Pest Control
Trouble in the eaves: dealing with starlings nesting in your home
Starlings return to the same gap in the eaves year after year. The law protects an active nest, so timing matters: wait for the young to leave, then close the gap.
Starlings are noisy, sociable birds, and a gap in the eaves suits them perfectly. Once a pair has nested in your roof they will usually come back to the same spot the following spring. Dealing with them is straightforward, but it has to be done at the right time of year.
The short version
- Starlings, their eggs and any nest in use are protected by law. You cannot remove or block an active nest.
- Wait until the young have fledged and the nest is no longer in use, then clear the old material and close the gap.
- Proofing the eaves is what stops them returning. Spikes, tape and noise devices on their own rarely work.
Why do starlings nest in eaves?
Starlings nest in cavities. In the countryside that means holes in old trees; around houses it means gaps under roof tiles, behind loose soffits and fascias, in open vents and in missing mortar. An eaves gap gives a dry, sheltered space that predators cannot reach.
Nest building usually starts in late March or April, and most young have left by the end of June, although a second brood can run later into the summer. Starlings are faithful to a good site, so a gap used this year is likely to be used again next year unless it is closed.
Problems caused by starlings nesting in eaves
- Noise. Chicks call loudly for food from first light, and the adults are in and out all day. In a bedroom directly below, it is hard to ignore.
- Damage to the roof edge. Birds pull at loose soffit boards, felt and insulation as they come and go, and a gap that lets birds in can also let water in.
- Blocked gutters. Nesting material, droppings and feathers collect in gutters and at the tops of downpipes.
- Mites and other insects. Bird mites live in the nest. When the young fledge the mites lose their hosts and can wander into the rooms below looking for another. Old nests also attract carpet beetles and other insects that feed on feathers and debris.
- Droppings. Bird droppings can carry bacteria and fungi. A few around an entrance hole are not a serious risk, but a build-up inside a loft should be cleared with care.
Legal considerations when dealing with starlings
All wild birds in Great Britain are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is an offence to kill or injure a starling, to take or destroy its eggs, or to take, damage or destroy its nest while it is in use or being built. Starlings are also on the UK red list of birds of highest conservation concern, so there is no general licence that covers removing them because they are a nuisance.
In practice, if starlings are already nesting in your eaves, the only lawful course is to leave them until the young have fledged and the nest is empty. Blocking the hole with birds inside, or with chicks still in the nest, is both illegal and cruel. Once the nest is no longer in use, it can be cleared and the gap proofed. Late summer through to early winter is the time to do that work, before the birds start prospecting again in spring.
The RSPB's starling page is a good reference if you want to know more about the birds themselves.
How to prevent starlings from nesting in your eaves
- Find every entry point. Watch the roof line on a spring morning: starlings go in and out of the same gaps repeatedly, which makes them easy to spot. Note each one.
- Clear the old nest first. Once it is empty, remove the nesting material. Wear gloves and a dust mask, and bag it rather than leaving it in the gutter.
- Close the gaps. Eaves combs (bird combs) fitted under the first row of tiles, repaired or replaced soffit boards, and mesh over open vents are the usual fixes. Leave the roof's ventilation working: a vent should be meshed, not sealed.
- Be realistic about deterrents. Spikes stop birds perching on ledges, but they do nothing for a bird that is going into a hole. Reflective tape and sonic devices have little lasting effect on starlings.
Most proofing at roof height means ladders or access equipment. If that is not something you are comfortable with, it is a job for a roofer or for us.
Professional bird control
If starlings are nesting in your roof now, call us and we will tell you what can and cannot be done this season, and book the proofing for when the nest is empty. Outside the nesting season we survey the roof line, clear old nests, treat for mites where they are a problem, and fit the proofing that keeps the birds out. Our bird control page covers the wider service.
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