Bird Repellents: bird repellent spikes

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Friday, August 12, 2011

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.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Bird Repellents Can Reduce Your Pest Bird Expense

by Alex A. Kecskes

Every year, pest birds take their toll on property, public and private. They cause millions of dollars of damage, defacing our most noble statues, eating our food, damaging expensive equipment and even downing our aircraft. Perhaps the most unusual incident involving pest birds occurred just outside Geneva, where the super-cooled magnets in sector 81 of the Large Hadron Collider began to dangerously overheat. (The cooler's particle accelerator must maintain a temperature colder than deep space.) When scientists rushed to diagnose the problem, they discovered that a passing bird might have dropped a chunk of bread on an electrical substation above the accelerator, causing a power cut. Just goes to show you, there's no limit to what pest birds can do. Which is why so many have adopted the use of bird repellants.

Bird Repellents Can Stem Losses

Homeowners across the country have sought relief from pest birds. Birds have damaged their roofs and contaminated their pools and spas. Bird nests have clogged their gutters and bird droppings have eaten into paint and siding. As a result, bird repellents are now seen as a necessity for most smart homeowners.

As for building owners and facilities managers, they're taking a pro-active approach to pest birds, installing bird repellents wherever they can. They're tired of writing big repair and maintenance checks for bird damaged air conditioning equipment. And who wants to invest in solar panels when pest birds just poop all over them, ruining their efficiency and, in some cases, damaging them permanently? Outdoor lights, security cameras, and other electrical equipment can quickly fall victim to the ravages of bird droppings. In today's tough times, deterring pest birds is a matter of survival.

Bird droppings can present a particularly acute problem for the food and restaurant industry. Bird droppings on outdoor tables and chairs can be a real turn off at the local bistro. Birds, while fun to watch and feed, have been known to carry any of 60 diseases--including the West Nile virus. In this area, bird repellents can serve a life-saving function.

Even before food is presented for consumption, pest birds can take their bite out of profits. Birds can and have invaded warehouses, packing plants and food preparation areas. They have eaten through cardboard and plastic packaging to contaminate all types of food products. This is where bird repellents can really stem food losses.

Bird Repellents for Better Bird Control

by Alex A. Kecskes

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.