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Nuisance birds can wreak havoc on your premises. They can spread diseases from bird droppings, damage property and equipment, pose safety risks and give customers, staff and the general public a bad impression of your organisation.
Bird fouling is unsightly, difficult to clean up, can damage a building over time with acid erosion and contaminate water sources and air conditioning systems.
But protecting your premises from birds can be challenging for two main reasons. Firstly, wildlife laws in most countries protect birds and demand their humane treatment – only allowing them to be removed in certain circumstances or seasons.
Secondly, different pest species will require different, targeted solutions depending on how the bird species affect you. This can make it challenging to decipher the best bird control for a specific species.
But we’ve broken it down for you. Scroll on to ascertain the best bird control solutions for different nuisance birds.
Pigeons cause problems on commercial properties and feral pigeons are a significant pest in urban areas. They can gather in large numbers on ledges and roofs of buildings. Their droppings can corrode building materials, mainly limestone and calciferous sandstone. A fungus that grows in their excrement also corrodes the stone, makes the surface porous to water and then cracks the stone when it freezes.
Furthermore, they're capable of lifting damaged or loose roof coverings to force entry – making your premises susceptible to significant damage from the species.
There are several methods to deter pigeons from your property. Installing bird netting, a bird Point system or a spider-like deterrent called Daddi Long Legs bird deterrent will keep pigeons away from specific areas where they could roost or nest or places they’re attracted to, such as ducts emitting warm air.
It can also help to remove food sources that attract pigeons, for example, by securing waste bin lids and putting up signage to discourage people from feeding them.
Bird netting is a humane way of moving birds away from your premises as it doesn’t harm them but deters them from landing on your premises. It’s a versatile solution that can either be installed permanently to protect your premises or fixed temporarily. It’s also a cost-effective solution since it can reduce cleaning and maintenance costs as bird fouling is lowered.
One of the simplest ways to deter pigeons is by using a Bird Point system that moves them on from popular roosting sites. The bird points are made from BS316 Marine Grade Stainless Steel which is long-lasting and doesn’t rust. The spring-loaded blunt needles gently tip birds off balance as they try to settle, encouraging them to settle elsewhere and protecting your premises.
Our effective Daddi Long Legs bird deterrent system helps deter pigeons from their roosting points and prevents fouling. This spider-like structure has a rotating head and fine stainless steel wire arms. The arms move and sway with the wind and as the birds' feet touch the wires, they feel unsafe and abort their landing.
It makes the site less attractive to pigeons, protecting your premises and reputation.
House sparrows can nest high up inside large buildings where food is stored or processed, such as factories and warehouses. They build large, messy nests of grass and leaves and contaminate surfaces and products with their droppings and nesting material. They can also damage packaged goods by pecking to get at the contents. These traits and tendencies make it important for businesses to take preventive measures.
Sparrows can be prevented from roosting and nesting on buildings or entering them with various physical measures such as nets, live trap and release and general building proofing to seal entry points.
On commercial premises, sparrows typically gain entry via damaged roofing or loading bay areas, which can be protected with plastic strips. Some types of proofing can be applied internally to prevent roosting.
Live trap and release traps are a humane means of bird control that can keep your premises clear from sparrows. The birds are lured into a trap that permits birds to enter but not walk out. Once the bird enters, you can release it into the open country and gently move it from your premises unharmed.
Several gull species can be a real nuisance to businesses, such as lesser black-backed gulls that tend to nest on industrial buildings with flat roofs.
Gulls can cause a lot of fouling and their droppings can degrade roofing materials. Nesting material can build up on roofs and block drains – potentially causing significant water damage to premises.
They can also become aggressive when incubating eggs and rearing young, attacking people walking nearby or when someone goes onto a roof where they are nesting.
Several bird proofing methods can protect your business from gulls. For example, gull distress sounds, lasers and bitter smells can effectively ward off gulls. Physical proofing methods include netting, strip curtains, bird point, bird wires and daddy longlegs. Egg and nest removal can also be used for controlling gulls.
Removing food sources is equally essential in deterring gulls and can be achieved by ensuring lids are kept secure on wastebins and rubbish bags aren’t left in the open.
Our egg and nest removal service is a long-term treatment that reduces the flock size and deters nuisance gulls. During the service, our highly trained technicians seek out all accessible eggs, nests and related materials, treat them with a biocide and remove them for safe disposal. This prevents adult birds from raising their young onsite, reducing the flock size.
This technique allows us to replicate bird distress calls and play them back digitally. The birds interpret the sounds as a powerful warning so they fly off and roost elsewhere. This is a humane method of deterring birds and protecting your premises from the nuisance gulls can cause. This technique only works for gulls and winter roosts of starlings but can be incredibly useful to ward off these species.
Lasers can be a powerful solution to fend gulls off and it appeals to their innate survival instincts. The gulls perceive the laser as an approaching physical danger, so they fly away in search of a safer region. An obvious benefit of using lasers over other methods to deter gulls is that there will be no habituation. They’ll always be repelled by the laser and won’t get used to it. Instead, over time, the birds will believe the area is unsafe and won’t return.
It’s easier to fix a problem when you know it's there. When you see a bird infestation, you can call a professional to deal with it. But, birds can be persistent, hard to remove when established and adapt quickly to new situations, so you also need to take preventive action.
That’s why you need skilled bird-control consultants and specially trained technicians to help. They survey your site for risk points, identify the proofing products you need and develop a management programme to protect your business.
Rentokil has global expertise in bird control and uses this knowledge and experience to develop carefully designed bird-management programmes for businesses of all types and sizes. This allows us to put prevention methods in place, regularly monitor bird activity and prevent infestations.
We work with architects, surveyors, landlords, facilities managers and business owners in all industries to incorporate bird-control measures to tackle nuisance birds.
Ethical, effective bird deterrent and management solutions to maintain and protect your business property and premises