Bird Control for the Roofing Industry

by Fran Prisco

Roofs have become the favorite roosting and nesting spot of pest birds in both cities and suburbs across the nation.  Each year thousands are spent to cleanup and repair the damage caused by pest birds such as pigeons, seagulls and starlings to rooftops.  It can often be quite a challenge to get rid of birds from roof areas such as the roof edge, parapet wall and rooftop A.C. Units.   The best way to get rid of birds is to use some sort of physical bird deterrent.

Before installing any bird control system it is important to do a thorough clean up of the effected area.  Be sure all of the debris and droppings left behind by the pest birds is cleaned.  It is best to power wash or spray bird droppings down and remove them while wet.  Dried bird droppings can cause dust which when breathed in may carry any of 60 plus communicable diseases.   Bird Droppings are also acidic and can quickly erode building and roofing materials, not to mention that they are a safety hazard on sidewalks, causing slip and fall accidents.

Bird Deterrents for Roofs

Bird Spikes:

When large birds like pigeons and gulls are landing and roosting on roof edges, peaks and parapet walls, the bird spike is the most affordable and effective bird deterrent.  Bird spikes come in plastic or stainless steel.   Bird spikes are easily installed using adhesive, screws or tie downs.  When installing spikes on peaked roofs, it is best to put them on the roof edges and peaks, as that is where the birds will land first before exploring the rest of the roof.

Electric Bird Tracks:

Electric bird deterrent tracks are ideal for use on roof edges and parapet walls.  The flat tracks are easy to install with adhesive and will work with all types of bird species.  The electric shock systems give birds a mild jolt when they make contact with the track, changing the birds landing and roosting behaviors.  The best electric bird deterrents are those that are low profile and will not allow water to dam around them.  Using a direct plug in charger or a solar charger charges these systems.  Once installed, the electric tracks are easy to maintain and virtually invisible.

Bird Spiders:

When large birds are landing, roosting or nesting on rooftop A.C. units or ventilation systems, the bird spider is an ideal bird deterrent to use.  The bird spider has eight “arms” that wiggle in the breeze causing birds to land in other areas.  The bird spiders come in different diameters; from 2 foot to 8 foot in size.  Screws or adhesive easily installs them.  The bird spider is an effective method to get rid of birds on rooftops.

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Bird Control for Flower Shops

by Alex A. Kecskes
If you own or manage a flower shop, you know it takes tender loving care to keep your flowers fresh. You also know that image is everything. Your shop must look clean and well kept at all times. After all, people who buy flowers are looking for ways to express their love and appreciation for someone else. Whether it's a wedding or birthday bouquet, or simply a very special announcement or occasion, when customers come to your shop they want to know that your flowers are fresh, clean and as beautiful as can be. These days, buying flowers is expensive and you want to do everything you can to protect your investment.

Problem: Pest birds can ruin the image of your flower shop. If you have beautiful petunia hanging baskets and flower-filled window boxes, pigeons and blue jays will attack them all spring and summer. Doves have a habit of building nests in baskets of Million Bells. Mourning Doves will leave their large messy droppings wherever they build their nests. Birds will also destroy your lovely bougainvillea plants.

Aside from the direct damage to your plants and flowers, pest birds can create an unwelcome environment for your customers. The smell of bird droppings, for example, can be a real turn off to customer looking for a wedding bouquet or tabletop arrangement.  Bird droppings can also create slippery walkways that result in dangerous slip-and-fall hazards—a huge liability should someone fall and injure themselves on your property.  Of course, just the sight of bird droppings on windows, awnings, umbrellas, doors and door handles can turn some customers away from your establishment. 

Pest birds can also cause physical damage to your flower shop. They can gather and nest on your roof, leaving nests, feathers and other debris to clog rooftop A.C. units, rain gutters and spouts. Bird droppings can eat into your signage and exterior walls to degrade and mar the finish. The last thing you need in this bad economy is repair and re-painting bills.

Solution: Bird netting and pigeon netting provide the exclusionary bird proofing you need to deny pest birds access to your flower shop. Strung across open or patio areas of your shop, Heavy-Duty Polyethylene Bird netting made from a U.V. stabilized mesh is ideal. It comes in various cuts and mesh sizes. For larger birds you'll need a 2-inch mesh; medium sized birds will require a 1 1/8-inch mesh; and smaller birds call for a 3/4-inch mesh. In most cases, netting is available in a variety of colors to blend in with color scheme of your shop. The best netting is ISO 1806 protocol mesh tested, rot-proof, and non-conductive so as not to interfere with electrical wiring or your customers' cell phone calls.

You might also consider No-Knot Bird netting--ideal for larger, horizontal applications. It's stronger than ordinary knotted polyethylene netting and 30 percent lighter. It's also less expensive to ship and easier to install than regular netting. There's no need to pull the net into shape, as you may need to do with knotted polyethylene netting. No-Knot netting comes in several mesh sizes. Use a 2-inch mesh to block out big birds like pigeons, gulls and crows, and 3/4-inch mesh to keep out sparrows and starlings.

When installing any kind of bird netting, leave no gaps, openings, wrinkles or excessive sags. Before cutting the netting, allow enough netting for perimeter fastening and overlap seams (6" min. for both). It's your flower shop. Protect it with a good bird control investment.

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Excluding Pest birds with Bird Netting

Birds can be considered a pest when they decide to roost or nest in areas where their feces and debris can be considered a hazard.  Each year building owners and homeowners spend countless hours and money cleaning up after and repairing the damage caused by pest birds. Not only are these problems unsightly; pest birds and their feces can spread 60 plus transmittable diseases. Safety, sanitation and health hazards caused by bird droppings can pose serious liability risks, and left untreated, can lead to accidents and lawsuits. Bird feces, bird nests and debris can also create a bad public image with tenants and patrons. Individuals, companies and government agencies are tired of cleaning up bird feces or repairing the damage that is caused by pest birds and their droppings. Instead they have decided to invest in a Bird Control Solution, which is often as simple as installing bird netting.

Bird netting is used to exclude pest birds from areas such as rooftops, warehouses, airline hangars, overhangs, eaves of homes and other enclosed areas that pest birds are to be kept out of.  Netting will provide 100% exclusion of pest birds and is a long-term bird control solution.  Bird netting comes in several different mesh sizes ranging from ¾” mesh for use with all types of birds, to 2” mesh to use when larger birds like pest pigeons and seagulls are a problem.  Netting comes in several colors as well; white, stone and black.  Black bird netting is usually preferred because of its natural U.V. protection and lack of discoloration due to dirt and dust.  When installed properly, the netting will be virtually invisible, not interfering with the architectural features of a building.

Choosing the right bird netting:

There are several types of bird netting available.  There is knotted polyethylene netting that is considered long lasting and heavy duty.  You would use this type of netting where you want a permanent solution to your bird control issues.  Heavy-duty bird netting is usually manufactured using U.V. treated twine providing long life.  Strength of these nets can be greater than 40 lbs. burst.  The nets will also have a high melting point and flame resistant.  Heavy-duty bird netting is ideal for use in warehouses, airplane hangars, canopies, overhangs and other large areas where pest birds are to be excluded.

Another type of bird netting is Polypropylene extruded plastic netting.  This is a strong plastic bird netting used to exclude pest birds from homes and gardens.  It is strong yet lightweight, easy to use and install.  Plastic bird netting is often used to protect crops and orchards from pest birds.  It is ideal to protect blueberries, fruit trees and other garden plants.  Hanging plastic bird netting from the eaves of your home can protect it from such pest birds as swallows and woodpeckers. Plastic bird netting is not a long term netting product with about one year of usage.

Bird netting comes in different mesh sizes.  Choosing the correct mesh size is important.  You do not want the birds to be able to get into the netted off area and become stuck or trapped.  For larger birds such as pigeons and seagulls you can use a 1-1/8” to 2” mesh size.  For smaller birds such as sparrows and starlings use a ¾” to ½” mesh size.  When using plastic netting to protect berries and grapes, use a ¼” mesh size.

Installing bird netting:

Commercial installations for bird netting can get complicated depending on the size of the area to be protected and the material that the netting will be attached to.  Netting off the infrastructure of an airplane hangar can require thousands of square feet of netting and special equipment such as lifts and power equipment to install the net.  It is often recommended to use a professional bird control installer to get the job done correctly.  There are bird control installers throughout the country that have experience in installing bird netting in large quantities and complicated jobs.

Installations of bird netting on your home or in your garden can easily be done yourself.  For use in the garden you will cover your favorite plants with the plastic bird netting.  Draping the ¼” mesh plastic bird netting over fruit trees will protect the fruit from pest birds.  It may be necessary to hire a professional to hang bird netting from the eaves of our home, especially in multi-storied houses.

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Bird Control for Yards and Gardens

Image via Wikipedia

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.