Nobody loves Spanish tile roofs as much as the neighbourhood birds. Those open-ended eaves offer the perfect spots to build nests, raise baby birds and stash snacks. Some homeowners find this charming, but others may tire of the incessant chirping and the growing mountains of bird droppings around their homes. If you have a bird situation in your Spanish tile roof, just follow these steps to put an end to it.

Count the number of open-ended tile eaves on all sides of your home. Keep this number with you as you shop for eave closures.

Buy eave closures from a hardware store or roofing supplier. While eave closures aren't rare, they aren't carried as regular inventory by all hardware suppliers. You may want to call a few of your local stores before venturing out to shop. The eave closures may also be marketed as "bird stops." If you must describe them to a sales associate, tell them that you're looking for prefabricated metal plates that are designed to block off the open eaves in Spanish tile roofs.

  • Nobody loves Spanish tile roofs as much as the neighbourhood birds.
  • If you must describe them to a sales associate, tell them that you're looking for prefabricated metal plates that are designed to block off the open eaves in Spanish tile roofs.

Evict any birds that are currently nesting in the roof. The most humane way to do this is to simply wait for the birds to fly south for the winter. If you can't wait that long, you can just wait for the birds to leave their nests and then physically remove the nests by putting on gloves, climbing a ladder and taking them out by hand. If you spot a nest with eggs or baby birds, just hold off for one more season until the cycle of life is complete. Otherwise, you should consult a pest control agency if proceeding will involve the physical removal of baby or adult birds.

  • Evict any birds that are currently nesting in the roof.
  • If you can't wait that long, you can just wait for the birds to leave their nests and then physically remove the nests by putting on gloves, climbing a ladder and taking them out by hand.

Set up an extension ladder so that you will have easy, comfortable access to the roof eaves. Climb the ladder with a supply of eave closures, nails or screws and either a hammer, screwdriver or electric drill.

Slide an eave closure in place over the open eave. If using a hammer and nails, place the tip of a nail in the closure's hole and drive it into place with a hammer. If using screws, place the tip of the screw over the hole and screw it into place.

Repeat this process on all eaves within easy reach. Then descend the ladder, move it over a few feet, climb back up and continue the process. When all of the eaves have been covered, consider your roof to be bird-proof.

TIP

Prefabricated eave closures may be available in designer colours that match your Spanish tile or home exterior. It pays to shop around before making your final purchase decision.

WARNING

Removing bird nests, even when the birds are nowhere to be seen, isn't recommended for novices. Many birds are very territorial and will attack humans who disturb their nests.