chimney cages

The only permanent solution to prevent gulls from nesting on a chimney.

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nesting gulls

Gulls nesting on chimneys can be a serious problem. Apart from the noise and mess they create, nesting gulls are very protective of their young and have been known to attack people and pets just for walking out into their garden.

The young can also fall out of the nests, which can be a very distressing situation and cause the adult birds to become even more aggressive.

A buildup of nesting materials on top of your chimney stack can also lead to the potentially dangerous problem of blocked chimneys and flues and can also cause insect infestations.

A herring gull nesting on top of a chimney stack
An example of a chimney cage installed by Bird Management Solutions to prevent gulls from nesting.

chimney cages

While gulls often perch on the tops of chimney pots, they almost always build their nests on top of the flaunching, often weaving their nesting materials around the pots.

While there are some specialist spike systems that can be effective at keeping gulls off the tops of the pots, spikes will not prevent them from nesting. A gull looking to build a nest will simply drop nesting materials and other debris on top of the spikes until they are completely buried.

Chimney cages will prevent them from landing on the pots and the flaunching entirely and are built high enough to stop the gulls from dropping nesting materials through the mesh in an attempt to ‘build up’ a nest inside. The pitched roof of the cages prevents them from perching on top of it.

Cages are the only 100% effective, permanent solution to prevent gulls from nesting on a chimney.

An example of a chimney cage installed by Bird Management Solutions to prevent gulls from nesting.

construction and installation

Our cages are constructed from 12 gauge steel welded mesh and are made to measure on site to fit your specific chimney stack. The cages are constructed with a pitched ‘roof’ that will prevent the gulls from landing on top of it.

The parts of the cage are temporarily assembled using UV-resistant cable ties to allow us to fit it to the shape of the chimney stack. Once sized correctly, we reinforce all the joints with heavy duty steel mesh clips. This ensures the cages are completely rigid and extremely durable.

The cages are screwed into the stack and, once installed, should last a lifetime. We have installed cages in many coastal and clifftop areas that experience very high winds and have never had a report of them coming loose.

The work is usually carried out from roof ladders, scaffolds, or a cherry picker. The size and location of the chimney will determine what kind of access we use. All our quotations include any access equipment needed, and there are no hidden extras.

If you have a problem with gulls nesting on your chimney, please call us now to arrange a survey and free, no-obligation quote.

‍Please note that we cannot install cages once the gulls have begun nesting.

Benefits

effective

Completely prevents gulls from even landing

bespoke

Custom fit to your chimney

permanent

Will last for decades

Further Information

Other Facts

  • While primarily designed for herring gulls, they are equally as effective at preventing jackdaws from nesting. They will also prevent pigeons from perching on the pots and accidentally falling down the chimney, which is a fairly common problem.
  • On stacks with multiple pots, a single chimney cage may be more cost-effective than installing multiple jackdaw guards.
  • Cages are usually made from hot-dipped galvanised steel, but we can also make them from stainless steel if required.
  • If the pots are no longer in use, we can also cap them before installing the cage to prevent rain and insects getting in.
  • The cages are attached to the stack with screws, so they can be removed if access to the pots is required at a later date.

Suitable For

GullsPigeons Jackdaws

Areas of Use

Chimneys

back gutters

Gulls also like to nest in the ‘v’-shaped area where the base of the chimney stack meets the pitched roof, known as the back gutter. Incorrectly installed bird spikes in this area can actually act as a platform for the gulls to build their nests on. Depending on the size and shape of the chimney stack, we usually proof back gutters with either netting, mesh, or a special type of spike called a Scarborough spike.

Scarborough spikes are made of 1 metre long 3mm stainless steel rods that are welded together. They are screwed into the base of the stack and then bent into a fan shape pointing up the roof. Though they are much bigger than normal gull spikes, multiple Scarborough spikes may still be required for large chimneys.

A Scarborough spike installed on the back gutter of a chimney stack to prevent gulls from nesting

Why choose Bird Management Solutions?

Being based on the south coast, Bird Management Solutions has a wealth of experience in dealing with nesting gulls. We were one of the first companies in the South to install chimney cages over 20 years ago, and even the cages we installed back then are still in excellent condition. The reason for this is the quality of materials we use. Many cages installed by roofers use cheap, thin mesh held together with only plastic ties. They are often also built incorrectly with curved or even flat tops.

All our cages use strong, rigid mesh held together with steel fixings.

If you wish to arrange a free consultation or if you have any queries about chimney cages or other gull deterrents, please contact us now to speak to a qualified bird proofing specialist.

Contact us now for a free, no obligation quotation

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examples

An example of a chimney cage to prevent gulls from nesting on a chimney stack. This one is made from stainless steelA chimney cage fitted by Bird Management Solutions