Bird proofing guide · Wollongong & the Illawarra
Do Bird Deterrents Actually Work?
Physical exclusion — mesh, netting and spiking — reliably works because it removes access. Ultrasonic units, plastic owls and reflective tape almost never work for long.
Last updated 28 August 2026 · Premier Pest Control, Wollongong
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Why most deterrents stop working
Nearly every bird deterrent on the shelf relies on frightening the bird, and birds habituate quickly. A plastic owl, a reflective disc or a recorded distress call produces a real effect for a few days and then becomes part of the scenery. Ultrasonic devices have the additional problem that pigeons hear roughly the same range humans do, so a unit inaudible to you is generally inaudible to them. Once a flock has decided a ledge, a roof cavity or the space under a solar array is a safe roosting site, a scare-based product is arguing with a decision the birds have already made.
- Ultrasonic repellers — no reliable effect on pigeons at the frequencies marketed
- Plastic owls and hawk silhouettes — effective for days, then ignored
- Reflective tape, discs and old CDs — same habituation problem
- Gels and pastes — can work on a narrow ledge, but degrade with sun and dust and need reapplication
- Netting, mesh and spiking — work because they remove access rather than argue with the bird
Solar panels are the problem we are called about most
The gap between a solar array and the roof sheet is close to a perfect nesting site: sheltered, warm, hard to reach and completely out of sight. Pigeons colonise it, and the consequences are not just mess — nesting material under panels traps moisture and debris against the roof, droppings are acidic and accumulate, and the birds themselves bring mites. Because the space is enclosed, homeowners usually discover it through noise or staining rather than by seeing anything. The fix is a mesh skirt fitted around the array perimeter, which closes the gap without touching the panels or the electrical work.
What NSW law allows — and what it does not
Native birds are protected in New South Wales, and that protection extends to their nests. In practice that means a nuisance native bird is not something you can simply remove, however inconvenient it is — and if you are unsure whether the species on your roof is native, that is worth establishing before anyone touches it. Feral pigeons — Rock Doves — are an introduced species and are treated differently from native birds, but poisoning is still not something a responsible operator will offer you: it is indiscriminate, it kills non-target native species, and it leaves carcasses in the cavity you were trying to clear. If a page or a product suggests poisoning birds as a solution, that alone tells you what kind of operator you are dealing with. Exclusion is both the lawful answer and the one that actually holds.
How proofing is approached
The order matters — proofing a fouled space simply seals the problem in.
- 1
Identify the access point
Where the birds are getting in is rarely where the mess appears. Solar arrays, broken tiles, unscreened eaves gaps, roof vents and parapet ledges are the usual entries.
- 2
Clear and clean first
Nesting material and droppings are removed before anything is closed up. Sealing a cavity with the nest still in it traps moisture, odour and mites against the structure.
- 3
Exclude physically
Mesh, netting or spiking chosen for the structure — a solar skirt, a netted courtyard void, spiking on a narrow ledge. The aim is that the site is no longer available, not that the bird is frightened away from it.
- 4
Check it after weather
Fixings loosen and mesh can lift. A proofing job is worth looking at again after a serious storm.
What it costs
There is no useful single figure, and any site quoting one is guessing. The cost of bird proofing is driven by access more than anything else — the height, whether scaffolding or an elevated work platform is needed, the perimeter length of a solar array, and how much cleaning is required before anything can be closed. A small ledge treatment and a two-storey roof with a full array are different jobs by an order of magnitude. We quote per property after looking at the access, and we will tell you if the honest answer is that the job needs a roofing contractor rather than a pest technician.
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Teresa has been very reliable in attending to our calls regarding our vacate end-of-lease treatment. There has been excellent and consistent communication, alongside thorough service from Premier Pest Control.
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions we actually get asked on this — answered plainly. Call 02 4217 0117 any time if yours isn't here.
Call 02 4217 0117Do ultrasonic bird repellers work?
Not reliably. Pigeons hear roughly the same frequency range as people, so a device inaudible to you is generally inaudible to them — and birds habituate to any sound that never turns out to be dangerous.
What poison kills pigeons?
We do not use or recommend poison for birds. It is indiscriminate, it kills non-target native species which are protected in NSW, and it leaves carcasses in the cavity you were trying to clear. Physical exclusion is the approach that is both lawful and effective.
Can you bird proof solar panels without removing them?
Yes. A mesh skirt is fitted around the perimeter of the array to close the gap between the panels and the roof. The panels themselves and the electrical work are not touched.
Are pigeons protected in Australia?
Feral pigeons (Rock Doves) are an introduced species and are not protected the way native birds are. Native birds — including many you might consider a nuisance — are protected in NSW, and their active nests may not be interfered with.
Will the birds just move somewhere else on the roof?
They will try, which is why the inspection looks at the whole roofline rather than the one spot you have noticed. Proofing a single ledge on a roof with several equally good options is the most common reason a job does not hold.
Sources
Every claim on this page can be checked against a public authority. These are the ones we used.
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