by Alex A. KecskesFor most people, their home is their biggest investment. And the part of the home that takes the biggest beating is the roof. It has to fend off attacks from sleet, snow, rain, wind and pest birds. How can pest birds damage your roof? Without adequate bird deterrents, it’s surprising just how much trouble birds can cause. For starters, birds will often take insects and other small prey to the safety of your roof to peck and claw their catch apart. This can damage roof tiles (especially, crown tiles made of wood or asphalt shingle). Replacing roofing tiles can run into big money. Birds have even been known to build their nests under roofing tiles. This kind of activity can dislodge the tiles, which can cause leaks. Birds will also build their nests in your rain gutters. When their eggs hatch, the birds will simply leave the empty nests to clog up your gutters. Repeated rains will cause water to back up and seep under roofing tiles to eventually cause leaks. Once again, you’re stuck with expensive roof repairs. If you have attic ventilation turbines, skylights, solar panels, or solar water heaters, pest birds can damage them. If your chimney lacks a screen, pest birds can get trapped inside, block airflow, and create a potentially dangerous situation where deadly carbon monoxide gas enters your home. Bird proofing can save you from these and other problems. Finally, it’s worth noting that bird droppings are highly acidic. Over time, accumulated droppings can degrade a roof, causing it to leak and possibly even collapse. Proper bird proofing can deter pest birds and save your roof. Here are two proven bird control measures that will keep your home pest bird free:Sonic Deterrents—the Sound SolutionBirds like the safety and security of your roof—unless they sense danger. Sonic Bird deterrents generate distress and predator calls that make birds way too jumpy to hang around your home. One commercially available system can generate these calls for 22 different types of birds. The calls, repeated every 10 minutes, sound just like natural birdcalls to the human ear. Even pets can’t tell the difference, but birds sure can. The best sonic deterrents can be programmed to turn on or off at night and include a built-in speaker that covers up to an acre. Bird Spikes Won’t Let ‘Em LandYou’ve seen these just about everywhere. Some are made of marine-grade stainless steel and feature a U.V.-protected polycarbonate base. You can also get durable polycarbonate bird spikes that come in a variety of colors--like white, tan, gray, black, brown, brick red and crystal clear--so they’re less noticeable and blend in with your home’s exterior colors. To keep pest birds from building nests in your rain gutters, Gutter Bird Spikes will do the trick.