by Alex A. KecskesBird Proofing for Commercial Applications
by Alex A. Kecskes
It's an unfortunate reality that commercial building owners spend millions of dollars annually to pay for the damage caused by pest birds. For one thing, bird droppings on windows and facades can seriously detract from a structure's appearance. The acid produced by the fungi that live in bird droppings can corrode metal and erode stone. Unless building owners hire expensive cleaning crews, the damage over time gets worse and more expensive to clean or repair. Bird nests and droppings can also clog gutters and down pipes, causing rooftops to overflow with water and possibly cause entire sections of a rooftop to collapse. Pest bird nests and droppings can also clog air conditioning and heating units, severely damaging these expensive systems.
Unwelcome and Unhealthy Droppings
The bird droppings pest birds leave behind also create offensive odors and can carry any of 60 known diseases. Sparrows and feral pigeons can carry bacteria causing salmonellosis. Such pigeons can even carry ornithosis, which is similar to viral pneumonia. This makes pest birds particularly unwelcome in areas where food is stored, processed or served. When bird droppings litter a sign or cover an outdoor restaurant's tables and chairs, customers will simply avoid the establishment and take their business elsewhere.
Don't Be Served with a Slip-and-Fall Lawsuit
Bird droppings on walkways and entryways to commercial building can create serious slip-and-fall hazards. The only thing more slippery than wet bird poop is a banana peel. For commercial property owners, bird droppings allowed to accumulate on their premises can create a prohibitively expensive and time-consuming legal liability.
Bird Proof Products
By Kathy Fritsch
Everyone has heard of the quote by Plato, “Necessity, who is the mother of invention.” Thank goodness for those who have come before us. We now have the much needed bird proof products! Oh how they must have suffered before us, losing grain and seed, nuts and berries to the pest birds.
The obvious reason to bird proof your home is to protect against the damage the pest bird can do. If they are allowed to nest and roost in the eaves of your home, trees, or on top of your patio and roof, the destruction they can leave behind can be quite costly on your health as well as your pocket book. If they are allowed to roost and nest, their droppings over time can create a very unhealthy environment which includes over 60 different types of viral, bacterial and fungal diseases. These diseases can transfer to humans causing respiratory illnesses. The pest birds are also carriers of the West Nile virus and Bird Flu. Their droppings can also corrode building materials. Bird droppings are highly acidic and can corrode wood, steel, concrete and paint to name a few. Once the damage has been done, the time and cost to clean up can be quite significant. It is important to protect against this unsightly and unhealthy development before it is a problem.
Bird Proof Netting Keeps Pest Birds Out
by Alex A. Kecskes
Pest birds can do all sorts of damage. The fact is, they cost companies and individuals millions annually in damage and cleanups. Growers and farmers are often the victims as pest birds attack cornfields, fruit orchards and vineyards. Facilities managers and building owners know that pest birds can lay siege to their property, destroying courtyards, patios, storage yards and other open areas. Home and boat owners have spent considerable time and money cleaning up after pest birds. Many victims have turned to Bird Netting to keep birds out and cleanup and damage costs down.
It's also an alarming fact that birds can carry any of 60 known diseases. Bird droppings, bird nests and the mites that attach themselves to birds pose a serious health hazard.
For example, feral pigeons have been known to carry a bacterium that causes Salmonellosis. Pigeons can also carry Ornithosis, a serious disease that's similar to viral pneumonia. Bird proof netting has been shown to be a viable solution.
Pest birds have also invaded aircraft hangars, causing damage to sensitive aircraft engines, assembly lines. Aircraft facilities managers know that birds will flock to eaves, canopies, support beams and other large open areas. Here, bird droppings and nesting debris can cause all sorts of problems as they fall onto shop floors. Floors like these are often smooth and just a little bird poop can cause workers to slip and fall, creating a huge legal liability.
Bird droppings can also stop up gutters and drain pipes, block vents, and freeze up rooftop turbine ventilators. They can interfere with the performance of light sensors, security cameras, and solar panels. Pest birds have even caused their share of fires as their bodies arced across wires, high voltage terminals and in junction boxes. Bird nests make ideal kindling for sparks. In these instances, bird proof netting can keep out many of the birds that cause these mishaps.
Finally, bird droppings can cause considerable damage to packaged products in loading docks and warehouses. Here, too, bird proof netting can prevent pest birds from entering these areas.
Okay. You're convinced bird proof netting is the way to go. And you're ready to buy some. Here's what you should know before you buy.
First off, bird proof netting is now available in a wide variety of types and mesh sizes. Get too big a mesh size and pest birds will simply waddle through. If you're being inundated with big birds like pigeons or seagulls, you're better off with 1-1/8” to 2” mesh size netting. If sparrows or starlings are driving you crazy, you should go with 3/4" mesh netting.
You also want to make sure you get high quality netting that lasts, especially if you're going to install the stuff outside. Some of the best bird proof netting will typically meet ISO 1806 protocols and will last longer. Good netting should also be U.V. stabilized, flame resistant and rot- and water-proof. Today, really good bird proof netting can hold up under some pretty harsh temperature extremes. Some manufacturers offer netting that has a 250-degree Fahrenheit melting point and stays intact even in "sub-zero" temperatures. Remember , too, that in situations where electrical conductivity or radio frequency interference is a problem, non-conductive netting is available.
If you need to keep pest birds from invading your aircraft hangar, factory, warehouse, or large canopy, you should get heavy-duty netting constructed of high-strength polyethylene. Try to get tough, knotted polyethylene bird proof netting, the stuff that comes in U.V. treated twine, so it will last for a while. Some manufacturers offer netting that has a burst strength of up to 40 pounds. This netting usually comes with a long guarantee --typically 10 years. If you're concerned about appearance, today's bird proof netting can be ordered in a number of different colors--including white, stone and black.
Installing bird proof netting takes some special care and should be done properly for best deterrent effect. If you're a grower, drape the net directly over your crop or tree. For orchards or vineyards, anchor the netting to an overhead structure. This allows the netting to completely enclose the area you want to protect. Remember, netting must be installed high enough so pest birds can't stick their beaks through the mesh and get at your crops.
If you're covering an airplane hangar, warehouse or any large area, it will take thousands of square feet of bird proof netting. To properly install the netting, special lifts and power gear are required. For a netting job this big, its best to call in a professional bird control installer.
Pest Birds Bugging You? Time for Bird Proof Spikes
by Alex A. Kecskes
It doesn't take long for birds to gather in huge numbers and become destructive pests. Pigeons, sparrows, starlings, and gulls can drop an awful lot of poop and create quite a lot of noise. After they've decided that yours is a nice, safe place to nest, it's almost impossible to get them to leave on their own. Luckily, some clever people have studied and analyzed how birds land, and they now offer a way to prevent them from doing just that. What they've come up with is the Bird Proof Spike, a simple device that prevents birds from landing.
The goal here is to convince them to move on, not harm them. For if allowed to gather and nest, pest birds can pose a serious health problem. It's common knowledge that birds can carry a wide range of some very serious diseases. These include a potentially fatal lung disease called histoplasmosis; a lower or upper respiratory disease called ornithosis; and pseudotuberculosism, resulting in abdominal pain and fever—up to 60 diseases in all, including salmonella. In fact, birds have even been known to carry the lethal West Nile Virus by way of the fleas and mites they carry. It's no wonder the Bird Proof Spike has become so popular.
Bird spikes are the ideal solution for keeping pest birds from landing and roosting on column tops, ledges, parapets, signs, beams, chimneys, cutouts, security cameras, lights, and more. The spikes on these devices are blunted, which makes them safe for birds and maintenance/installation crews.
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