Under my deck, I have had a problem with Robins (and perhaps other birds) building nests in the rafters. Personally, I don't mind it were it not for them getting very "protective" and accordingly getting very "swoopy." So, I decided to install bird spikes. It's an easy deterrent against birds as it simply makes the area in question undesirable. From what I found, it's about $30 for 10 lin. feet. Considering I needed around 30 feet of spikes, this is very pricey.

This Instructable is to show how to create a set of bird spikes. Note, if only a few spikes are needed, this might not be the best method. Nails through a strip of wood seems to be another common method and it does not require the purchase of a lot of fencing material.

Step 1: Gather Materials

Gather the following materials:
Galvanized 2"x3" 16-gauge fencing material (I used vinyl coated galv.)
Roofing nails (galvanized, 1-1/4" should be fine)
Fence clipper or wire cutter
Needle-nose pliers (angled work best)
Hammer
Work gloves (not necessary, but handy)

It's critical that the fencing material is made of a material that won't rust. Even if it's coated, the material should be galvanized steel or stainless-steel as cutting the material will break the coating. Also, it should be a minimum 16-gauge wire.

Step 2: Cut Fencing Material (Style-A)

Orient the fencing material so that the axis with 2" spacing runs down the center of the spikes; the 3" wires will become the spikes. Cut the fencing on both sides to create the spikes.

Step 3: Cut Fencing Material (Style-B)

An alternate style yields another level of spikes that might be beneficial for some applications.

Step 4: Create the Nail Holes

Take the needle-nose pliers and bend the central wire around the pliers 360 degrees. Repeat for all desired nail-points. If a narrow spacing is desired, create a "turn" between every pair of spikes.