On 2 Jun, 10:33, "David \(Normandy\)"
wrote:
Our house is engulfed in Virginia Creeper which while it looks lovely, is
now taking over the gutters and starting to get onto the roof. The upstairs
windows have almost vanished!
It needs trimming back a foot or two at the top. The dilemma is whether to
trim it back now or wait until Autumn? Virginia creeper can damage the roof
tiles, but it is also full of nesting sparrows which I don't want to disturb
or make homeless. There appear to be several nests immediately under the
guttering in the creeper which is exactly where I want to trim. Anyone know
when sparrows stop breeding and will leave home of their own accord?

Photo athttp://www.avisoft.co.uk/Hpim5413a.jpg


Could you just cut it from below the leading shoots which are creeping
up onto the roof and just leave them (the cut off parts) rather then
pulling them off now? You could then remove the dead parts later when
the birds have finished nesting.