Protecting Your Roof From Turkey Vultures

Have you heard a tapping or pecking on your roof? If so, then you may have sustained some serious roof damage and not even known it. Birds such as turkey vultures are constantly on the lookout for their next meal, and they have been known to stop at nothing to get it, including pecking a hole in your pristine and well-kept roof if that’s what it takes. Why do they do this and what can you do to prevent it? Here is the information you need to know.

What Causes the Pecking?

While nobody knows exactly why turkey vultures and other birds seem to have it out for your roof, there is one prevailing theory: roof noises. As your roof expands and contracts throughout the day thanks to changing temperatures, the materials also expand and contract, leading to cracking and popping sounds. Birds like turkey vultures have an excellent sense of hearing, and often mistake this sound as an indicator that bugs are present. As a result, they land on your roof, peck away, and leave with nothing but disappointment and a massive repair bill for you as the building owner.

However, other birds use roofs for different reasons. Some birds use these surfaces as a great place to roost or build their homes, often due to protection from the outside world. Other birds peck at rooftops to clean their beaks, which would result in more damage. Finally, some species that hunt shelled creatures often try to drop their prey onto these roofs to break the shell. This can lead to more damage, especially if the bird then lands on the roof to consume their catch.

Prevention Tips

So how can you stop your roof from being used and abused by birds? There are a few methods. First, choosing a type of roof that’s not attractive to bugs can prevent birds from attacking your roof to hunt them. Materials like wood and other green systems tend to attract bugs, while composite and PVC type roofs do not.

Second, another easy and inexpensive tip is to purchase plastic owls from your local hardware store and install them on your roof. Owls are a natural deterrent to most bird species, and many birds who wish to land on your roof will have other thoughts when they notice an owl has “perched” there first.