Basic Guide on Pest Pigeon Netting

Nylon nets have long been use to protect properties from pigeons in both rural and urban areas. In the rural setting, the nets are used to repel pigeons and other birds from damaging crops and other agricultural produce. On the other hand, these nets are used in the cities and other urbanized areas to repel pigeons from habituating buildings and other structures which they damage through their excretions. Over the past few years, nylon nets have maintained their credibility in stopping pigeons from damaging properties.

In the cities, pigeons are typically considered as pests because of their excretions. Because these birds stick together to form large flocks, they also tend to leave behind large amounts of excretion in the area where they roost or perch. Their excretions, also known as pigeon guano, have very strong chemicals that can soil the appearance of buildings and structures. Apart from the obvious soiling, the guano can also penetrate through the materials used in the construction of these buildings and weaken their structures causing premature structural failures. On top of these problems, guano is also known to harbour dangerous diseases and illnesses because of the viruses and bacteria that live in it. Thus, although pigeons do not cause direct damages to properties unlike rats and mice, these birds still qualifies as pests to most people in the city.

The Standard Net

Ideally, the most effective nylon net used for pigeon control has a mesh size of 50 by 50 millimetres each. This size is just enough to stop pigeons from penetrating the barrier but is wide enough to allow other non-pest birds to enter. There are some nests that have smaller mesh sizes but pigeon control experts agree that these nests should not be used because it also discourages other birds from perching in buildings, which of course can add to the aesthetic value of the property. On the other hand, mesh sizes which are larger than 50 by 50 millimetres are considered ineffective and is just a waste of money.

The standard net is weaved using a thick strand of nylon. This strand is composed of 6 other stands that are 0.012 inches in diameter. The final strand has a cross-sectional area of about 0.07 inches and a total tensile strength of 52 pounds. Because the net has to be installed outdoors, it is also designed to withstand varying temperatures, the lowest being -110 degrees Celsius and the highest is 115 degree Celsius. During the production of these nets, machines pre-stretch them in order to be sure that they are installed in the buildings; their dimensions will no longer change because of specific conditions.

To blend with the buildings where they are installed, the nets also come in different colours; the most popular ones are black, grey and translucent. However, there are many property owners who ask for custom-made nylon nets to perfectly suit the external appearance of their building. Custom-made nylon nets are normally more expensive that the pre-colored ones but in most cases, clients who order for such end up being happy with the end-product that they receive. Nevertheless, customization is only popular in urban applications.

As an added feature, the nets are also designed to not absorb water. As we all know, water can cause fast disintegration of the net. Thus, because it is designed to repel water, the life of the net is also lengthening. It is also UV protected and it can withstand different types of weather conditions. According to its manufacturers, such nylon nets can stay intact and working for about 10 years or more depending on different factors.

Most Common Pigeon Net: Suspension System

For pigeon control applications, it was made clear that the 50 by 50 millimetres mesh size is most appropriate. Nevertheless, some people also use 100 by 100 millimetres and 28 by 28 millimetres mesh sizes for the same purpose. The first one is actually used for gull control while the latter one is for starlings. But some people use any one of these nets in the hope that it can repel all kinds of birds. Now, although this strategy can be effective sometimes, if the intention of the property owner is to really protect his or her property from pigeons, then he or she should stick to the 50 by 50 millimetre guideline.

Now, since pigeons prefer to roost or perch on the roof void of the building, it is important that the owner of the property also install the net around this area. Since the roof void is normally found in the highest portion of the building, the best way install a net around it is by using the suspension system wherein the net is "suspended" over the roof void to repel the pigeons. This type of installation is often too difficult for a newbie to try, thus it is most advised that the property owner hire a pigeon control contractor to do the job. However, for residential application (wherein the building is not that high), the owner may opt to buy a netting kit instead. The kit includes all the tools that the owner will need in order to install a suspension system bird netting.

Netting Types

It should be noted that the pigeon netting used for exclusion of these birds may vary depending on the type of the application. In a broad classification, it can be said that there are two types of netting: 1. Oriented and 2. Extruded. The first one referred to the type of net that is normally installed horizontally. This net can either be made from polyethylene or polypropylene but whichever the material used it, during production this net is tested by stretching until it maximum tensile strength is determined. This test makes sure that the net can be used for high tensile applications while remaining to be light-weight. The other type is more focused on the mesh sizes. These types of nets are manufactured to have uniform mesh sizes unlike the other nets which are simply knotted or woven together forming irregularly sized meshes. These nets are manufactured to be such because they are meant to be "displayed". Extruded nets are usually installed on walls and other surfaces that are highly visible. Its most common application is for predator control, water filtration and of course, pigeon repulsion.