A Proactive Approach to Bird Problems

At Orkin, birds are the most intelligent pests we encounter. They can adapt to their surroundings and even learn how to fight back against many traditional control methods.

Unfortunately, commercial properties offer food and protective shelter that lead nuisance birds like pigeons, starlings and sparrows to roost and nest on site. Many of our customers have zero tolerance for nuisance birds because of the diseases they can spread, the structural and property damage they can cause, as well as their annoyance to their customers, guests and staff.

One open-air shopping center dramatically reduced their risk of infestation from pigeons and smaller birds, including sparrows and swallows.

Orkin worked hand in hand with architects and building management at this Hawaii-based commercial retail complex during the construction phase – an ideal time to start pest-proofing – to help create a bird-free environment for several multi-story buildings, a parking deck and outdoor dining areas.

Orkin devised a plan to address the shopping centers’ pest vulnerabilities:

• A spike in bird activity resulting from construction work

• Exposed ledges and rooftops on building structures

• Open format of the parking garage

• A centralized green space providing food sources for smaller birds

Smaller birds like sparrows and swallows are more difficult to deter and require a proactive approach. Swallows, in particular, are a protected species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which means nests cannot be relocated until all young have left the nest – a process that could take up to five months. Orkin recommended a combination of products to help prevent birds from nesting on overhangs and ledges, including the installation of:

• Exclusion with netting – Reducing the areas birds have to land on exposed structures.

• Multi-sensory, gel deterrent – Birds see “dishes of fire” and avoid them immediately.

Additionally, the property required a layered IPM strategy that addressed the conditions attractive to other nuisance birds, to which Orkin recommended:

• Electrical track on all ledges, with special attention to building areas that overlook outdoor dining areas and entryways. The color of electrical track can be matched to most surfaces and can either be solar powered or have electrical connections hidden.

• UV paint, which helps increase the effectiveness of the electrical track and the gel product. UV paint is a visible deterrent for birds, while humans cannot see it.

By keeping pest management – and specifically bird control – top of mind from the beginning, this property dramatically reduced their risk of nuisance bird infestations.

Learn which bird control methods could work for your property with a free inspection.

Because every property is different, effective bird control programs must be tailored to the customer’s unique facility features and local bird populations. And while it’s best to involve the pest experts early on, it’s never too late to develop a program to suit your business’s needs and help stop future bird activity.