. If birds are using an area rather than an edge, such as a flat roof or a courtyard, netting is the system for that, and our guide on how to keep seagulls away shows how the products fit together on a roof.
The law and active nests
All wild birds, including feral pigeons and gulls, are protected, and an active nest with eggs or young in it must not be disturbed. Fit spikes or post and wire before birds start nesting, and if a nest is in use, wait until it is empty. Our guide to bird control and the law explains what you can and cannot do.
Need it installed? Request an installation quote and we will arrange it through our recommended installer, JG Pest Control.
Common questions
What is the best post and wire bird deterrent system for ledges?
For pigeons on stone or brick ledges, use stainless steel pigeon posts fixed into masonry rivets, with at least two rows of nylon coated pigeon wire held under tension by springs. Use 115mm or 130mm posts for the front row and 150mm posts for the second. For gulls, use seagull posts with the thicker gull wire and micro springs.
Which post and wire systems have the least visual impact?
Pigeon wire is very thin, 0.45mm coated to 0.7mm, and the system is almost invisible from the ground. Choose masonry rivets in grey or stone to match the ledge, and surface mount bases in white, black, grey or stone where you cannot drill.
Is post and wire better than bird spikes?
Each suits different situations. Post and wire suits light pressure, new buildings and places where the proofing must be discreet. Spikes suit ledges where birds roost, or return to nest sites once the nest is empty, and they are simpler and cheaper to fit on a short run.
Does post and wire work for seagulls?
Yes, with the heavy duty version. Gull wire is thicker, at 0.96mm, and runs on taller seagull posts with micro springs, which have a higher tensile load capacity for larger birds.
Can I fit post and wire myself?
You can, and the gutter and steelwork kits include the tools apart from a 10mm spanner. It is more involved than fitting spikes, though, and it is tensioned work at height, so many people have it fitted.
See all our pigeon control products, or visit our bird control installers page to see who fits what.
