Survey and design
We identify the species, measure the structure, decide the mesh size, map where the perimeter wire runs, and check for active nests and for access from a tower, a platform or the structure itself.
Bird Netting in Wakefield and West Yorkshire
Practical pest control support for homes and businesses.
Bird Netting
Bird netting advice and installation for buildings, canopies, loading areas and courtyards in Wakefield and West Yorkshire with heavy bird pressure.
We design and fit bird netting to keep pigeons and other birds out of canopies, loading bays, courtyards, balconies and roof structures across Wakefield and West Yorkshire.
About Bird Netting
Why netting is the answer for heavy bird pressure
Bird netting closes off a whole space rather than a single ledge. It is the right product where birds nest or roost in numbers inside a structure: under a canopy or loading bay roof, in a courtyard or light well, on a balcony, behind a parapet, among roof plant or beneath solar panels.
We survey the area, work out where the net must run so no gap is left, and fit a tensioned system: a stainless steel wire perimeter on fixings suited to the structure, with the mesh laced to it and zips or panels where you need access. Mesh size is chosen for the species, smaller for starlings and sparrows, larger for pigeons and gulls.
Netting is used on warehouses, retail parks, hospitals, schools, car parks, apartment blocks and houses with pigeons under solar panels. Wild birds are protected, so nests in use are left until they are empty or, for feral pigeons, a general licence allows the work.
Colonies pick enclosed spaces
Pigeons and starlings look for sheltered, elevated structures with many perches: canopy steelwork, courtyard ledges, roof plant and the voids beneath solar panels. Spikes on one beam move them to the next; netting takes the whole space away.
Birds test every gap
An excluded colony tries every edge. A net that stops short of the wall or sags at a corner will be found, which is why the perimeter and the tension matter more than the mesh itself.
Netting lets light and air through
Unlike boarding or sheeting, a mesh keeps ventilation and daylight in a canopy or courtyard while keeping birds out, in black, stone or translucent to suit the building.
The law expects exclusion first
All wild birds, their nests and eggs are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Excluding birds from a structure is the lawful approach and where the general licences expect any control to start.
Signs netting is the right product
Many birds in one structure
A flock roosting on canopy steel, in a light well or on roof plant every night.
Nests inside the space
Nests on beams, ledges and ducting and under solar panels rather than on a single sill.
Fouling over a wide area
Droppings across a loading bay floor, a car park deck, stock, vehicles or balconies.
Noise and smell
Constant calling and a sour ammonia smell inside the structure, which residents and staff notice first.
Spikes have not been enough
Birds nesting on top of or between spike strips, a sign the site has gone from perching to nesting pressure.
How we fit bird netting
Clear and clean
Nests out of use are removed with the fouling around them, the area is damped down and cleaned and the waste bagged, so the net goes onto a clean structure.
Fix and tension
Corner and intermediate fixings go into the steel, concrete or masonry, the perimeter wire is strained tight, and the mesh is laced to it so there is no slack edge or gap at the wall.
Finish and show you round
We fit zips or panels where you need access for maintenance, check every edge, tidy up and show you how to spot a problem with the net later.
Before we arrive
- Clear the area beneath the work: move vehicles, pallets, stock and bins so we can reach the structure and the floor can be cleaned.
- Tell us about operating hours and deliveries, so fitting can happen when the space is quiet.
- Tell us what the structure is made of and whether we may fix into it; on leased premises the landlord often has to agree.
- Point out anything that must stay reachable: lights, CCTV, sprinklers, roof plant, vents and panels, so we build in access.
Looking after the netting
- Look along the edges every few months and after high winds; a tight net with no gaps at the walls is doing its job.
- Tell contractors working on the roof or canopy that the net is there, and have any cut or unhooked section refitted straight away.
- Reduce food around the site: closed bins, swept loading bays, no feeding by staff or the public.
- Report any bird you see inside the netted area; it means a gap has opened somewhere.
What affects the price of bird netting installation
- The area to be covered and the shape of the structure, since corners, columns and services add fixings and labour.
- The mesh size and colour, and whether a heavier gull-grade net is needed.
- Access: whether the work can be done from the structure, a tower or a powered platform.
- Clearance and cleaning before the net goes up, and any zips, panels or other proofing in the same job.
Common questions about bird netting
When is bird netting useful?
Bird netting can be useful where birds need to be excluded from defined areas such as canopies, courtyards, loading bays, or roof structures.
Does bird netting need a site visit?
Yes. The area, access, fixings, species pressure, and safety requirements should be checked before recommending a system.
What mesh size do you use for pigeon netting?
A 50mm mesh is the standard for pigeons. Gulls take a 75mm mesh, and starlings and sparrows need a 19mm mesh because they slip through anything larger. Where several species use a site we net for the smallest.
Does bird exclusion netting trap or hurt birds?
Fitted properly, no. A tensioned net with closed edges keeps birds outside the space; the risk comes from slack, torn or badly finished netting, which is why we check every edge. If birds are nesting inside, the work waits until they have gone or a licence allows it.
Can netting go under or around solar panels?
Yes. On a house roof we fit a mesh skirt that clips to the panel frame around the edge of the array, closing the gap underneath without drilling into the roof. Larger arrays on commercial roofs are looked at after a survey.
Need help with bird netting?
Tell VermiCure what you have noticed and ask about the next step.
