Although the installation of our Defender® Roof Spikes is easy, as you simply apply fixing silicone to the base and pressing down into position, the nature of the product means that access can be difficult. If you are at all worried about using ladders or gaining access to high areas like the roof, we would really recommend talking to a professional pest controller or property maintenance company.
Step 1 - Clean the Area: Before starting your Defender® Ridge Spikes installation you need to make sure that the apex ridge tiles are clean and free from moss, lichen, bird droppings and any dust or debris. This is to make sure that the silicone has a clean surface to adhere to.
If soiled with droppings, we would always recommend dampening down the area with a disinfectant spray like
Germ Clear™ Bird Droppings Disinfectant Spray. Once this has been left to soak into the droppings, you can use a scraper, stiff brush, warm soapy water and a cloth to make sure the roof apex is clean and dry. Ideally leave the area for 24 hours to ensure it is fully dry.
If a seagull has already been using the area it may be heavily soiled with seagull droppings. If this is the case please see our
"How to safely clean bird droppings guide" guide for more in-depth cleaning advice.
Step 2 - Silicone: To affix the Defender® Ridge Spikes to a roof ridge you will need to use
Defender® Pigeon Spike Fixing Silicone. This adhesive is formulated to create an extra strong bond with the polycarbonate base of our seagull roof ridge spikes. You will need a caulking gun (not provided) to use the silicone we sell. Use the caulking gun to squeeze a bead of silicone about 8 mm wide along both undersides of the triangular base. Always check the suitability of surfaces for use with Defender® Silicone. For more information, please visit the product page Defender® Fixing Silicone Adhesive Glue. If you do not have a
caulking gun, we have them available to purchase and we also have a handy guide on
How to use a Caulking gun
if you haven't used one before.
Step 3 - Positioning: Once the base is glued, simply push the Defender® Ridge Spikes in to position along the ridge. Repeat the steps until the row is complete. A hacksaw can be used to shorten strips if a smaller piece is needed to finish the run. Do not leave any gaps, if a seagull has access to even a small area they can then push past the pins and even drop nesting debris on to the spikes.
Step 4 – Raised Sections: Seagulls are very strong and can be very possessive of their chosen nesting or roosting sites, the will often return to the same place year after year. Look at the roof as a whole – for example, you may also need to use
Defender® Seagull Spikes along the chimney breast stack. In most instances though, if you can rid birds from the ridge of a roof, often they will abandon the property all together.