Another area of your rainwater goods that may need to be protected from pigeons is the ‘hopper’, a V-shaped plastic or cast-iron funnel that connects your horizontal gutter to the vertical downpipe. Pigeons will use hoppers for both roosting and for nesting. It is common to find a pigeon nest built inside a hopper, particularly on period properties that have large cast-iron hoppers.

Where a system is provided on masonry, and where posts are installed by drilling and fixing, it is essential that the hole into which the post is seated is filledEither way the result is that the system will have to be repaired or replaced. If the system has been installed at height the cost of access alone can be extremely

The screw hooks will be installed into the face of the chimney breast at either end of the apex of the roof by drilling two holes into the mortar joint of the breast, inserting a Rawlplug and then screwing the hook into it. The hooks should be installed approximately 3.5 inches above the height of the ridge tiles. Attach a spring to both the screw hooks and then attach the fishing line or steel wire to the springs. Pull the line/wire as taught as possible without stretching the springs too much and this completes the installation. They aren’t large enough to be a huge eyesore but will get the job done if you have too many pigeons bothering you on a regular basis. The spikes are highly effective and come in several sizes. 3. Electronic Pest Chaser The most straightforward DIY method of stopping pigeons perching on horizontal pipework is to install a thin piece of plywood, or any other similar material, above and sloping down over the pipe at such an angle that pigeons will be unable to continue to perch on the pipe. The installation will be a permanent fix once installed and may actually improve the aesthetics of your property by merit of hiding ugly pipework. This is often seen as being the most conventional of all window types but with UPVC becoming so popular and often using centrally-hinged or top/bottom-hinged windows that open in and out the side-hinged window is becoming rarer. Whether you have a single side-hinged window or a double, installation is the same. Assuming that the gap between the base of the window (when open) and the sill is greater than 3” then the provision of wires spanning the sill from one side to another, as described for sash windows, will be the most effective DIY pigeon deterrent option. If, however, the clearance between the base of the window when open and the sill is less than 3” then another option will need to be considered. All the pipework can be easily protected using DIY pigeon deterrent options and these installations are described in the exposed external pipework section of this document. All windows and windowsills can be easily protected using DIY options and these installations are described in the windows and windowsills section of this document.Specialised anti-roosting spikes are really the only option, over and above the system previously described, for protecting windowsills where the windows open inwards/outwards and where the gap between the base of the window and the sill is less than 3”, irrespective of how wide or narrow the sill is. Of course, anti-roosting spikes are a commercial product, but the good news is that they are simple to install and a DIY installation is always possible, even for someone with only very basic DIY skills.