47+Jackdaws trapped behind B&Q bird netting!

Right now, at B&Q in Clacton-on-Sea, more than 47 jackdaws are trapped in bird netting on the building and we are calling on B&Q to release them safely and look into humane alternatives!

Not only this, but reportedly this is the second time ithas happened. It’s been reported that last year, around 27 jackdaws became stuck in the same netting at the same site. They were freed, but the bird netting stayed up. And now, here we are again, with nearly double the number of birds trapped, in this heat!

Bird netting is routinely promoted by pest control companies as a humane, effective, and long-term solution to managing bird populations on buildings. It is none of these things.

It is inhumane. When netting fails, and it does fail, birds become trapped inside it or entangled in it. Often as a result, they die. Their death is slow, happening over days or weeks. That is not a humane outcome.

It is indiscriminate. Netting traps whoever finds their way in; jackdaws, pigeons, starlings, sparrows and gulls, the list is endless! Even non target species are trapped.

It is ineffective. The moment a hole appears, a gap opens, or a section deteriorates, it stops being a deterrent and becomes a death trap. The evidence at B&Q Clacton-on-Sea could not make this clearer: the same thing has now happened twice. The netting has failed. As does nearly 300 incidents which have been recorded on our website Endbirdnetting.uk (remember to report any dead or alive birds trapped in netting!).

Go to Endbirdnetting.uk

The legislation around bird netting s clear, under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, it is a criminal offence to intentionally injure or kill any wild bird, or to knowingly permit such harm to occur. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, there is a duty of care to prevent animals from suffering unnecessarily. When a bird becomes trapped the owner of the site where the netting is becomes legally responsible for those trapped birds. So, if birds die, they could be legally liable for prosecution.

There are bird netting alternatives and, crucially, these alternatives are often more economical in the long run. Netting installations require repeated maintenance, repair, and eventual replacement. Humane deterrence methods, properly implemented by specialists, address the root cause of bird activity rather than creating an ongoing management problem.

We recommend Humane Wildlife Solutions, who specialise in ethical, non-lethal bird deterrence. The cost savings, combined with the welfare benefits, make the case for change compelling, not just morally, but commercially.

What We Are Asking

Our ask is simple:

1. Humanely release the 47+ jackdaws trapped in the netting at B&Q Clacton-on-Sea immediately.

2. Remove the netting from the site.

3. Contact a Humane Wildlife Solutions before installing any replacement system.

What You Can Do

Please share this article. The more people who are aware of what is happening at B&Q Clacton-on-Sea, the greater the pressure to act!

You can also contact B&Q directly to register your concern yourselves.