Every year, pest birds take their toll on property, public and private. They cause millions of dollars in damage, necessitating expensive repairs and cleanups. Without effective bird repellents, parks, golf courses and properties with ponds, pools or fountains can be quickly contaminated with bird droppings. This is especially true when geese decide to make these areas their home. Once established, geese are often difficult to force away from an area. Grackles, blackbirds and crows often gather by the thousands at roosts, leaving acres of droppings that have the potential to cause human disease.
Some pest birds may be live-trapped, but releasing these birds miles from the capture site has proven ineffective as the birds often return. The use of firearms offers only limited control of unprotected species, because these lethal methods are time-consuming and impractical in dealing with large numbers of birds. Moreover, local laws often prohibit the discharge of firearms within city or county limits. Poisons or avicides have their own set of problems, not the least of which is danger to pets and children.
Bird Repellents to the Rescue
Property owners and facilities managers have come to realize that when it comes to pest birds, it's best to take a pro-active approach. Bird repellants have come a long way since the days of shotguns and poisons. Today's bird repellants are humane and highly effective. Here are just a few you might consider:
Chemical Bird Repellents
Effective for use against most bird species, Chemical Bird Repellents create an uncomfortable sticky landing area for pest birds. After a few steps, they just move to more hospitable grounds. Ideal for keeping birds off ledges, trees, fences and bushes or shrubs, these repellents use a non-toxic liquid gel that's effective for small and large pest birds. The repellents are very economical, since a one-gallon container will usually treat 120 square feet. The chemical is easily applied using a hand or pressure spray gun with a discharge pressure between 40 to 150 psi (these hand-held pump sprayers can be found at local hardware stores). One application usually lasts up to six months outdoors. This is also a humane way to repel pest birds because the chemical is non-toxic so it won't harm birds or people. One caveat: Avoid using chemical bird repellents on building structures, vertical or porous surfaces, or where birds have been nesting.
Chemical Goose Repellents
A highly effective and affordable goose control measure, Chemical Spray Goose Repellents are ideal for use in parks, shorelines, golf courses, cemeteries, lawns, yards, landscaping, shrubs, or any grass areas where geese have become a problem. The non-toxic liquid makes grass unpalatable to geese so they just move on to tastier food sources. Formulated from a grape extract that irritates geese, the chemical is safe for pets, geese and humans.
The best geese spray repellents can be easily applied using most commercially available hand-held sprayers. One turf spray is a liquid concentrate that you simply mix with water (one part concentrate with 12 parts water). The application procedure is straightforward. After mowing the lawn area to be treated, apply an initial application, then wait about a week, and repeat the process. Two applications last for up to three months. The chemical won’t wash off with rain or water. The repellent's effectiveness varies with the weather, repellent concentration, and frequency of application. The best goose repellent is registered with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Fogging Agents
Dispersed as a fog, these chemical bird repellents irritate a nerve in a bird's mucus membrane and "convinces" it to leave in a hurry. The chemical, which won't harm birds, people or pets, 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). Bird fogging is an ideal pest bird repellent for use indoors or out. It works exceptionally well against a number of annoying pest birds--including gulls, mallards, Canada geese, pigeons, starlings, blackbirds, and cowbirds. Fogging agents are best used in the early morning or late evening when flocks are typically eating and at their highest concentration. These chemicals require training to handle and apply, and should therefore be used by professionals.
Bird fogging agents are often strategically applied in the most troublesome areas. They can, for example, help clear airport runways and tarmacs of pest birds posing a danger to incoming and outgoing aircraft. It's not unusual for birds to get sucked into jet engines or collide with the rotating props of small planes and helicopters. These agents are also ideal for repelling pest birds that have decided to make golf courses their home. It's not uncommon to see birds eating away at fairways and greens, or defacing golf carts, awnings, tables and chairs at the 19th hole. And if pest birds have commandeered your parking garage, one quick way to convince them to leave is by fogging the area.
