Pest control
Pest bird control: time to stop winging it
There is wide choice of options to consider when addressing pest birds. Here, Paul Bates, managing director of Cleankill Pest Control, discusses the latest legislation care home managers need to be aware of, and the different methods that can be used depending on the type of premises and the species of pest bird causing the problem
Of all the pests that are a public safety hazards, birds are one of the most complex to deal with. Not only because there are strict laws surrounding their control and removal, but their guano presents a real health risk to care home residents and pest control operatives. There are two main pieces of legislation
that control the way in which pest controllers can carry out control measures against pest birds: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
– This protects all species of wild birds, although exemptions do exist for certain pest species under strict General Licence conditions. Prohibitions include taking, injuring, killing, and disturbing. You must always be able to show that full consideration has been given to ‘moving pest birds on’ before resorting to removal or
killing. (It is important to note that there are no pesticides or ‘poisons’ approved for bird control due to the very high risk to non- targets and the environment). Animal Welfare Act 2006 – Animals caught
in traps must be treated humanely i.e. food, water, and shelter should be made available, and animals must be inspected at least once per day. Any non-pest species must be released, and any pest species despatched humanely in accordance with conditions set out in the General Licence. Traps must be large enough to allow birds to move about and stretch out their wings and rendered incapable of trapping birds when not in use. On its website, the RSPCA states: Bird
deterrent netting can be an effective means of keeping birds off structures as it can prevent problems without needing to resort to other measures such as killing birds. However, it is
vitally important that any netting is properly installed and maintained. We recommend that care home managers with netting installed on their property set up a system to check regularly for trapped birds and to ensure any netting is in good repair.
Gulls and Parakeets For coastal and inland issues with Gulls (usually Herring Gulls or Lesser Black- backed Gulls) control, including egg replacement or removal and nest removal, can only be carried out subject to approval of individual licence applications from Natural England. Noise and nuisance will not be considered adequate reason for approval. Ring-necked Parakeets will occasionally
enter roof spaces through soffit and vent holes and their powerful beaks are fully
November 2025
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