Pest control!
Unfortunately for you, you’re not the only one who appreciates your green roof! In between Autumn and Spring your roof can turn out to be quite a lucrative food source for both crows and magpies looking for a bite to eat. The relentless pecking for grubs can turn out to be quite destructive for your green roof especially if you haven’t made preparations. Now, it’s not all doom and gloom as there are a few precautions one can take in the form of counter measures. Here are a couple that we have found to be effective on the farm here in Wiltshire:
- Horticultural garden fleece. This is a temporary solution that involves covering the roof with a semi translucent, thin fleece layer. The crows can’t see the grubs so problem solved!
- Reflective objects. We found that using an old CD tied to a length of string and then attaching this to a bamboo steak which is then inserted between two trays, to be quite effective. Once this is in place, let the gentle rooftop breeze do the work. Depending on the size of the roof you may want a few of these dotted around.
- Decoys. I know this sounds absurd but decoys of predatory birds can prove to be pretty effective as a deterrent. So far our local crows have fallen for the trick!
This list is certainly not exhaustive, I’m sure there are many more options out there to explore. You could also try audio deterrents but we have not yet trialled these. The above measures should help to ensure that your roof looks its best during these tricky months. If you’d like further assistance on any of these please do give us a call.
