Pigeon

Pigeon control: how to stop pigeons, place by place

Feral pigeons cause most of their trouble through fouling and nesting. As our bird control FAQs explain, heavy fouling makes a building look unsightly, it is acidic and damages the fabric of the building, and it can make walkways slippery. Nests can block gutters and downpipes and damage rooftop plant such as air conditioning units, and bird fouling carries micro-organisms linked to disease. Nesting birds also return to the same site year after year, so the problem rarely goes away on its own.

The answer is almost always to stop them landing or getting in. Which product you need depends on where the pigeons are, so start by working out which part of the building they are using.

How to stop pigeons on a roof ridge

Triangular ridge spikes have a triangular base that sits on the ridge tile and is fixed with silicone adhesive. They are 304 grade stainless steel and stand 140mm high, which protects against both pigeons and gulls. If you would rather have something less visible, post and wire runs a sprung wire above the ridge so a pigeon cannot settle: choose the pigeon post and wire kit for triangular ridge tiles or the kit for half round ridge tiles. Each comes in 15 or 30 metre lengths with the brackets, wire, fixings and tools.

How to stop pigeons on ledges and windowsills

Spikes are chosen by the width of the ledge, not the size of the bird. Narrow pigeon spikes protect ledges 60mm to 125mm wide, medium pigeon spikes 140mm to 165mm, and wide pigeon spikes 180mm to 205mm. All three are 304 grade stainless steel, 110mm high, with snap-off points so you can cut them to length by hand. If you would prefer polycarbonate, the Defender 4 covers 42mm to 100mm and the Defender 8 150mm to 215mm.

On a window that opens, the pigeon spike window kits come with 5 metres of spikes, adhesive and 30 clear window clips, so the ledge stays protected and the window still opens. Where a ledge cannot take a fixing, a repellent gel is the alternative: Ornaway optical bird repellent gel sits in low-profile dishes that are usually invisible from the ground, and Bird Free Fire Gel comes in ready-made trays that can also go on vertical surfaces. Our guide to fitting bird spikes takes you through the job step by step.

How to stop pigeons on a balcony

Pigeons on a balcony usually perch on the parapet or rail and the ledges around it, so spikes sized to the width, or a repellent gel where you cannot fix anything, are the first things to consider. The Balcony Guard ultrasonic bird deterrent has a built-in wall bracket and is designed for balconies, ledges, sills and parapets, covering up to 65 square metres in front of the speaker. Its product page notes that it is not bird-specific and may affect any mammal within 8 to 10 metres, so bear that in mind if you keep pets.

How to stop pigeons under solar panels

Solar arrays give feral pigeons ideal shelter underneath. Solar panel mesh closes the gap without piercing the roof or the panel, so there are no leaks and no risk of warranty issues with the panels. A 30 metre solar mesh kit treats a typical household array of around 16 panels, and there are versions in galvanised, black PVC coated and stainless steel mesh. For panels without a lip on the underside, or on uneven and profiled tin clad roofs, use SolarGuard adjustable solar spikes or the EnviroGuard Solar Shield. The SolarFIX solar panel brush is a clip-free option in 1 metre sections. See the full solar panel exclusion range, our solar mesh installation guide and the cost of pigeon proofing solar panels.

How to stop pigeons on chimneys

The Chimney Bird Deterrent Spike is a 1096mm stainless steel strap that wraps around round and square pots of any UK size, with 223mm pins designed to deter pigeons and the larger gulls. For a pot from 150mm to 225mm across, a decorative universal chimney pot guard stops birds perching or nesting on the pot. Browse the chimney protection range, or read about the cost of capping a chimney if the flue is no longer in use.

How to stop pigeons on gutters

Pigeon spike gutter kits hold 1 metre of spikes on 6 gutter clips, with kits for half round gutters and for ogee or lipped gutters, so nothing is glued or drilled. For a lower profile, the pigeon post and wire kits for guttering mount a sprung wire on the leading edge of the gutter.

How to stop pigeons in loading bays and warehouses

Where pigeons are using a whole space rather than an edge, netting excludes them from it. 50mm pigeon netting is knotted, UV stabilised polyethylene used for canopies, roof areas, plant wells and building frontages, in stock sizes or cut to size. A flame retardant version is made for high risk areas. On exposed steel beams, pigeon post and wire kits for steelwork clamp to the flanges without drilling. Fitting Bird-Scape escape funnels gives any bird caught behind a net a one-way route out. Our anti bird netting installation guide explains how a net system goes together.

How to keep pigeons out of gardens and open areas

Pigeons settle where there is shelter and food, so taking those away does much of the work. Over open ground, a tethered hawk kite flies above the area and scares pest birds including pigeons. It needs at least 40 square metres of clear space away from trees and power lines, and it should be brought down in strong winds. The BirdXPeller Pro plays pigeon distress calls and covers up to an acre of open ground, and its product page advises using it alongside a visual scarer. See the full bird scarers range.

Pigeon deterrents by location

Pigeons and the law

Feral pigeons are protected. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is an offence to intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird, or to take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built. Feral pigeon is one of four species named on Natural England's general licence GL41, which allows an authorised person (the owner or occupier of the land, or somebody they have authorised) to act to preserve public health or public safety. The 2026 licences run from 1 January to 31 December 2026, you have to meet their conditions, and the burden of showing you met them sits with you. Read the licence itself on GOV.UK before you rely on it.

Proofing needs no licence at all. Preventing a pigeon from landing, roosting or nesting sits outside the licensing regime, provided the method does not injure the bird or trap it in a space it cannot leave. A nest that is already in use is protected whatever method you were planning, so check before you fit anything. Scotland and Wales issue their own licences. Our guide to bird control and the law sets out the full position.

When to have pigeon proofing installed

Feral pigeons will nest in any month, given shelter and food, so pigeon work is judged on the individual site rather than the calendar. The best time is before a problem becomes established, and always once you have checked that no nest is in use. EnviroGuard supplies the products and does not install them, but if you would rather not work at height, we can arrange it for you.

Pigeon control questions

What is a good pigeon deterrent?

The one that suits the surface. Spikes sized to the ledge, ridge spikes or post and wire on a roof ridge, gutter kits on gutters, mesh under solar panels and netting over larger spaces all stop pigeons landing or getting in, rather than trying to frighten them away.

Are pigeon spikes cruel or illegal?

No. Spikes deny a ledge without harming anything that lands on it, and preventing a bird from landing or nesting needs no licence. What you must not do is disturb a nest that is already in use, so check the ledge before you fit them.

How do I stop pigeons nesting under solar panels?

Close the gap between the panels and the roof with solar panel mesh, held by clips that do not pierce the roof or the panel. Where panels have no lip on the underside, SolarGuard adjustable spikes or the Solar Shield do the same job. Our solar panel pigeon proofing cost guide compares the kits.

Do fake birds of prey keep pigeons away?

A hawk kite is designed to move pest birds, including pigeons, off open areas such as playing fields, industrial roofs and landfill. On a building, physical proofing is more direct because it stops pigeons landing in the first place.

How do I stop pigeons sitting on a TV aerial?

The TV aerial bird spikes kit has 1 metre of medium polycarbonate pigeon spikes and 6 cable ties, and the polycarbonate spikes do not interfere with the TV signal. Get professional help if you are unsure how to reach the aerial safely.

More pigeon guides

• Bird spike costs: price per metre and installation
• How much does it cost to pigeon proof solar panels?
• How to fit bird spikes
• Bird control and the law
• bird control installers: who fits what we supply