Rooftop plant is the one place on a building where a bird problem turns into an equipment problem. Nesting material gets into condenser coils and fan housings, droppings corrode panels and fixings, and what accumulates on and around a unit ends up in the airflow. It is also the part of the roof nobody looks at until something fails.
HVAC has two constraints that shape the product choice. Everything is outdoors and in full sun, and everything has to stay serviceable — an engineer needs to get the panels off next quarter. The products below are chosen for both.
Perching on Frames, Rails and Pipework
Flock Free lists HVAC and rooftop equipment directly among the intended surfaces for its stainless spikes. Stainless will not corrode in weather or salt air, which matters on plant that stays out in it.
Stainless Steel Bird Spikes – 100 ft
$325.00
7.5 inch coverage width, 100 ft boxes of 2 ft sections. Adhesive or screw fixing; the flexible base follows curved surfaces. Flock Free names HVAC and rooftop equipment among the intended surfaces.
Pipework — and the Fixing Problem
Pipe runs, conduit and refrigerant lines are awkward because there is nothing to screw into and nothing adhesive will hold to reliably. Flock Free makes a product specifically for that: "Anyone who has ever had to do bird control on pipes can use these Super Bands."
Transparent Shock Tape 54 Foot Roll
$200.00
54 ft roll. Transparent once the backing is removed. Watertight and weatherproof; interior or exterior installation. Flock Free lists pipes among the intended surfaces.
Super Band 2.5" Sold Each
$0.38
2.5 inch band. For attaching a deterrent to a pipe where you cannot screw or glue.
Super Band 5" Sold Each
$0.60
5 inch band. The mid size for standard pipe and conduit runs.
HD Solar Charger for Hot Wire and Shock Tape
$334.00
Solar powered, weatherproof, with a built-in performance meter. Removes the need to run mains power to the roof.
110V Charger for Shock Tape and Hot Wire
$164.00
110V plug-in fence charger for Shock Tape where mains power is already available.
Shock Tape needs one of the two chargers to do anything. Use the solar unit where there is no convenient supply on the roof, and the 110V unit where there is.
Flat Surfaces on and Around the Unit
Surface Pro Tack is the exterior option for the flat runs — housing tops, curb edges, cable tray. Flock Free describes it as heat, cold and water resistant and weather-resistant once dry, and lists pipes among its surfaces.
Surface Pro Tack – Liquid Spikes - Surface Protector - 1 gallon
$202.00
1 gallon, covering 400 square feet. Brush, roll or spray in three coats. Indoor and outdoor; heat, cold and water resistant once dry.
Surface Pro Tack – Liquid Spikes - Surface Protector - 4 fl.oz.
$24.99
4 fl oz for spot work and smaller runs. Dries to a tacky finish with a slight sheen.
Screening a Unit Without Losing Access
Where birds are getting inside the housing, netting the unit is the answer — but a net you have to cut open is a net that gets cut open once and never replaced. Building a zipper into the run gives a reopenable access panel, so servicing does not destroy the installation.
Bird Netting High Tensile Black 3/4" Mesh 50' x 50'
$755.00
3/4 inch mesh, 50 ft by 50 ft, black. 12-ply UV-resistant HDPE, 75 lb knotted breaking strength, steam-set knots.
Bird Netting Zipper Black HD - 6 Feet long
$17.84
6 ft heavy-duty zipper, installed into the net to give a reopenable access panel instead of cutting the mesh.
Bird Netting Sidewinder Heavy Steel Pack of 25
$94.57
Pack of 25 heavy steel anchors for fixing the netting perimeter to steelwork.
The rest of the perimeter hardware is in the full netting range. For screening a specific unit, call 732-987-5400.
A Note on Sprays and Air Intakes
Flock Free publishes no application guidance for spraying bird repellent near HVAC air intakes serving an occupied building, so no spray product is recommended on this page. If you want to treat plant that sits close to an intake, call the office on 732-987-5400 and ask before you buy. The physical methods above do not raise the same question.
Where To Start
If birds are perching on and around the unit, spikes on the frames and Super Bands with shock tape on the pipework cover most of it. If they are getting inside the housing, net it — and build the zipper in at the same time, not later. Surface Pro Tack handles the flat runs where a spike strip would be in the way of service access.
Prices shown as listed at the time of publication.
Related Bird Control Resources
HVAC plant usually sits on a roof — see bird control for rooftops for the surfaces around it, and gutters and railings for the roof edge. Rooftop plant is most often a problem with pigeons, starlings, sparrows and seagulls. You can also browse the full Bird Control range.