Many people don’t think of birds as pests other than bird droppings on their car or patio furniture. However, birds can be quite destructive causing millions of dollars in property damage every year.
Maybe even more surprising is that they are a source of several diseases. Let’s take a closer look at what makes birds pests.
Birds Species are Destructive
Bird droppings are highly acidic which can eat away paint, concrete, roof coatings, and metal. This greatly reduces the useful life of these assets. Not to mention their feces attracts other pests such as cockroaches and flies.
Bird nests block drains, gutters, and vents resulting in water damage and in some cases fires and possible carbon monoxide issues. They can ruin the aesthetics of your structure by creating holes which allows other pests access.
Nuisance Birds can be Vectors for Disease
Birds themselves are vectors for disease. They carry ticks, fleas, mites, and lice which cause viruses The ones associated with pest birds are St. Louis Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis, Meningitis, New Castle’s Disease, H1N1/Bird Flu and West Nile Virus.
Additionally, bird droppings are very harmful when the spores become airborne causing fungal infections. The most common being Histoplasmosis, Cryptococcus, Candidiasis, Sarcosporidiosis.
How to Deter birds?
Discouraging birds from landing on your structures in the first place is the best way to get rid of them and avoid disease and damage that they cause. Like any pest, birds seek food, water, and shelter. Elements that can attract pesky birds include bird feeders and shiny objects. By eliminating these factors, birds are likely to relocate somewhere else.
However, sometimes this is not as simple as it sounds, especially when it comes to shelter.
Bird Deterrent Methods
Bird Spikes
A bird control spike, also known as an anti-roosting spike, pigeon spike, or roost modification, is a device consisting of long, needle-like rods used for bird control.
Bird Netting
Bird netting or anti-bird netting comes in a variety of shapes and forms, such as those for smaller or larger birds. You can install bird netting on any flat surface, such as roofs or fields to prevent birds from reaching certain areas.
Bird Lasers
Bird laser systems use random intervals of red and green laser combinations to create an environment to scare birds, forcing them to search for different landing areas.
Bird Gels
Bird gel is a sticky repellent used to prevent birds from landing on horizontal surfaces. Bird gel is applied to areas where birds are landing. Birds nest where they feel safe and comfortable. When they are bothered by the sticky feeling on their feet or lose their nesting materials to the goo, birds will move to find a more comfortable spot.
Depending on your budget and level of expectation they may be a good fit for your application.
Technology to Deter All Bird Species
The latest technology to tackle this issue is electromagnetic deterrents. This innovative technology can humanely prevent birds from landing on your structure in the first place. The way it works is it uses a specifically tuned frequency that targets a birds GPS which inhibits their ability to judge speed and distance thus preventing them from landing.
This is unique in bird control in that it directly targets a bird’s physiology rather than relying on a tactile response. With this physiological approach it means the bird would evolve past the technology making more effective than other bird deterrents. Here is a link to the technology in action.
Given the many bird deterrents on the market it is important to contact a bird control professional for recommendations.
