Why Bird Control?

Birds carry and spread disease, and bird feces can corrode building materials. The build-up of droppings or nesting materials is not only unsightly, but can also host parasites like bird mites.

Bird droppings are highly acidic and can corrode building materials such as wood, steel, brick, shingles and concrete. Bird Droppings can also corrode paint.

If birds are allowed to inhabit an area long enough, they will persistently defend this as their territory. It’s important to take a proactive approach when dealing with pest birds on your home or business. In the long run, it can save you time and money.

Bird Control Health Risks

Birds, bird droppings, and nesting materials can carry over 60 different fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases that can be passed to humans and animals.  Birds and bird nests can also host parasites and mites. Birds are carriers of the West Nile virus, and Bird Flu.

Contraction of these diseases can happen through inhalation of airborne spores (through dried bird feces), or through direct contact.

It should be noted that those who have compromised immune systems, or live with auto immune disorders are at the greatest risk of contracting disease from bird droppings. Constant exposure to bird feces or nests also puts one at greater risk. Washing hands after coming in contact with bird feces can greatly reduce risks of contracting disease.

Property Damage

Bird droppings are highly acidic and can corrode paint, and some building materials including steel, wood, concrete, tile, and shingles. Bird Droppings can also corrode and discolor fabrics like canvas. Removing these materials can be timely and expensive.

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On businesses bird droppings can ruin signs, and store fronts, and dissuade potential clients from entering. A sign or building is a physical representation of the business, if they are soiled with bird droppings, and look sloppy, many customers will assume that this translates to the business practice as well.

Safety Hazard

In late 2007, a New York City doorman was awarded $6 million dollars from the New York Department of Transportation, after he slipped on pigeon droppings in a subway terminal. Beyond the health issues of constantly being exposed to bird droppings or nests, the droppings themselves can pose a risk, should anyone slip on them.

I was amazed by the array of bird control products.

With so much to choose from, I threw myself on the mercy of countless salespeople to learn the ways of bird control. I also checked several Web sites to learn the lingo. In short, there are four main types of bird control: visual deterrents, taste aversion, barriers and sound-repelling devices.

Sound repelling: Outdoor devices emit sonic and ultrasonic sounds that only birds can hear. These devices emit bird distress calls, predator calls and other loud noises. Ultrasonic pulses emitted bother the birds, but are unnoticeable to humans. These systems are easy to use and are highly effective, but are generally also very expensive.

Bird netting: Bird netting has been shown to be an effective and humane bird control solution for a growing variety of commercial applications. It comes in a number of colors, including white, stone and black.  Black bird netting provides natural U.V. protection and won't discolor when it gets dirty and dusty. Installed properly, this type of bird netting is almost invisible.

Bird netting has been shown to be an effective and humane bird control solution for a growing  variety of commercial  applications. It comes in a number of colors, including white, stone and black.  Black bird netting provides natural U.V. protection and won't discolor when it gets dirty and dusty. Installed properly, this type of bird netting is almost invisible.

If you're a facilities manager in charge of a hangar, warehouse or other large building, and you can't afford the problems of pest birds invading your space, it's easy to see why bird netting is such a viable solution.

Question of the Week: How to get rid of Pigeon on roof?

Question: I have had pigeons on my roof hanging out in a corner section for approx. 5yrs. I need some advice on how to solve this problem. The area is approx. 3ft wide and 5ft long. Help.   

Answer: If you have had pigeons in the same spot for five years, they are most likely nesting there and will be very difficult to displace. Pigeons are notorious for holding their ground, especially when they are allowed to inhabit the same spot for years. First things first, the birds will have to be scared away.

After the birds are gone… you will want to extensively clean the area. Bird droppings do carry disease, so if you are planning on cleaning this up yourself, you should take precautions. Wear gloves and makes sure you wash your hands thoroughly after cleaning the area. If you are living with a compromised immune system, I would recommend hiring someone else to do the cleaning. People will wet droppings down, and then scoop them off surfaces. Once the droppings and nesting materials are cleared away, you will want to disinfect the area. You can use a simple bleach and water or ammonia and water solution for this. Once the cleanup is done, you will have to block the birds from the area. This is the only way to keep them from returning and trying to rebuild nests. People use netting, or screen to block birds out. You will want to make sure that the edges are secured tightly so that the birds cannot easily pull out the screen (They will try). If all this sounds like too much, you can consider calling out a local pest control company, most deal with pest bird problems