Birds in my roof

[webstarblue]

Every year starlings get into my roof and build their nests. Every year I say I am going to fill in the places they enter, which is the bottom of the roof tiles just above the guttering. The part that goes nnnnn. What is the best thing to block their entry? Cannot wait for the wisecracks on this one!

 

[2scoops0406]

this

 

[webstarblue]

Thanks Eddie, that looks good. But do I have to lift the tiles to fit it? I cannot quite make out from the website.

 

[masona]

Depend if your tiles are nailed. Normally the first row is, if so then push the 2nd row of tile back up then lift the front if you can with a bit a wood for support or remove the nails.

 

[webstarblue]

thanks both...but I will be working off ladders and do not want to try and move tiles. Any more ideas??

 

[TexMex]

thanks both...but I will be working off ladders and do not want to try and move tiles. Any more ideas??

Pay someone else to do it

 

[webstarblue]

No thanks TexMex, Yow must be considerably richer than me!

 

[breezer]

No thanks TexMex, Yow must be considerably richer than me!

...hmmmmmm, let me see, who has just brought a 13 foot boat ? i wonder could it be webstarblue

 

[kevin34]

infact they shouldnt be getting in at all, and just go up take a look where and block it up.

cant do nothing about your ladder problem, some can and some cant work off ladders simple as that.Infact most cant.ive hired guys that said they could take heights till they turn up for work and shake like a leaf 5 rungs up.had just give em 20 pound and say look yer just not suited for ladder work.

 

[oilman]

thanks both...but I will be working off ladders and do not want to try and move tiles. Any more ideas??

How about leaving it as it is. It's not that big a problem, after all you say you have been going to get round to it every year, and you're still alive and so are the starlings.

Almost all birds have taken a huge population drop in the last 25 years, (pidgeons and magpies are a couple of exceptions) and they need all the help they can get. Ok, starlings are not THE most attractive birds, but they have a place, and if they're not hurting other than perceived expense, what about it.

What am I doing? I planted deciduous hedges 20 years ago which now house quite a few birds, and I'm not reparing the porch structure as it is the living space for house sparrows. I don't feel great about it, but I'd feel a right prat for destroying their pad for the sake of a few pounds on my property value.

I can't remember the whole of the saying, but it was something like

"After you've cut down the last tree, poisoned the last river and taken the last fish from the sea, in the end, YOU CAN'T EAT MONEY"

 

[webstarblue]

WOW! Oilman.

What can I say? Great post and certainly touched a spot. BUT, they are over my daughters bedroom so this year they must go.

Thank you

 

[oilman]

......... BUT, they are over my daughters bedroom so this year they must go.

Thank you

Why is your daughter in more peril than you? She could learn they are not life threatning, certainly less so than being driven in a car, or going swimming. Instead of ruining the starlings living quarters, it MAY be the starting point for a life long interest in nature, or even specialising in migrating birds. What about having a chat with Bill Oddie, you might even get a feature of your loft on next year's Springwatch program.

 

[big-all]

can you not go up in the attic at the point of entry and place somthing in the eaves big enough to stop the birds but not so big as to block airflow or come through the ceilling

 

[oilman]

Or build a box behind the eaves so the starlings have somewhere to live, and you can feel you've got one over on the natural world.

 

[dagger]

I think he means they are NOISY **ckers - thats the problem