At Aerial Services, we believe there’s nothing wrong with getting a visit from the birds now and then, but birds and aerials may be highly upsetting at times. In reality, there may have been several instances where you may wish to terminate an installation because certain birds have nested close by and are causing you distress.
Birds sometimes nest within the aircraft leading to many problems that may be unpleasant for your home. The following post discusses some of the methods you may use to get rid of birds on your aerial in the interest of natural harmony.
Bird Spikes
Bird-spikes are arguably the most straightforward and quickest technique to keep birds away from your rooftop and TV/radio antenna, and they are pretty affordable to purchase. Spikes that may be silicone to your roof and cable-tied to your aerial are known as bird spikes. They make it harder for birds to settle or even walk on your TV aerial once they’ve been installed. Start by securing all of the horizontal sections of your aerial that may serve as a perch for birds with cable ties. The aerial boom, boom-arm, components, back-reflector, as well as brackets are all included.
When installing bird-spikes on TV aerials, using many cable ties is a great idea since they might get brittle and crack with time, and you don’t need them to come free. You might also consider wrapping them with insulating tape.
Bird Hawk Kites
You could wish to set bird spikes in or around a chimney and along with a crest tile in the neighbouring regions as well. You must use a specific low module adhesive for this activity as silicone does not function very well in standard. Bird spikes are made out of plastic, while others are made of stainless steel. They come in various quantities of spikes, but specific sizes marketed for larger birds such as seagulls may be challenging to find in your region. Here they may create many problems on the southern shore and further smaller spikes to birds such as pigeons.
Bird Hawk Kits have grown increasingly popular in recent years, particularly on forecourts of auto dealerships, where owners naturally do not want bird droppings all over their gleaming new cars. A bird-kite is a kite that is tied to a building and flies about in the wind, imitating a genuine bird of prey such as a hawk. Other birds, such as seagulls, are generally deterred by this.
Even though bird-kites can be highly effective at keeping birds away from your roof and aerials, they should not be used in strong winds. After some investigation, it appears that bird deterrent kits must not be used in severe gusts exceeding 25 mph and should not be kept in place permanently since the birds you want to repel may get used to seeing them. As a result, you may need to get used to bringing the kite down and putting it back up regularly.
Bird(Deterrent) Statue
Another approach for discouraging birds is to place a bird deterrent statue, such as an owl or hawk, close to the aerial antennas to deter the actual birds away. These may be mounted on pole mounts similar to those used for TV antennas. Bird statues/models have been used in various ways, with multiple degrees of effectiveness.
Although not quite widespread today, dissuasive bird statues were employed during the 1800s and 1900s. Like the hawk kite, the owl or the eagle is relatively realistic, and you position it near the aerial antennas. The birds will undoubtedly keep away – maybe if a predator stalks your roof.
Birds are intelligent creatures and can not always be deceived; therefore, you will need to regularly reposition the deterrents, bird table to stroll on your boom, reflectors back, etc. Although these are inexpensive compared to the spikes, you have to use a number of them to obtain your desired effect.
Bird Netting
The most effective method for deterring birds away from your aerial is one of the most expensive, rendering it unsuitable for home use. When properly constructed, netting can prevent birds from accessing and breeding in places you want to preserve.
It comprises a basic mesh, nylon, or perhaps even plastic netting that you place over the area you want to cover; this should prevent birds from visiting the site at all and nesting if it has been built appropriately. Apart from the expenses, you must bear in mind that the netting will be seen from the ground, and therefore, you’ll need to install supports on your roof to hold it in place.
The Zip tie method.
Approximately 3 hours are spent wrapping close to 1400 zip ties over each part throughout its length, ensuring that the birds have no real place to sit. This works, but just for 1. The cost of 14 packs of 100 zip ties is £140, and the zip tie plastic only lasts about twelve months in the sunlight before becoming brittle and falling off. You now have plastic waste in your home.
The ‘Scary’ Cat /Crow method.
Many individuals have tried placing a cat-shaped plastic or wooden’ scare technique’ on the antenna. Birds are too clever for this. They figure out it’s not genuine and therefore can smell it – in less than a week; you’ll see birds camping on your antenna.
The fake snake method.
This approach is just as successful as the fake cat technique. In reality, a phoney snake is placed onto the components of the antenna to scare away the birds. Therefore, when the birds approach your aerial, they will get scared after seeing the fake snake and will not roost on your aerial. Make sure to position it appropriately because, as previously said, birds are not easily deceived.
The electric bird deterrent
The electric bird deterrent is a device that uses electricity to keep birds away. Several battery-powered ‘flower-shaped devices are available for around £100, mainly meant to keep roosting birds at bay. They use a low current to keep the birds from resting and landing on the TV antenna. According to our sources, these are pretty effective; however, the battery needs to be replaced every 2-3 months. Therefore, if you’re willing to climb onto the rooftop each 2-3 months, go for it!
Other Methods For Limiting Bird Mess/ Droppings From Aerials
You can also use other methods to prevent birds from staying on your antennas, limiting the mess and droppings that these birds may cause.
Move The Aerial/ Antenna
If the aerial is generating bird-mess in areas, you don’t want it to be. You could wish to relocate the aerial to a spot inaccessible to neighbouring birds or prevent bird droppings from landing in locations where you don’t want them. If you live in an area with reliable service, you might want to try relocating the aerial into the loft, where even the birds won’t be able to reach it. If your aerial is mounted on the wall, consider relocating it to chimneys if you have one so that bird droppings gather there instead of on your walkways or car.
Install Aerial Onto Crank Mast Over The Roof
Instead of installing the aerial on a straight pole, aerial installers use a crank mast with a bend in it to position the antenna over the roof, allowing the bird muck to be restricted to the roof instead of your walkways and other areas. That isn’t always feasible due to the direction of the TV transmitter and the positioning of the TV aerial, although it may be appropriate for you.
This approach might be coupled with bird-spike installations to minimise bird-mess drastically. There are several kinds of crank masts, such as a swans-neck and a double crank; therefore, do some homework before buying one.
Rather than fitting a crank mast, you may fasten a portion of the pole with a 2″ clamp/ 8 nut clamp to imitate the crank mast’s offset. This must be done with a 2″ diameter mast since there will be more significant wind loading on the mast itself, which may cause the mast to sway more in strong winds.
Install A Satellite Dish Instead
If all other options have been explored and you would not like to pay for pricey bird netting or anything similar, you may remove the aerial and get your TV signal through a satellite dish instead. Satellite dishes offer the benefit of being put very low on a wall, preventing birds from perching on them, providing there are no adjacent impediments limiting signal lines of sight, such as nearby buildings and trees.
What sound will scare birds away?
Some birds are frightened by synthetic noises, including high-frequency, ultrasonic sounds. It may also be more effective to combine a terrifying visual item, such as a false, predatory bird, with a terrible sound.
Can you put bird spikes on the TV aerial?
Yes, you certainly can. Your roof becomes a less appealing resting spot for birds if you are birdproof your TV antenna. Bird Spikes can deter nuisance birds from resting and perching on spiked surfaces; however, the birds will typically relocate to a neighbouring place. Some birds have even begun to build nests between the spikes.
Birds are entirely unaffected by bird spikes. Birds are wise, and they stay away from the region where they are put. The spikes deter birds from alighting on your fresh new sparkling antenna. Unless they are tenacious, the birds will eventually quit up and seek a more convenient perch.
How do I stop pigeons sitting on my satellite dish?
Birds falling on antennas may be prevented in a variety of methods. However, the vast majority of them fail. They won’t be frightened to roost on your ladders whenever you attempt to drive them away from the building since they aren’t afraid of humans.
Birds are wise, and they stay away from the region where they are put. The spikes deter birds from alighting on your fresh new sparkling antenna. Unless they are tenacious, the birds will eventually quit up and seek a more convenient perch. Consequently, there were no birds, no droppings, no signal interruption, and no antenna damage. This is the ideal answer!
Bird proofing tv antenna
Spikes are to protect your antenna from birds. Bird spikes, however, are designed with antennas in mind. These are composed of UV-resistant polycarbonate and are available in various colours to mix in with your roofline. They are also straightforward to fit beside the digital aerial, don’t create a disturbance, as well as come in a variety of colours to match in with your roofline. They’re also entirely non-toxic to birds.
You might wonder why bird spikes are used. They can be attached to any antenna because there is a wide range of antennas available in various sizes. They last a long time. The spines of certain birds can safeguard you for up to 20 years. These spikes may be fitted into a new antenna if you wish to replace them.
Bird spikes for satellite dish
Investing in bird spikes is a simple, inexpensive, and quick way to deal with a bird problem. These are plastic or mental barriers that may be attached to your roof or placed around cables, antennas, or aerials. They don’t harm the birds, despite their moniker. They make perching or landing in the area exceedingly difficult for them. You’ll also want to ensure that you have the right-sized spikes for the size of the birds that are circling your roof.
You must also consider securing any component of your aerial arrangement that a bird could consider perch-worthy with a few cable ties.
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