What Is The Best Way To Remove Bird Nests From A Roof?

Many birds find the roof of a home to be an ideal spot for making nests. Whether it’s in the eaves, at crooks and angles, inside vents, or around skylights, bird nests can be a pain to homeowners. Once comfortable, the birds can cause damage to property, work their way into attics, and create health hazards. 

Removing nests isn’t as easy as taking out the nest and moving it somewhere else, though. A lot of factors go into removing birds safely and legally!

 

What Damage Can Birds Do On A Roof?

The most common problem homeowners have with nesting birds is when they obstruct vents for stoves, dryers, and HVAC systems that come out the roof. But they can create many other costly issues, too: 

• Any nests built in a gutter or drain can block the flow of water, creating drainage problems around the home. 
• Bird droppings are very high in uric acid, which can damage the paint on cars and siding.
• Even empty nests pose a hazard! If you’re not wearing the right protective equipment to handle them, you can come into contact with diseases and parasites. 

But as messy as their nests get, birds build their homes with purpose. That tangle of twigs, string, and straw provides a safe, temperate space in which to lay eggs and raise chicks. Some species even have something called “nest fidelity,” meaning the bird will return to a successful nesting spot year after year.

You might not need to hear about all the problems nesting birds can cause – you might be living them right now! But before you can take action, it’s important to understand the laws protecting birds, their eggs, and even their nests in our province.

 

The Law Protects Most Bird Nest And Their Contents

“Bird law” might sound like a joke, but in Ontario, it’s a very real concept. Some form of federal or provincial law protects most birds, nests and eggs, with different rules applying to different types of birds. For instance, the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act protects migratory species that move to other nations for seasonal changes; Ontario’s Endangered Species Act protects species whose numbers are affected by human action.

The list of species that don’t need approval for removal is quite short: 

• American crow
• Brown-headed cowbird
• Common grackle
• House sparrow
• Red-winged blackbird
• European starling

Unless you’re an expert, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference between the nests and eggs of protected and unprotected birds. That’s why it’s important to trust professionals to take care of the issue.

 

The Best Way To Remove Bird Nests From Your Roof

Ideally, the best time to remove a nest is after it’s empty. But when a bird has made its home and laid eggs in it, the best way to remove it is to hire a professional humane wildlife control company. This is because they can do it legally and with the safety of the bird in mind. In Canada, you must ask about special circumstances through a regional office of the Canadian Wildlife Service or a provincial wildlife authority. The Bad Company team can confirm whether the removal of the nest is legal and, if given authorization, remove it in a way that stops the property damage and health hazards

But the best removal will always be preventing or discouraging the birds from nesting there in the first place. There are many types of bird-proofing or deterring mechanisms, and to be most effective, it’s best to combine the efforts. These can include: 

• Installing anti-roosting strips or heel blocks. These are metal strips with small spikes for ledges, beams or anywhere that birds like to sit. It makes it uncomfortable for them to stop there, meaning they won’t build a nest.
• Adding predator decoys to your roof or areas where birds will likely nest. They will avoid areas where they believe a predator is waiting for them; choose plastic hawks or owls with reflective eyes, as these look more real to birds. 
• Installing a fine metal mesh or net over vent openings. 

If a bird is nesting in an unsafe location, damaging your home, or stopping you from enjoying an outdoor space, call Bad Company Wildlife Eviction. We know how to prevent birds from returning to their spot – or from stopping there in the first place!