Electric strips to deter feathered V&A visitors

Hi-tech solutions to be used in an effort to keep Dundee’s gulls at bay

Designers of Dundee’s £80.1 million V&A Museum are set to install high-tech electric bird-proofing measures in a bid to fend off the city’s problem gulls.

The measures will also include a sonic emitter in the archway of the building to deter the creatures.

It is understood the devices have been included as a precaution as the building has been specially designed to make it virtually impossible for birds to congregate on the structure.

A spokeswoman for the V&A said expert advice has been sought concerning bird-proofing and the key deterrent would be the installation of electric strips to displace nuisance gulls as well as pigeons.

These will omit a disconcerting electric shock to any bird which sits on that area of the building.

The news comes after the city was revealed as having one of the highest rates of pest callouts in the UK for problems relating to birds, coming third nationwide.

A V&A Dundee spokesperson said: “A bird deterrent system is being applied to the roof, parapets and terraces.

“The key deterrent will be a harmless electric scarer similar to the type of electric fencing used for livestock.

“It is designed to stop birds perching, roosting or nesting on ledges. Expert

“The essence of it is that it is just very difficult to bird-proof an entire building

advice indicates the cast stone cladding will not be used by seagulls for nesting as the gaps are too small and there are no cliff nesting birds on the estuary.”

Andy Law, from Andy Law Pest Control Services, said though the electric deterrent is effective, it is very difficult to predict what problems would be encountered until after a building was completed.

“The use of electric strips is an effective but expensive deterrent which — though it doesn’t hurt birds — does make it a bit unpleasant and uncomfortable for them to perch,” he said.

“It’s hard to know what issues may arise but obviously, the V&A designers believe this is the best method.

“The problem is that with any new building, birds could nest or congregate somewhere that wasn’t expected.

“The essence of it is that it is just very difficult to bird-proof an entire building.

“How do you build a roof that is going to have no birds on it? Especially one of the V&A’s size.”

The 8,000sqm building is a threestorey structure, with curving concrete walls and 2,500 pre-cast rough stone panels, weighing up to 3,000kg each and spanning up to four metres wide.

Mr Law said there would always be issues with a building of the V&A’s size.

“Realistically, you can’t install netting on the entire roof because that would be hugely expensive,” he said.

“It would just be silly too because you could spend all that money but then birds establish a presence in an entirely different area.

“It might be a case of waiting to see what problems arrive after it’s built and dealing with it then.”

As the V&A building gets closer to completion, it is inevitable thoughts will turn to seagulls. The news that hi-tech measures will be brought in to keep the birds at bay is interesting and welcome.

Electric strips and sonic emitters may well prove successful in preventing the gulls from nesting on Dundee’s new £80 million jewel on the Tay.

It will be interesting to see whether technology outwits tenacity though. Dundee’s gulls don’t give up easily.

Picture: Ian Ashton. Electric strips and a sonic emitter are among the measures to keep birds away from the £80.1 million V&A building, in addition to its design deterring nesting.