Question 1

There are birds nesting in my roof — what can I do?

Accepted Answer

Not much while the nest is active, and that is the law rather than a preference — wild birds, their eggs and their nests in use are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Once the nest is finished with, the entry point gets closed properly, which nearly always means repairing the defect that let them in. Anything living in a roof got there through a gap, and the gap is almost always a defect rather than a design feature: rotten soffit boards, a broken eaves comb, a missing tile, a loose ridge, or a verge that has lost its mortar. That framing matters, because closing the hole without fixing the reason it is there is temporary. A soffit that starlings or squirrels got through was soft because it had been wet for years, and blocking the hole in soft timber lasts until they try a foot along. The legal position is firm and worth stating plainly. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 all wild birds are protected, and it is an offence to intentionally damage or destroy a nest while it is being built or in use, or to destroy eggs. In practice that means proofing work happens outside the nesting season, and where an active nest is found, the work waits. A roofer offering to clear an occupied nest in May is offering to break the law on your behalf. The common entrants have their own patterns. Starlings and sparrows get under loose tiles at the eaves and into the roof space. Pigeons roost on flat areas and in valleys and make a considerable mess that blocks outlets. Squirrels chew through soffits and fascias and are far more destructive once inside, because they will take on cabling — that one is worth acting on promptly, via a pest controller first. Wasps build in lofts and under eaves and should be dealt with before any roofing work starts. Proofing done properly is a repair. Eaves combs and filler units close the gap between the tiles and the fascia that exists on every tiled roof. Rotten soffits and fascias get replaced rather than patched. Loose ridge and verge units get refixed. Where netting or mesh is genuinely needed — on a flat area or a valley that pigeons use — it is fitted so it does not itself trap water and debris. One important caveat: proofing must not block the ventilation. Sealing the eaves solid to keep birds out converts a bird problem into a condensation problem, because the eaves are where the roof space gets its air. Eaves combs and vented systems are designed to do both, which is exactly why the product choice matters.

Question 2

Birds under my roof tiles

Accepted Answer

Not much while the nest is active, and that is the law rather than a preference — wild birds, their eggs and their nests in use are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Once the nest is finished with, the entry point gets closed properly, which nearly always means repairing the defect that let them in. Anything living in a roof got there through a gap, and the gap is almost always a defect rather than a design feature: rotten soffit boards, a broken eaves comb, a missing tile, a loose ridge, or a verge that has lost its mortar. That framing matters, because closing the hole without fixing the reason it is there is temporary. A soffit that starlings or squirrels got through was soft because it had been wet for years, and blocking the hole in soft timber lasts until they try a foot along. The legal position is firm and worth stating plainly. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 all wild birds are protected, and it is an offence to intentionally damage or destroy a nest while it is being built or in use, or to destroy eggs. In practice that means proofing work happens outside the nesting season, and where an active nest is found, the work waits. A roofer offering to clear an occupied nest in May is offering to break the law on your behalf. The common entrants have their own patterns. Starlings and sparrows get under loose tiles at the eaves and into the roof space. Pigeons roost on flat areas and in valleys and make a considerable mess that blocks outlets. Squirrels chew through soffits and fascias and are far more destructive once inside, because they will take on cabling — that one is worth acting on promptly, via a pest controller first. Wasps build in lofts and under eaves and should be dealt with before any roofing work starts. Proofing done properly is a repair. Eaves combs and filler units close the gap between the tiles and the fascia that exists on every tiled roof. Rotten soffits and fascias get replaced rather than patched. Loose ridge and verge units get refixed. Where netting or mesh is genuinely needed — on a flat area or a valley that pigeons use — it is fitted so it does not itself trap water and debris. One important caveat: proofing must not block the ventilation. Sealing the eaves solid to keep birds out converts a bird problem into a condensation problem, because the eaves are where the roof space gets its air. Eaves combs and vented systems are designed to do both, which is exactly why the product choice matters.

Question 3

Starlings in the loft

Accepted Answer

Not much while the nest is active, and that is the law rather than a preference — wild birds, their eggs and their nests in use are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Once the nest is finished with, the entry point gets closed properly, which nearly always means repairing the defect that let them in. Anything living in a roof got there through a gap, and the gap is almost always a defect rather than a design feature: rotten soffit boards, a broken eaves comb, a missing tile, a loose ridge, or a verge that has lost its mortar. That framing matters, because closing the hole without fixing the reason it is there is temporary. A soffit that starlings or squirrels got through was soft because it had been wet for years, and blocking the hole in soft timber lasts until they try a foot along. The legal position is firm and worth stating plainly. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 all wild birds are protected, and it is an offence to intentionally damage or destroy a nest while it is being built or in use, or to destroy eggs. In practice that means proofing work happens outside the nesting season, and where an active nest is found, the work waits. A roofer offering to clear an occupied nest in May is offering to break the law on your behalf. The common entrants have their own patterns. Starlings and sparrows get under loose tiles at the eaves and into the roof space. Pigeons roost on flat areas and in valleys and make a considerable mess that blocks outlets. Squirrels chew through soffits and fascias and are far more destructive once inside, because they will take on cabling — that one is worth acting on promptly, via a pest controller first. Wasps build in lofts and under eaves and should be dealt with before any roofing work starts. Proofing done properly is a repair. Eaves combs and filler units close the gap between the tiles and the fascia that exists on every tiled roof. Rotten soffits and fascias get replaced rather than patched. Loose ridge and verge units get refixed. Where netting or mesh is genuinely needed — on a flat area or a valley that pigeons use — it is fitted so it does not itself trap water and debris. One important caveat: proofing must not block the ventilation. Sealing the eaves solid to keep birds out converts a bird problem into a condensation problem, because the eaves are where the roof space gets its air. Eaves combs and vented systems are designed to do both, which is exactly why the product choice matters.

Question 4

How do I stop birds getting into my roof?

Accepted Answer

Not much while the nest is active, and that is the law rather than a preference — wild birds, their eggs and their nests in use are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Once the nest is finished with, the entry point gets closed properly, which nearly always means repairing the defect that let them in. Anything living in a roof got there through a gap, and the gap is almost always a defect rather than a design feature: rotten soffit boards, a broken eaves comb, a missing tile, a loose ridge, or a verge that has lost its mortar. That framing matters, because closing the hole without fixing the reason it is there is temporary. A soffit that starlings or squirrels got through was soft because it had been wet for years, and blocking the hole in soft timber lasts until they try a foot along. The legal position is firm and worth stating plainly. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 all wild birds are protected, and it is an offence to intentionally damage or destroy a nest while it is being built or in use, or to destroy eggs. In practice that means proofing work happens outside the nesting season, and where an active nest is found, the work waits. A roofer offering to clear an occupied nest in May is offering to break the law on your behalf. The common entrants have their own patterns. Starlings and sparrows get under loose tiles at the eaves and into the roof space. Pigeons roost on flat areas and in valleys and make a considerable mess that blocks outlets. Squirrels chew through soffits and fascias and are far more destructive once inside, because they will take on cabling — that one is worth acting on promptly, via a pest controller first. Wasps build in lofts and under eaves and should be dealt with before any roofing work starts. Proofing done properly is a repair. Eaves combs and filler units close the gap between the tiles and the fascia that exists on every tiled roof. Rotten soffits and fascias get replaced rather than patched. Loose ridge and verge units get refixed. Where netting or mesh is genuinely needed — on a flat area or a valley that pigeons use — it is fitted so it does not itself trap water and debris. One important caveat: proofing must not block the ventilation. Sealing the eaves solid to keep birds out converts a bird problem into a condensation problem, because the eaves are where the roof space gets its air. Eaves combs and vented systems are designed to do both, which is exactly why the product choice matters.

There are birds nesting in my roof — what can I do?

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