Most of us like seeing birds in our garden so you might be surprised to see birds listed as pests. But some birds can be as damaging to your home as an infestation of rats, flies or cockroaches.

We’re not talking Robins or a Blackbird. If you live in the East Neuk of Fife and a few Herring Gulls take more than an idle interest in your barbecue – or your back garden in Dunfermline becomes a favourite gathering place for a flock of pigeons – you might change your mind.

I’m sure we’ve all sat somewhere at some time, enjoying an ice cream or a plate of chips, when a gull has tried to muscle in.  You know the kind of behaviour I mean.

To give you an idea of the type of bird pest control situations we have dealt with previously, here are a few examples of bird problems in Fife that we have resolved successfully.

A householder in Kirkcaldy was being plagued by Herring Gulls, which were nesting in the chimney of his property. The birds caused noise, mess and structural damage.

Using approved prevention measures, we were able to encourage the Gulls to set up home elsewhere.

Similarly, we used chimney-guard bird proofing after Jackdaws fell down a resident’s chimney in Glenrothes.  When Sparrows prevented another couple from sleeping, we used bird-proofing control measures to prevent the Sparrows from nesting in their home the following year.

Some of the other birds in the UK that are most often the cause of problems include:

• Feral pigeons
• The greater and lesser black-backed gull
• Starlings
• Collared Doves

We were asked to provide bird control for a factory in Leven after Pigeon droppings began to contaminate machinery and goods. Left untreated these would also become a potential hazard to staff health over time.

A shop owner in Dunfermline requested bird-proofing measures when pigeons began scavenging and fouling in his back yard. The inevitable mess caused by their droppings also led to a slip hazard.

A  similar issue can be caused by House Martins and Swallows, as their droppings often create a constant mess in doorways and at windows. In fact, bird droppings can be highly corrosive, (after all they are acidic), leading to damage on building exteriors if not cleaned away quickly.

Birds can also cause damage to your home or office by dislodging roof tiles. Debris from their nests can cause blockages in your drains and gutters, which will create problems with water running off after heavy rains if left over time.

Birds are also sometimes classed as pests because they do carry mites, which can be transferred to humans and cause diseases. These include Ornithosis, E.Coli, and Salmonella. Their moulted feathers can even cause respiratory problems, so if someone in your family has asthma, this is a key issue to watch out for.

As if all this was not bad enough, often householders in these situations cannot sleep because of the birds’ constant twittering outside their bedrooms.

Active Pest Solutions always use approved, specialised bird-proofing measures to prevent problems associated with pest birds recurring for you: whatever the species and wherever you’re based in Fife or Perth & Kinross.