Bird control for Long Beach ledges, signs, rooflines and solar panels

No single product solves every bird problem. Spikes work well on narrow ledges, sign tops and beams where pigeons land, but birds can build nests on top of spikes on wide ledges. Post-and-wire systems are low profile and suit historic facades and parapets where appearance matters. Slope panels turn a flat ledge into a surface birds cannot stand on.

Netting is the most complete exclusion for large open areas, such as courtyards, loading docks, carports and open beams under a canopy, because it closes the whole space instead of individual landing spots. For homes, mesh solar panel guards stop pigeons from nesting under the panels, and screened vent covers keep sparrows out of exhaust vents.

• Spikes for narrow ledges, signs, beams and light fixtures
• Post-and-wire for long ledges and historic facades
• Netting for courtyards, docks, carports and rafters
• Mesh guards around rooftop solar arrays
• Screens and closures for vents, eaves and roof returns

Pigeon droppings that build up over months can harbor fungi and bacteria, and dried droppings break down into dust that is easy to inhale when disturbed. Histoplasmosis and cryptococcosis are among the illnesses linked to heavy accumulations of bird droppings, though risk to healthy people from small amounts is low.

Cleanup should start with wetting the droppings to keep dust down, wearing gloves and a well-fitting respirator, and bagging waste instead of sweeping or blowing it. Never use a leaf blower or dry pressure washer on dried droppings. Bird mites and other insects from nests can wander indoors once the birds leave, so we remove nest material from vents and eaves as part of the job.

Plastic owls, reflective tape, wind spinners, rubber snakes and ultrasonic devices are cheap and easy, and they often seem to work at first. Pigeons and gulls are smart and adapt quickly. Within days or weeks, birds learn the owl never moves and the noise never hurts, and they return to the same ledge.

These devices also do nothing about nests already built. Birds defending a nest will tolerate a lot of disturbance. Physical deterrents last because they take away the landing or nesting surface itself. Reducing food sources helps too: stop feeding birds, keep trash closed and clean outdoor dining areas promptly.

Downtown Long Beach has some of the heaviest pigeon pressure in the area. Historic commercial buildings along Pine Avenue, Broadway and the Promenade have deep stone and terra cotta ledges, cornices and signs that pigeons use daily, and outdoor dining and transit stops supply food. Parking structures near the convention center and the East Village Arts District have open beams and ledges where birds roost under cover.

Along the shoreline in Belmont Shore, Alamitos Beach and near Shoreline Village, gulls and pigeons land on balconies, rooftop decks and restaurant patios. In residential areas such as Lakewood Village, Los Altos, Bixby Knolls and North Long Beach, the biggest growth in bird calls has come from rooftop solar panels, where pigeons nest in the sheltered gap under the array and fill gutters with droppings. Nesting peaks in spring and summer, but pigeons breed year round in our mild climate.