Bird Netting and Bird Spikes for Pigeons in Singapore: What Works Where

Look at what the birds are doing at that spot. If they nest or roost there overnight, they are committed to it, and only a barrier that closes the space, usually netting, will hold. If they only land there to rest, spikes or wire along the perching line are often enough. Most buildings need a mix, chosen spot by spot.

• Bird netting: closes off a space so birds cannot get in at all. The right choice for nesting sites, air-con ledges, balconies, air wells, plant rooms and loading bays. Where there is a whole grid of beams, as in void decks, coffeeshop ceilings, car parks and warehouses, a net stretched underneath closes off the lot in one go.
• Bird spikes (also sold as anti-bird or pigeon spikes): rows of upright pins, usually stainless steel, that leave no room to land. Best on narrow perches such as window ledges, parapets, pipes, single beams, lamp brackets and the top edge of signboards.
• Bird wire: thin, spring-tensioned wires on short posts just above a ledge, so it feels too unsteady to stand on. Suits long, exposed ledges and rooflines where spikes would be too visible. It stops landing, not nesting.
• Mesh and gap sealing: for holes, eaves, roof spaces and gaps behind signboards, the spots Javan and common mynas like to nest in.

Air-con ledges are a common pigeon nesting spot in Singapore: sheltered, rarely disturbed and high up. Netting is usually the best fix, because spikes on top of the compressor stop perching but leave the ledge behind and beside it open for nesting.

Good air-con ledge netting closes the whole opening with no gaps at the sides, top or bottom, and includes an access point, such as a zip or a removable panel, so the unit can still be serviced without cutting the net. Balcony netting works the same way: one neat, tensioned, colour-matched panel across the opening, not loose net tied to the railings.

In HDB flats and condos, check with your town council or MCST before fixing anything to the outside of the building, as many condos have rules on netting and facade fixings. Pigeons pushed off one ledge simply move next door, so proofing a whole stack or facade works far better than one unit at a time. And never lean out of a window or climb onto an air-con ledge to put netting up yourself: it is work at height and needs proper fall protection.

A net that looks fine on day one can fail within weeks if the details are wrong. Signs of a proper job:

• Clean first: droppings are wetted down, removed and the area disinfected, so old mess and smell are not sealed in and fixings grip properly. Never dry-sweep a large, dried build-up, as the dust can carry fungi and bacteria linked to lung infections.
• The right mesh: around 50 mm is the usual size for pigeons. Netting has to be sized to the smallest bird you want to keep out, so spaces also used by the smaller Javan and common mynas need a finer mesh, like the grade sold for starlings (mynas belong to the starling family).
• Durable material: UV-stabilised netting made for bird proofing, in black, stone or translucent shades to suit the building.
• A proper frame: the net is fixed to a tensioned stainless-steel perimeter wire with secure fixings at the corners and along each edge, not tied to railings or taped to walls.
• Drum-tight, with no gaps: a well-tensioned net is harder to see, does not flap in the wind and leaves no slack for a bird to get tangled in. Every edge, corner and join is closed, including around pipes and brackets.
• No birds left inside: the space is checked for birds, eggs and chicks before the last edge is closed.
• Installed safely: by a crew trained for work at height, using proper access and fall protection.

Spikes look simple, which is why they are so often fitted badly. The details that make the difference:

• Match the spike to the ledge depth. A narrow strip on a wide ledge leaves room for pigeons to sit beside it, or even nest between the rows. Cover deep ledges fully with a wider spike set or a second row.
• Run them the full length. Stopping short of the ends or corners just gives the birds a new favourite spot.
• Fix them to a clean surface. Spikes stuck over droppings, dust or flaking paint soon come loose.
• Space bird wire correctly: staggered heights just above the ledge, close enough together that a pigeon cannot stand between the wires, with extra rows on wider ledges.
• Do not use spikes where birds nest. Spikes stop landing, but they will not reliably shift a pair set on nesting there. Nesting spots need netting or sealing.

Most failed bird control jobs come down to one of these:

• Netting over a nest with eggs or chicks, or closing a net with birds still inside. Removing a nest with eggs or chicks is subject to the approvals each species requires under the Wildlife Act, so the usual approach is to wait until the young have flown, then clear and proof the spot straight away, before the pair lays again. Pigeon eggs hatch after 17 to 19 days and the young fly at about a month old, so the wait is a matter of weeks.
• Assuming every nest belongs to a pigeon. Some native birds nest on buildings too, and their eggs and chicks cannot be removed without written approval under the Wildlife Act, so identify the bird first.
• Loose, gappy or flimsy netting: a bird finds the gap, gets in behind the net and cannot find its way out.
• Proofing one ledge at a time: the birds move one ledge over, often to a neighbour's unit.
• DIY at height: leaning out of windows or standing on air-con ledges to fix netting is how people get badly hurt.
• Relying on decoys and gadgets: plastic owls, shiny tape and ultrasonic devices stop working once birds get used to them, usually within days or weeks.

Netting and spikes take away places to land and nest. They do nothing about the reason pigeons are in the area in the first place, which is almost always food: open bins, uncleared trays, scraps and people feeding them. While the food stays, pigeons keep testing every unprotected ledge.

The most reliable results come from doing both. Cut the food nearby with lidded bins, clean bin centres, prompt tray clearing and no feeding (feeding wildlife, pigeons included, is an offence under the Wildlife Act), then proof the ledges and spaces the birds still use. Our guide to getting rid of pigeons, Javan mynas and common mynas in Singapore explains the food side in more detail.

Netting and spikes are not fit and forget. Storms, contractors and air-con servicing can loosen a net or open a gap, and one gap is all a pigeon needs to get in behind it and become trapped. A simple routine:

• Check netting and spikes after heavy storms and after any work on the facade, roof or air-con units.
• Look for sagging, tears, loose fixings and open access zips, and fix them promptly.
• Clear leaves, twigs and droppings from spikes, wire and ledges, as debris caught in spikes can give birds a footing to build on.
• Watch where the birds go next. If they move to nearby unprotected ledges, more of the facade needs proofing.

ESC installs bird netting, spikes, tensioned wire and mesh as part of survey-led bird control for town councils, condominium MCSTs and managing agents, commercial buildings, F&B outlets and industrial sites. Every ESC officer is trained and certified for work at height, and high work follows the site's permit-to-work and fall-protection procedures.

Each job follows the same order: a survey to confirm which birds are involved, count them and map nests and food sources; a written scope listing each area and method; cleaning and disinfection; proofing planned across the whole stack or facade; and follow-up visits that check every net and spike and repeat the counts, with a short photo report. Call or WhatsApp +65 9149 1408 with photos of the problem spots to talk it through.