A technician fitting exclusion netting to a building facade

Bird and pigeon control in Al Balad Jeddah

Al Balad is the historic commercial centre of Jeddah, a very old urban fabric of coral limestone tower houses with wooden rawashin latticework, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. Pigeons have nested in these buildings for centuries. The lanes are very narrow, gaps between houses are tiny, and the architectural edges are extraordinarily complex. This is utterly different from any modern district in Jeddah.

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Targeted, not broadcast

Product goes into cracks and runways, never sprayed across open surfaces.
Told before we start

What we will use, where it goes, and what to cover or move before we arrive.
A follow-up visit

We return after the first treatment, because what survives it does not show on the day.
Homes and businesses

Apartments and villas, and kitchens and stores that need a record of each visit.

Why they keep coming back in Al Balad

Pigeons in Al Balad do not fear people because they have lived here for decades, and the very old roofs offer countless gaps where they nest undisturbed. The method is set out in full on the full Bird and pigeon control page.

The first reason

Wooden rawashin and extraordinarily complex ledges

The broad ornate wooden rawashin in Al Balad are unlike any modern ledge, and pigeons nest inside the carvings and wooden gaps. Removing nests from the rawashin requires extreme care to preserve the historic carvings and paintwork.

The second reason

Close-set roofs and tiny gaps

Houses in Al Balad stand almost touching one another, and pigeons sleep in the gaps between roofs and the broad rawashin. These gaps are so narrow that ordinary deterrents do not fit.

The third reason

Stone foundations and deep cracks in coral limestone

Coral limestone breaks down over time and leaves very deep cracks in walls and ledges. Pigeons nest in these deep cracks that penetrate the stone itself.

Al Balad on the map

Al Balad sits about 1 km from Al Sahifah and about 1 km from Al Ammariyah.

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Before treatment

The building decides which deterrent works

A dense historic district of very old stone houses packed tightly together with almost no gaps, very narrow market streets, tightly-spaced wooden rawashin, and roofs of complex shape and varying height.

A narrow concrete projection on a building facade

Ledge width

The ledges of the broad ornate wooden rawashin need very fine deterrents whose thickness does not harm the historic carvings and decorations.

Outdoor condenser units on a building roof

Air conditioning platforms

Air conditioner platforms on wooden rawashin are forbidden because they damage heritage, so we protect the unit by other means.

A twig nest sitting on a building projection

The nest itself

Nests in deep coral limestone cracks need careful extraction and parasite treatment reaching into the depth of the stone.

Bird droppings marking an exterior concrete wall

The droppings pattern

Pigeon droppings on wooden rawashin cause rot and decay, so we remove them quickly and treat the wood.

A mesh covered ventilation opening in an exterior wall

Openings and shafts

Gaps between rawashin and the roof are very narrow but pigeons enter them easily, so we fit fine metal deterrents that direct them away.

A water tank standing on a building roof

Around the roof tank

The roof tank in Al Balad may be very old and joined to the wooden rawashin, so we surround it with a metal sheet without damaging the wood.

How we work

1
Survey the roof and the facade

We walk the roof, the projections, the condenser platforms and the shafts, separate the nesting positions from the perching ones, and measure and photograph every ledge.
2
Strip the nests and treat the parasites

Droppings are wetted before they are lifted so nothing goes airborne dry, bagged closed, and the nest position is treated for ticks and mites before the surface is sanitised.
3
Close and fit

Netting tensioned on a perimeter wire with no gap at the corners, spikes or wire on the narrow projections, metal mesh across vents and shafts, and the roof drains freed of the nest material packing them.
4
The follow-up visit

We come back to check the tension, the corners and any position the flock has moved to, and correct what has slackened before a bird finds it.

What bird and pigeon control includes

A recorded survey

Every ledge, condenser platform and shaft, photographed, with nesting separated from perching before anything is chosen.
Nest removal and drain clearing

Lifted wet rather than swept dry, bagged closed, and the roof drains freed of the nest material packing them.
Parasite treatment and sanitising

The nest position treated for ticks and mites, then the surface the droppings sat on sanitised.
Sealing and fitting the deterrents

Netting tensioned on a perimeter wire, spikes or wire on narrow projections, and metal mesh across ventilation openings.
Aftercare instructions

The condensate water, food left on the roof, and what should not sit beside a ledge if the attraction is to stay gone.
A follow-up on tension and corners

Netting slackens and corners open over time; the visit corrects that and closes any new position.

Landmarks of Al Balad

Al Balad stretches from Bab Makkah to Bab Sharif with the souq between them, and historic buildings such as Nassif House and Al Shafi'i Mosque stand along the narrow lanes. We reach sites through Souq Al Alawi or Souq Al Badu and work from key points around Bab Makkah where the main ledges and gaps of the district converge.

Nassif House
Al Shafi'i Mosque
Souq Al Alawi
Souq Al Badu
Bab Makkah
Bab Sharif

Questions about this district

Will removing pigeon nests from the wooden rawashin damage the historic carvings?

Yes, it is a real risk. We use specially adapted tools and very careful techniques to remove nests without touching the carvings. Our team is trained to work on historic buildings.

Pigeons enter the gaps between the roof and the rawashin. Do we block the gap or fit deterrents?

We do not block the gaps because they are part of the historic structure and the building needs to breathe. We fit very fine metal deterrents on the rawashin edges that guide the bird away without damaging the architecture.

In Souq Al Alawi and Souq Al Badu the shops open directly onto the lane. Is the treatment different?

Yes. Open shops need deterrents on both horizontal and vertical ledges. We also fit deterrents around the shop fronts and windows.

The shared roof between my house and my neighbour's is completely joined to it. Can I treat just my house without treating theirs?

No. Houses in Al Balad are so tightly attached that pigeons move between them through tiny gaps. Treatment needs to be coordinated with the neighbour.

Will metal deterrents rust quickly in the sea damp near Al Balad?

We use stainless steel and painted aluminium with rust protection. Ordinary metals will rust quickly in Al Balad.

Do pigeons return quickly to nest again after removal in an old district like Al Balad?

They may return quickly if deterrents are incomplete at any point. Complete treatment of all ledges and rawashin prevents return permanently.

How much does bird and pigeon control in Al Balad cost?

It is set after the inspection, because the price follows the type of infestation, the size of the space, how far it has spread and the number of visits it needs. Send a photo and a description on WhatsApp and we will give you an estimate before we reach Al Balad.