Installing Bird Spikes: Birdproof Your Fixtures!
You’ve just purchased and installed four APTA sports lighters for your backyard tennis court. They’re working exactly as you’d hoped, throwing the perfect amount of light, and your friends are perpetually impressed by how nice your court looks at night. Then, one day, you notice that a fat seagull has landed on top of one of the light fixtures. You don’t think much about it — you chose to live by the beach, after all. But it squawks at you throughout an entire tennis match with your buddy Dave, and you can’t hide the burgeoning feeling 
of annoyance growing within you. The next day, it’s back, only this time, it’s brought a friend. They both squawk at you as though they are laughing at your outfit. Looking up at them from the court, you can see their beady eyes, judging you with contempt. There’s still not much you can do at this point. They haven’t done anything wrong, broken any laws, or divebombed your head. Time passes and you start getting used to the fat seagulls on your APTA, until you leave on vacation for a week, and suddenly, there’s a huge nest on top of your APTA fixture and it’s covered in bird feces. You make a face similar to Edvard Munch’s The Scream and decide that maybe you should have gotten those bird spikes after all, only now it’s too late. It’s the gulls’ world, and you’re just living in it.
How Do Birds Damage Fixtures?
As you can see from the aforementioned story, birds nesting and hanging out on light fixtures are unsightly and obnoxious. Aside from being an eyesore, birds can also damage light fixtures in a multitude of ways. Here are some of the other ways in which nesting and resting birds can undermine the structural integrity and appearance of your light fixtures:
- Heavy birds and heavy birds’ nests increase strain and stress on light fixtures. This is also dependent on how far away the fixtures are from the poles, and what kind of mounting system is in place, but some birds such as pileated woodpeckers, hawks, and eagles make heavy nests that can actually over time increase the chances of the fixture bending or breaking off due to the extra weight.
- Birds’ nests act like blankets on top of LED lights! Obviously, they are built this way in order to protect eggs and hatchlings, but the addition of constant heat to an LED light fixture increases the depreciation rate of the driver and disrupting the internal mechanism of the light fixture.
- Where there are birds, there will be feces. Bird feces from hatchlings and adults or simply resting birds will eventually pile up on the light fixture and drip down when it rains, causing an unsightly and unhygienic problem. Plus, having to clean up these messes is equally unappealing and more trouble than it’s worth.
How to Install Bird Spikes
Luckily, there is something we can do to prevent avian intrusion onto your beautiful light fixtures. Access Fixtures offers optional bird spikes with all of its APTA, APTI, and APTU fixtures–the ones birds are most likely to nest on. At just a slightly higher additional cost, many customers choose these bird spikes due to the problems that they ultimately prevent. These spikes are incredibly easy to install and by following the steps below, you or your electrician can fit your fixture with bird spikes in just three easy steps.
1. Remove the bird spikes from the package and locate a pair of pliers.
2. Using the pliers, fold the stakes upwards as shown in photos below. Please take care with this process to avoid poking yourself.
3. Wedge the bird spike insert into the slot on your APTA, APTI, or APTU fixture as shown in the photo below.
That’s it! You’re done! Enjoy a lifetime of bird-free lighting.
Need a Photometric Analysis for Your Project?
A photometric analysis is a computer simulation of a particular project. Whether using these fixtures to illuminate a parking lot, athletic field, rail yard, dock, or something else entirely, a photometric analysis is an easy way to quantify your light levels before making a big purchase. This service will provide average footcandles, max/min (uniformity) ratios, minimum footcandles, light trespass levels, and more. When the report(s) are generated, a lighting specialist will walk you through them, page by page, so you know exactly what you will be receiving. Call us at 800-468-9925 or email [email protected] for more information about ordering a photometric analysis for your project.
Ready to Order an APTI, APTA, or APTU Fixture?
If you need some additional information about these fixtures, give us a call at 800-468-9925. Of course, you can place your order online, right here, but our team is available to answer any questions that may come up. Does your project require multiple fixtures? Ask us about quantity discounts. We are here to provide anything you need to purchase fixtures and illuminate your project with confidence.
