Too Many Birds in Your Backyard? Time for Sonic Bird Control!

So, hey. You got people coming over. The boss and his family. Your mother in law. The kids’ teachers.  They’re all coming for your big BBQ or pool party this summer. You did the right thing--cleaned up your backyard, the BBQ, the pool and spa. Now you’ve got to keep it clean. So the last thing you need is a flock of birds pooping all over your yard, pool, BBQ, chaise lounges, tables and chairs.

Bird droppings are bad news, and not just for pool and spa owners who have to clean their pools and restore pH levels. Bird droppings carry diseases like salmonella. Not good if you’re having a party with lots of open food sitting around. And if you’ve ever tried to clean dried bird droppings off a patio chair or chaise lounge, you know what a pain that can be.

You can stand outside with a hose 24/7 and blast any bird that dares to enter your backyard. Or you can do the smart thing and get the latest technology in bird control—The Bird-B-Gone Bird Chase Super Sonic.

 Science Meets Bird Psychology

The Bird Chase Super Sonic has been scientifically designed to keep birds from landing, roosting and nesting near your BBQ, pool, spa, patio table, chairs, gazebo—anywhere in your backyard. How does it work? Simple. It fully exploits a bird's natural fear of predators and a bird’s acutely sensitive hearing. It broadcasts distress and predator calls (falcons and hawks) that signal bad news for birds. The little critters can recognize and remember these sounds. They can also process sounds 10 times faster than we can. So in the time it takes us to hear one sound, birds could hear up to ten separate notes. Some birds, like pigeons, hear much lower sounds than we can. Like humans, their hearing is most sensitive between 2,000 Hz and 4,000 Hz. Which is why ultrasonic bird deterrents seldom if ever work. Birds can’t hear them. They just annoy the heck out of dogs and cats.

Deterring All Manner of Birds

The Bird Chase Super Sonic is extremely versatile. It emits distress and predator calls for as many as 22 types of birds. The calls resemble normal bird calls to the human ear, but strike fear in birds. That means they won’t annoy your pets, neighbors or party guests. The bird calls are repeated regularly--about once every 15 minutes. So any pigeons, crows, starlings, swallows, gulls, woodpeckers, sparrows, grackles, cormorants or most other birds within earshot will not want to hang around. The Bird Chase Super Sonic sound bird deterrent covers a wide area—up to an acre. If you have a big spread, you can add more satellite speakers to cover up to five acres. The Bird Chase unit is ruggedly constructed of UV-protected materials (sun & weather resistant) to last for years outdoors.

Best Bird Repellents for Fruit Trees

by Alex A. Kecskes

If you’re like many homeowners, you probably have one or even several fruit trees. You carefully planted and pruned them. Even sprayed for insects. Your trees have finally grown big enough to bear fruit--when the birds arrive. They perch and peck, and before you know it, the fruit looks like Swiss cheese with half the fruit rotting on the ground. Not a good scenario. So what can you do to keep pest birds out of your trees?

Forget BB guns and poisons. They’re too dangerous, especially with kids and pets around. What you need are proven bird control solutions that are both humane and effective.  Here are a few of the most popular pest bird repellents:

Scare Bird Repellents

Many homeowners and professional growers have used these inexpensive bird deterrents to keep pest birds out of their trees. There are several different types, but they all accomplish the same thing: they make birds feel uneasy and cause them to move on to someone else’s yard. Perhaps the simplest of these deterrents is the reflective foil and banner tape. Both reflect the sunlight as they wave in the breeze. You can also get balloons covered with large predator eyes. These make pest birds feel the imminent presence of a large predator. For best results, you need to move these bird repellents around from time to time, lest birds get used to them.

Lightweight Plastic Bird Netting

Plastic bird netting works well for small fruit and nut trees (about 8 feet tall). Keeping trees pruned and small makes it easier to use bird netting. Netting is also ideal for berries, grapevines and vegetable gardens. Just be sure to properly tie bird netting at the bottom to prevent birds from becoming tangled in the netting. And allow a space between the fruit and the netting or birds will simply sit on the branch and eat your fruit through the holes in the netting. Plastic bird netting comes in various mesh sizes to exclude pigeons, sparrows, starlings, seagulls and other birds. The best high quality bird netting is available in various colors to blend in with your trees or garden. One manufacturer offers a bird netting kit for fast, easy installation. The kits include perimeter cable, cable crimps, turnbuckles, intermediate attachments, hog rings, and accessories and tools.

Sonic Bird Repellents

Easy to set up and use, Sonic Bird Repellents broadcast distress and predator calls that make birds far too uneasy to feed on your fruit trees. One popular sonic system will generate distress and predator calls for 22 different species of birds. The calls resemble natural birdcalls to humans and won’t annoy pets. A volume control lets you control the sounds from 65 to 105 decibels. You can even program the system to turn on or off at night. The best bird sonic units include a built-in speaker that protects backyards up to an acre.

Bird Spikes Can Save Your Commercial Building

by Alex A. Kecskes

Pest birds can become a hugely expensive problem for commercial building owners. Initially, you may only have a few birds on your building, but the scent of birds roosting and nesting will quickly attract other birds. Before you know it, you’ll have a swarm of birds laying claim to your rooftops, AC units, junction boxes and other elevated areas on your building.

The nests and feathers will eventually clog your rain gutters, rain spouts and vents. The birds will cover your skylights with bird droppings and debris. Over time, the bird droppings will jam up anything that slides or moves on your roof, windows and doorways. Bird droppings will have to be cleaned off skip loaders, power dollies and pallet trucks. Expediters and shipping crews will have to remove bird droppings from product labels and boxes. And they’ll have to avoid bird droppings on walkways and loading docks to keep from slipping and falling.

Bird droppings can also obscure and eventually eat into your signage. Birds nesting inside electrical signs can cause a short and possibly a fire--the last thing you need in this economy.  Birds can even damage your roof over time. This can lead to leaks and expensive damage to products and computers inside the building.
As you can see, the headaches and expenses associated with pest birds go on and on. And they won’t stop until you implement an effective bird proofing strategy.
Bird Spikes are one way to solve the pest bird problem. They simply won’t allow large birds to land wherever they’re installed. That means they can’t gather to perch, roost or nest. In which case, they will move on.

When you order bird spikes, they come in spiked strips in your choice of stainless steel spikes or plastic spikes. The stainless steel spikes are extremely durable and will last many years. The plastic spikes are less expensive, non-conductive, virtually invisible, and they even come in a variety of colors-- including crystal clear, brick red, light grey, brown, black and tan.

If you go with the plastic bird spikes, choose the ones made of rigid U.V.-resistant unbreakable polycarbonate. They resist weathering and sun exposure. By the way, bird spikes are blunted at the tips, so they won’t harm birds or installation crews. They have been approved by virtually every humane group in the world--including The Humane Society of the United States and PICAS.

If your commercial building is being invaded by large birds like gulls, cormorants, turkey vultures or raptors, you might want to invest in a product called the Mega Bird Spike. These massive 7-inch spikes will convince even the most stubborn birds to move on. Made of marine-grade stainless steel, Mega spikes are designed to last for years.

To keep pest birds out of rain gutters and drain spouts, you’ll need Gutter Bird Spikes. They’ve been especially designed to keep seagulls, crows, and pigeons out of gutters. The best Gutter spikes have adjustable clamps that allow them to easily attach to the lip of a gutter.

With proper instruction, your maintenance crew will be able to install bird spikes fairly quickly. The spike strips can be glued down, nailed or screwed into most any surface. The best bird spikes are already pre-drilled with holes or glue troughs for easy mounting.

Before installing bird spikes, your maintenance crews should first thoroughly clean the surface. That means removing any loose rust, peeling paint, bird droppings, feathers and nesting materials. The use of commercial disinfecting cleaning agents is recommended to prevent exposure to any of the 60 known airborne diseases carried by birds. It’s also advisable to provide eye and respiratory protection if the area is heavily contaminated with bird droppings.

Bird Repellents for Banks

by Alex A. Kecskes

Pest birds can be a real nuisance. So much so that they can actually drive customers away form your place of business.

In the parking lot of Hallandale Beach bank in South Florida, birds have been attacking people for some time now. The slender-billed grackles have been nesting on a ledge just outside of the bank and have been swooping down on customers. Some believe that the birds who arrived about four years ago are simply protecting their turf. Bank officials say their hands are tied because the grackles are a protected species, so no lethal means can be used to remove them. The birds make their attack runs just before the bank closes, which is when most people are coming and going out of the bank. One woman was recently attacked by five birds and ran for the cover of her car.

Banks and other commercial enterprises needn’t stand by helplessly as their customers are attacked by birds. There are a number of commercial available bird repellents that they can use to discourage the birds from nesting on their premises. Two of these bird repellents are listed below:

Chemical Bird Repellents

Humane and effective against a wide variety of large and small birds, Chemical Bird Repellents create a sticky landing area that birds would rather avoid.  While not actually trapping them, it makes birds feel trapped. Once they land on the tacky surface, they will leave and seek a more hospitable area to build their nests. Ideal for keeping birds off ledges, trees, fences and bushes or shrubs, the non-toxic liquid gel won't harm birds or people. It’s easily applied using a hand or pressure spray gun with a discharge pressure between 40 to 150 psi (you can get these hand-held pump sprayers at most local hardware stores). A one-gallon container will treat about 120 square feet. And a single application lasts as long as six months outdoors. One caveat: Avoid using chemical bird repellents on building structures, vertical or porous surfaces, or where birds have been nesting.

Fogging Agents

An ideal pest bird repellent, Bird Fogging Agents will clear out a wide range of birds that stubbornly resist leaving an area. They will “persuade” gulls, mallards, Canada geese, pigeons, starlings, blackbirds, cowbirds and many other species of birds to move to another site.  If pest birds have commandeered your building, one quick way to convince them to leave is by fogging the area. Most fogging agents are humane and won't harm birds, people or pets. This is because the chemical they use is a food-grade methyl anthranilate—basically a non-lethal grape extract regulated by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) under FIFRA (the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act). 

For best repellent effect, fogging agents should be used in the early morning or late evening when the birds are flocked together and eating. Keep in mind that these chemicals require training and experience to properly handle and apply. If you have a bird problem, it’s best to consult an experienced professional.

Bird Repellent Strategies for Apartment Owners

One of the biggest problems faced by apartment owners and their management companies is pest bird infestation. Most buildings have at least one renter who refuses to allow pest control professionals to rid the property of birds. To assuage this difficult renter, owners need to adopt non-lethal and humane bird repellent strategies.

Aside from this minor problem, apartment managers should consider implementing a multi-pronged approach to rid their properties of pest birds. One must go beyond the one-size-fits-all solution to bird control. But before any bird repellent program is implemented, managers should take the following prudent steps to ensure maximum effectiveness:

Inspection. See where the birds are concentrated, where they nest and roost. Look for nests, telltale signs of droppings, and feathers. You may be surprised at the damage birds have already caused to the painted surfaces, wood, roofing tiles, and electrical equipment and wiring. AC units and rain gutters are particularly vulnerable. As are swimming pool areas, which can become easily contaminated with bird droppings. And, of course, there's the legal liability of slip-and-fall hazards that bird droppings create.

Identification. Identify the types and size of pest birds on the property. Take photographs if the birds seem unfamiliar to you. This will help your pest control company choose the right bird repellent for your particular problem.

Monitor. Once your bird control company has installed the proper bird repellent on your property, monitor the effectiveness of the repellent. If birds continue to nest or roost on the property or they decide to move to another area of the property, take note and notify the bird control company.  This will allow them to alter their bird repellent strategy to fit the new situation.

Exclusion. If pest birds are finding their way inside the attic areas or other enclosed areas of your units, your bird control company may decide to employ exclusionary bird repellent techniques—like bird netting. Copper mesh may also be used to seal up smaller entry points.

Sanitation. Pest birds are often drawn to food scraps found in and around refuse dumpsters.  These areas should be kept clean and dumpster lids should always be kept shut. Bushes, trees and shrubbery should be kept well maintained to eliminate possible nesting and roosting areas. Leaky pipes or poor drainage should be addressed as birds are always on the lookout for easy access to water.

Treatment. Depending on the type of pest bird that has invaded your apartment complex, your bird repellent strategy may include variations in devices. For example, you pest control company may decide to use netting, bird spikes on the rooftops and ledges, followed by non-lethal chemical bird repellents.

Educate Tenants. Let them know that you will be using bird repellent strategies to deter birds from your property. Tell them that the methods you will be using are essentially harmless to birds and humans. And remind them not to feed any birds coming around the property. Also let them know that you are doing this to protect them from any of the 60 diseases that many pest birds carry, disease that are serious and communicable. The goal is to enroll them in your bird repellent efforts.

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Bird Repellents for Historical Buildings

by Alex A. Kecskes

Pest birds have been known to cause major damage wherever they gather in large numbers. One type of building that seems particularly vulnerable is the historical building. This is because many of these structures are constructed of limestone or calciferous sandstone, materials that easily succumb to the effects of acids released by bird droppings. These corrosive acids are produced by the organisms that live on and in the droppings.
The fungi that live on pigeon droppings, for example, are primarily responsible for corroding stonework. The root-like mycelium of the fungi enter the stone, transporting the naturally produced acids into the stone to eventually dissolve it. This makes the stone more porous, allowing water to penetrate the deep recesses of the stonework. When this water freezes during the winter, the expanding ice crystals weaken the stone, causing the stone to break up into chips. Water also causes soluble salts in the stone to re-crystallize, creating a bloom of salts on the surface of the stone. If this crystallization occurs just below the surface, the crystals exert pressure on the stone's pores and the stone will eventually crumble.

City Managers Taking a Pro-Active Approach

In an effort to protect a city's historical landmarks and buildings, city managers have come to the conclusion that they must become proactive is repelling pest birds. To this end, many cities have decided to employ a number of humane bird repellents on or near their historic landmarks.

Variety of Bird Repellents

Unlike poisons, shotguns and similar culling methods, today's bird repellants are humane and highly effective. These new bird control methods rely on technology and a bit of bird psychology. All are easy to install and require very little maintenance.

Historically Proven Bird Spikes 

The highly acclaimed Bird Spike is among the most widely used pest bird deterrent.  These simple devices rely on their ability to prevent larger birds from landing on any surface upon which they are installed. The threatening-looking spikes are made of either stainless steel or rigid unbreakable polycarbonate. The blunted spikes are harmless to birds or humans, having won the approval of the U.S. Humane Society and PICAS.

Bird spikes come in a wide range of types, sizes and colors. Many manufacturers offer spike strips in 3-, 5- and 7-inch widths. Stainless steel spike strips typically come in 1", 3", 5" and 8" widths. These are available in two-foot sections and are easily installed using glue, nails or screws. Some spikes have a flexible base, which allows them to follow curved surfaces. Crush proof spikes with a non-reflective metal finish are ideal fro historical buildings.
To discourage larger pest birds, opt for Stainless Steel Girder Spikes. These usually come in standard two-foot sections and 3”, 5”, and 8” widths. The spikes use adjustable “C” clamps along the base, which makes them easier to install. For large birds like seagulls, cormorants, turkey vultures, and raptors, there's the Mega Spike, which has long 7” high spikes made of marine-grade stainless steel.

To keep pest birds from clogging exterior drains and gutters, there's the Gutter Spike. Ideal for repelling seagulls, crows and pigeons, these spikes come in two-foot long spike strips and adjustable base clamps for easy installation.

Spiders For Out of the Way Ledges

The handy Bird Spider is an ideal bird repellent that, like the spike, discourages pest birds from landing. Essentially bases with spider-like tentacles waving in the breeze, spiders are easily placed just about anywhere; ideally used on rooftops covering vents and AC units. They come with different length spider arms to deter a wide range of bird types and sizes.

Watch 'em Slip on these Nifty Slopes

Bird Slopes deny all pest birds the ability to land. As a bird repellent, they are surprisingly simple and very effective.  The PVC panels create a slippery angled slope birds can't seem to get a grip on. Aesthetically pleasing and available in several different colors, bird slopes blend in easily with most architectural designs. They are easy to install and ideal for use on eaves, ledges, beams and other 90-degree areas.

Icky, Sticky Bird Repellent

Pest birds will land on this bird repellent and never come back. Widely used on buildings and other structures, Bird Gel is basically a sticky chemical goo that birds hate. It's safe for birds and is easy to apply to almost any surface using a standard caulking gun.

Your Basic Netting Bird Deterrent

Keeping them off by keeping them out is a simple tactic that has worked for centuries against pest birds. Thus the raison d'tre of Bird Netting. This simple but effective bird deterrent comes in several different mesh sizes to deter all manner of pest birds--including pigeons, sparrows, starlings and seagulls. The best bird netting is flame resistant, U.V. stabilized, and rot and waterproof. Netting also comes in various colors to blend in better with surrounding architectures.

Electrical Repellents Give Pest Birds a Charge

Electric Track Bird Repellants are both humane and effective. Pest birds daring to land get zapped on these electrified tracks. These devices are simple to install and will repel a variety of birds--including pigeons, seagulls and larger birds. The best electric tracks incorporate a flow-through design that prevents water from pooling around them.

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Birds Becoming a Pest? Time for Some Bird Repellent

by Alex A. Kecskes

They sing and chip and look cute as a button. But when they gather in flocks, they become truly annoying and very costly pests. Yes, some birds can be a real nuisance. And after you've tried waving your arms, shouting, using water hoses and everything short of black magic, there comes a time when you say to yourself, "I need the kind of bird repellent the pros use."

Whether you're a homeowner, boat owner or a facilities or city manager, you probably know the damage pest birds can cause. Their poop can discolor paint, ruin wood, and eventually turn metal into something resembling cardboard. They can turn a fine stone statue into a façade that looks more like a coral reef. Even worse, bird deposits can carry and transmit any of 60 known diseases. The point is, pest birds create millions of dollars of damage every year. So the sooner you keep them away from your property, the better.

Lucky for you, people have made it their life's work to learn what pest birds hate. Better still, you can avail yourself of the many products borne out of this research--bird repellants that are humane, inexpensive and easy to install. Bird repellents that work.

If you're troubled by flocks of pigeons and other large birds, the Bird Spike can be your best friend. These repellents are basically strips of spikes made of rigid unbreakable polycarbonate, perfect for discouraging pest birds from landing on rooftops, signs and other elevated areas and building tops. In some cases, where conductivity or radio interference is not an issue, flexible stainless steel spikes are available.

For flat surfaces, awnings and patio covers, there's the Bird Spider. The spider arms wiggle and wave in the breeze, so birds will simply look for another place to land. Spiders come in various diameters to discourage all manner of bird sizes. They're basically maintenance free and harmless to birds.