The complete guide
How to Choose and Install Plastic Bird Spikes: The Complete Guide
Pigeons on the parapet, gulls on the sign, droppings down the render. If that sounds like your place, plastic bird spikes are the simplest fix there is, and this guide covers everything you need to buy the right amount and fit them properly the first time.
Why Plastic Bird Spikes Are the Best First Move
When people search for the best bird deterrent for a home or shopfront, the answer is usually the least glamorous one. Spike strips work because they deal with the real problem. A bird does not care about your building, it cares about a flat, safe place to stand. Take that away and the bird leaves. No noise, no chemicals, no batteries, and nothing for the bird to get used to over time.
Hard plastic spikes in particular have a few things going for them. They cost less than stainless steel, they blend into the building far better, and they cannot rust or streak the paintwork. For anyone hunting the best plastic bird spikes for a house, a pergola or a fence line, an injection-moulded acrylic strip like this one is the standard choice.
Know Your Bird Before You Buy
Spikes are at their best against pigeons, doves and gulls, the medium and large birds that perch and roost on edges. If you are searching for the best bird spikes for pigeons, you are in exactly the right place, since pigeons are the number one customer for this product worldwide.
Small birds are a different story. Sparrows and swallows can sometimes tuck themselves between spikes, so if your problem is tiny birds nesting in a corner, look at gels or netting instead. And while these strips are made for birds, plenty of buyers fit them as possum spikes for fences or to keep cats off railings and window ledges. The reviews on this product tell that story: swing sets, planter beds, balconies and pergolas, all cleared with the same strips.
Measuring Up: How Many Strips Do You Need?
Each strip is 50 cm long and every metre contains two strips, so the maths is easy. Walk the property and note every spot where birds actually sit. Measure each run in metres, add about ten percent for cuts, corners and overlaps, then choose the pack that covers the run.
Check the depth of each ledge too. A single row protects a ledge up to roughly 10 cm deep. Wider ledges need two or even three parallel rows. Include every perch and allow a little extra for cuts and corners.
Where to Fit Them
The best bird spikes for ledges are the ones placed where birds actually land, which is not always where the mess ends up. Droppings fall, so look up from the stain to find the perch. The usual suspects:
Rooflines and ridge capping, parapet edges, window sills, fence tops, pergola beams, signage, security cameras, gutter edges and balcony rails. On solar panels, run spikes along the exposed edges to stop perching, and pair them with solar mesh if birds are getting into the gap underneath.
Installing Plastic Bird Spikes Step by Step
First, clean the surface. Old droppings act like a welcome mat, telling birds this spot is home, so scrub the area and let it dry. Droppings can carry bacteria, so wear gloves and a mask for this part.
Then fix the strips using whichever method suits the surface. A bead of outdoor silicone adhesive is the go-to for concrete, stone, metal and painted surfaces. Screws suit timber fences and beams. Cable ties are perfect for railings, pipes and camera mounts, and they are the renter-friendly option since they come off without a trace.
Work along the run leaving no gaps. Birds are excellent at finding the one bare corner you left, so finish rows hard against walls and cut the last strip to length rather than leaving a space. The plastic base cuts cleanly with snips.
Plastic or Stainless Steel?
Both do the same job the same way, so the choice comes down to the site. Hard plastic is the best bird spike option for most homes: cheaper, subtler, paintable, and completely rustproof, which matters near the coast. Stainless steel earns its keep on harsh commercial sites, wide gull-heavy rooftops and anywhere the strips will take a physical beating. If you are unsure, start with plastic on the main perches and see how the birds respond. In most residential cases that is the end of the problem.
Keeping Things Humane and Legal
Every product we sell deters by inconvenience, not injury, and these strips are no different. The spikes are uncomfortable to land on, not sharp enough to wound. One reviewer even chose them because they kept her cat off without hurting its paws.
Australian native birds are protected by law, so the rules are simple. Deter landing, never harm a bird, and leave an active nest alone until the chicks have fledged. Blocking an empty ledge is always fine, and it is the best time to act. Fit spikes after the birds leave and they will not move back in come spring.
Aftercare
There is not much to do once the strips are up. Brush off leaves and cobwebs occasionally so the spikes stay exposed, and wash with mild soapy water if droppings land on them during the changeover period. The plastic is UV-stable, so you will not be back up the ladder replacing brittle strips in two summers.
The Bottom Line
Match the product to the bird, measure every perch, add ten percent, and fit the strips with no gaps. Packs start at $13.20 per metre, with better per-metre value at 10, 20 and 30 metres.