Birds are a nuisance when they fly onto ledges and surfaces. They land, squawk loudly, and leave droppings all over the ground. The droppings damage property with the uric acid contained within and the birds are an ugly sight when they congregate in large groups.
Bird wire is one way to prevent these medium-sized birds from landing and perching on your property.
Bird wire is placed on a surface like a ledge, a rooftop, or a facade sign. Stainless steel wire is installed between two stainless steel posts. The wire is held in place by a spring, which causes it to bounce when a bird lands on it. The birds find this unstable and have to find somewhere else to perch.
Bird wire works best for medium-sized birds like pigeons and seagulls. Smaller birds like sparrows can land below the wire and still perch on the surface, or larger birds like turkey vultures can land on the wire and sink down to the ground due to their weight. Because of this, bird wire tends to offer 75-100% bird prevention effectiveness.
One of the advantages of bird wire is its relative invisibility. It is not as easy for the untrained eye to see bird wire as it is to see bird spikes, the other most popular ledge bird deterrent. This makes it a good option for historical sites and monuments, where bird deterrence methods want to be as low-key as possible.
Bird wire is considered a ledge modification bird control solution, although it can also be used on planar surfaces like the flat surface of a roof. There are three other comparable ledge modification techniques: bird spikes, electric shock tracks, and AviAngle.
Bird spikes are one of the most common ledge modification techniques. Like bird wire, they also prevent birds from perching on ledges. Spikes come in plastic and steel varieties. They tend to last on average about 10-15 years before needing to be replaced, as opposed to bird wire which lasts about 8-10 years.
Some people prefer bird wire over bird spikes for aesthetic reasons. Bird wire is also slightly less expensive than bird spikes. But in most regards, bird wire and bird spikes can be used interchangeably.
Electric shock tracks are another type of ledge modification device that will stop birds from perching. Shock tracks give birds a small electric shock if they try to land on a surface. Birds learn to associate the small shock with the surface and will have to find somewhere else to land.
Bird wire and electric shock tracks can be used somewhat interchangeably. Neither is particularly visible. Neither harm the birds. Both last around 8-10 years. Electric shock tracks tend to be more expensive than bird wire.
AviAngle is the last type of ledge modification device comparable to bird wire. AviAngle converts a horizontal ledge into a diagonal surface, preventing birds from being able to land. If they try to perch, the birds will slide off the surface.
The difference between AviAngle and bird wire is that AviAngle is a bird exclusion method whereas bird wire is a bird prevention method. That means AviAngle will stop birds from perching with 100% efficiency. Bird wire's effectiveness ranges from 75%-100% as it only works for medium-sized birds.
AviAngle does not work for every situation, however, as it can only be used on ledges with a wall close behind it. In other scenarios like a horizontal roof or a facade sign jutting out into the street, bird wire would be a better option.
If you're facing a medium-sized bird problem and low visibility is an important factor for you, bird wire might be the right solution to your problem. It's possible to install bird wire yourself or you can hire a bird control company to do it for you.
Benefits of Bird Wire:
Blocks Out Perching Birds
Low Visibility
Works on All Surfaces
Decrease Bird Droppings
Decrease Nuisance Birds
If you have a bird problem, we can help. AviAway professionally installs bird control solutions for all bird species. We have 30+ years of experience in bird control and have performed work for companies like Amazon, Rite Aid, and the U.S. Postal Service. Click here or call 844-247-3373 to request a free bird control quote.
We also offer free bird control consultations. Click here to set up a free consultation and talk with one of our bird control experts about solving your bird problem.