Bird Control for Yards and Gardens

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by Alex A. Kecskes

While it's nice to have rows of flowers in the garden, it's not so nice to watch flocks of birds destroy your hard work. Without effective bird control, pest birds such as sparrows, swallows, pigeons and crows can and will invade your yard or garden to feed themselves and their young. Blackbirds, starlings, and robins will waste no time yanking out tasty corn seedlings, or chewing into ripening cherries, peaches and blueberries. They also won't hesitate to crater your lawn while they dig for bugs.

Depending on the weather and the surrounding food supply, birds will have a field day in your garden. In dry years, for example, birds will eat many different fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes and melons. In the absence of bird control, some birds can quickly wipe out an entire berry patch or grain field, aggressively attacking a particular crop they happen to fancy.

And as much as we love to hear them sing, even songbirds will attack your garden at various times of the year. These birds will go after broccoli, corn, green peas, snap peas, apples, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, currants, grapes, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries and strawberries. You'll know you have a problem if patches of young seedlings completely disappear, or the tops of your young plants are chewed off, or if you notice bites taken out of the berries as they ripen.

Bird Control for Structures that Invite Pest Birds

by Alex A. Kecskes

Pest birds are attracted to the architectures in many cities and towns. This holds especially true for some of our cherished older buildings with their "gingerbread" sills, ledges, gables and towers. These nooks and crannies are pest bird enablers, providing some of the best bird habitats. In addition, new facades of ornamental block and other ancillary structures provide hundreds of new nest holes for pest birds to call home. Churches often have pigeons roosting in their sculptured walls and around their "decorative-only" bells. Getting rid of pest birds is important to maintain the physical and aesthetic integrity of these buildings and structures.

Many apartment complexes draw sparrow infestations before construction is completed. Some construction methods even permit movement of ectoparasites into these apartments. Shopping centers and drive-in restaurants are vulnerable to sparrow infestations due to ceiling construction with corrugated metal sections or stamped beams, which leave openings throughout enclosed parts of a roof. Air-conditioning equipment, electrical boxes, open light fixtures, and wall or ceiling signs also provide nesting areas for pest birds. Decorative concrete block is often used as a "fence" to hide air-conditioning systems. These blocks create ideal pest bird nesting habitats. Getting rid of pest birds is an important part of overall building maintenance.

Bird Control for Car Rental Agencies

As a car rental agency, you know it's all about image. You need the best rental rates and the cleanest cars. What you don't need is pest birds defacing your expensive signs, displays and banners. You also don't need bird droppings eating into the paint of your most in-demand models. You wash your cars often enough, you don't need to wash them every hour. It's time you looked into more effective bird control measures.

One Australian car rental agency came up with the tag "…no birds" to demonstrate their point of difference--that their rental cars were bird-poop free. They're now known as the No-Birds Car Rental agency. In the competitive car rental business, you need every edge you can get, and certainly a bird-free lot full of clean cars can give you that extra advantage.

Pest Bird Control at Water Parks

by Alex A. Kecskes

Without an effective bird control strategy, birds can wreak havoc at water parks. The abundance of pools, slides, lofty perches and snacking areas are big attractions for a wide range of pest birds. 

The problem for water park owners and facilities managers are manifold. They include bird droppings that can create health issues throughout the park (bird droppings can carry any of 60 known diseases); nesting materials and accumulated droppings that can clog water jets and drains; and the annoyance of pest birds snatching food from tables and even children's hands. There's also the problem of slip-and fall hazards bird droppings create. These are exacerbated by the endless stream of running children and teens who may not be on the lookout for water-slick bird droppings. The legal liability of a serious fall can be extremely costly to a park and its reputation. Finally, there's the negative image of bird droppings covering everything from benches, chairs, and tables to signage--all of which can affect a park's reputation. Clearly the need for effective bird control cannot be overemphasized.

Before resorting to lethal means of bird control, water park operators should consider local, state and federal statutes concerning specific pest birds. On the other hand, one can simply turn to the growing variety of non-lethal bird control measures available today. These are effective, humane, and can save a park's reputation. Here are a few.