[Bird Control] Bird Control Case Studies

Editor’s note: The following case studies were contributed by various bird control product suppliers.

Supplier: Bird Barrier
Website: www.birdbarrier.com
Bird Control Case Study: A Different Kind of Office Politics: Working with Bird Infestations

The owner of the Preston Commons office complex in Dallas, Texas was forced to spend triple his usual (and budgeted) cost for window cleaning each year. Not because the window cleaners were doing poor work or overcharging — neither was the case — but because of an infestation of birds.

The increased spending was only half of the problem. The accumulation of droppings had become so substantial that window cleaning crews complained about the working environment. The window cleaners weren’t alone in their reluctance to service the building — painters and other trades people refused to work on the building.

Preston Commons is nestled in Park Cities, one of Dallas’ most coveted areas, comprised of Highland Park and University Park. It’s a three-building, Class A office complex located in the Preston Center. The properties occupy 4.3 acres of land with a total of 422,874 square feet.

The management company decided to take action, and contacted Accurate Quality Services in Krum, Texas, just outside of Denton. Accurate had established a reputation for solving bird problems after successes nearby.

There was no question that the birds had to go. How to evict them was the issue. “Of course you want to do this as humanely as possible,” said Accurate’s owner, Ray Hageman. “You don’t want to harm the animals; you just want to convince the wildlife that they want to be somewhere else.”

Hageman and his crew attached 2-inch heavy duty StealthNet between the columns and the outer wall. “The most difficult aspect of this job was the cleanup. We had to secure the net as we cleaned in order to prevent additional buildup of droppings,” said Hageman. In the end, the crew removed more than 4,200 pounds of droppings and debris.

StealthNet is composed of high-density knotted strands of ultra-violet stabilized polyethylene twine. Though it’s ultra-strong, StealthNet is thin, and when the black, stone (beige) or white netting is installed against an appropriate-colored exterior, it’s nearly invisible.

Hageman’s plan for the ledges themselves involved a different tactic. To maintain the building’s aesthetics while deterring birds from the ledges, he chose Bird-Shock Flex-Track, in gray to match the building, and installed four rows of track to protect the entire depth of the ledge. As the installation progressed, birds moved from the protected areas of the building.

The low-profile Flex-Track ledge deterrent system that Hageman chose uses a low-amperage (but high-voltage) electrical pulse to deter pest birds; basically a painful but non-harmful pulse that shocks the birds’ feet when they try to stand on it. Flex-Track is comprised of an extruded, flexible PVC base with two stainless steel braid conductors that are actually sewn onto the base. It comes in 50-foot rolls so installation is simple. The track is available in five standard colors to match most applications.

Hageman said results are positive, and the building owner is pleased. It’s a solution that has proven effective and non-harmful to the birds, Bird Barrier says. “I’ve done this for long enough that I was able to cut right to the correct solution, and not waste time or money with trials of something that may or may not work,” Hageman says.

Supplier: Bird-B-Gone
Website: www.birdbgone.com
Bird Control Case Study: A First-Time Bird Net Installer Succeeds With the Help of Bird-B-Gone

For pest control operators who have never installed bird netting, finding a partner willing to offer advice and quality products is the key to a successful job. Having both netting and hardware available is vital, yet only part of the equation. Installation advice, material estimates and hands-on training are just as important to creating predictable success.

Jeff Bohannon, of Contractor’s Termite and Pest Control in Phoenix, Ariz., recently installed his first bird net with the help of his distributor and Bird-B-Gone. Bohannon’s job required that birds be prevented from entering a city truck washing area, and when they specified bird netting, Bohannon contacted his distributor asking for product and installation advice. Based on reputation, he was referred to Bird-B-Gone. “The sales team at Bird-B-Gone was extremely knowledgeable and helped me choose the correct net and hardware for the job,” said Bohannon.

Bird Net 2000 was the obvious choice for Bohannon as he needed a net with strength, durability and reliability. The product’s 10-year guarantee and reputation gave Bohannon confidence it would not fail and require a callback from his customer, he said. Bird Net 2000 is the only net tested to ISO 1806 protocols for strength, Bird-B-Gone says. The ability to have custom cuts of Bird Net 2000 shipped the same day also was crucial for Bohannon.

Bohannon had all the materials he would need to complete the job, yet he was still unsure how to properly install the netting. At the request of his distributor, Bird-B-Gone had bird control specialist Rich Martin consult with Bohannon and his team, teaching them the basics of bird netting installation. “Rich basically showed us the ropes and helped my team feel comfortable installing the product,” said Bohannon. “No one else has ever spent the time to consult with us before. We couldn’t have done it without Bird-B-Gone.”

Supplier: Bird-X
Website: www.birdx.com
Bird Control Case Study: A Historical Lighthouse Battles Pest Seagulls and Wins

The DeTour Reef Lighthouse has been a fixture at the head of Lake Huron in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula since 1931. Having been built in 1847 and later moved to its current location, the actual structure is more than 150 years old and is a testament to the region’s shipping and social history. It is also on a list of America’s Most Endangered Historic Places.

When managing a large structure on the water such as this, a common challenge is the battle against seagulls. For the lighthouse, not only were bird droppings defacing property, but these pest birds were annoying the weekend keepers and tourists. In the summer of 2010, property managers decided to invest in a bird control solution from Bird-X.

The BirdXPeller PRO is an electronic bird repellent device that emits naturally recorded bird distress signals and predator calls to frighten, confuse and disorient birds within a 1-acre range (up to 4 acres with the 4-speaker system). Once installed at the DeTour Reef Lighthouse, seagulls quickly learned to stay away. One weekend keeper said, “Seagulls avoid landing here. The recording of desperate gulls is incredibly effective.” Another said, “In so many ways it has decreased the work and increased the quality of the lighthouse stay.”

According to Bird-X, the BirdXPeller PRO is an ideal solution for historic buildings like the lighthouse for a few reasons: it is a small, weatherproof device that can be installed without changing the appearance or damaging the structure and it can be used even when property managers are away during off-seasons. The DeTour Reef Lighthouse was the ultimate victor of this battle. As one worker observed, “Those who have never been here before will never know the miracle of it (BirdXPeller PRO). Those who have been here before rejoice and never forget our fight against the seagulls. The battle is won.”

Supplier: Feather Free
Website: www.featherfreezone.com
Bird Control Case Study: The Shocking Truth About Safety

The best approach to a safe work site is through the depth and thoroughness of the preparation done in.
As pest management professionals know, every project is different — and the uniqueness of the project will dictate how you scope and execute your approach. For example, when placing bird exclusion structures near power lines, workers must use fiberglass ladders, fiberglass buckets, appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE) and a carefully choreographed method of day-to-day tasks. And that’s just the start.

Many clients, especially those with potential hazards, have an on-staff safety officer. It should be part of your job scope to  attend a class provided by the client. Besides providing an overview of likely dangers you or your workers will face, it sheds light onto the operations of your valued customer, as well as demonstrating your commitment to excellence. In essence, it’s an investment in the safety of your workers as well as future business with your customer.

Prior to the start of the job, conduct a detailed site inspection. If the client has a safety manager on the payroll, have the manager join you on the site tour. No one knows better the possible dangers.

Does the customer have an active site? Are there peak hours of traffic — either from onsite forklifts, foot traffic or even rail cars? Your job scope could well address this by scheduling your work at low impact times of the day or days of the week.

Identify and commit one worker to the role of “ground guy.” This person is responsible for placing and spotting a key piece of support equipment, such as the ladder. This would include tying off ladders taller than 6 feet and ensuring the tie-off spot is secure. Another role is to make sure all tools and loose equipment is tied off. A 2-inch nail dropping several stories can be as dangerous as throwing a knife. Acting as a “flag man” or having another worker serving in this role is also a good precaution. This person judges where the work is likely to be performed and either halts traffic during key tasks, or halts the task itself.

On a recent pest management project, we employed all these steps, as well as others. Our client was a Northeastern-based rail transit company. A flat-roofed canopy stood over the station platform for the safety and convenience of thousands of daily passengers. However, above the structure was a viaduct under which about 2,000 pigeons were roosting. The goal of the project was to exclude the birds from the area and to do so without impact on rail operations.

As result of the time we spent in advance, we were able to properly scope out the full course of the project. We included a ground person dedicated to maintaining, moving and observing the use of ladders, scaffolding and the equipment associated with them. We also scoped a “flag man” to watch for onsite foot traffic, as well as trains. The project also accounted for off-peak times, which was essential to maintain smooth train operations, but also important so that the customer could coordinate their safety manager’s availability.

The project itself proved to be one week of intense labor. It required snaking specially designed netting around high-tension wires, working within proximity of rail traffic, and the physical removal of thousands of relatively uncooperative pigeons.

But under the watchful eye of the client’s property manager, safety manager and engineers we successfully installed a complex and secure structure of netting. Yes, the job took longer than it might have without the methodical approach to safety. And yes, there were incremental costs involved from both the client as well as an investment of time by us. However, by working in concert — and with the shared goal of passenger and worker safety — we eliminated the dangers before they could occur. The cleaned and refurbished canopy was deemed safe for passengers and the pigeons had to look elsewhere to roost.
 

Supplier: Nixalite of America
Website: www.nixalite.com
Bird Control Case Study: Nixalite’s
Premium Bird Spikes Earn LEED Points for Materials, Resources and Design
Reno, Nevada’s Regional Transportation Commission’s new transit station design included exposed structural steel beams, open building ledges and parapets that were an open invitation to the already present pest bird population.

Bird droppings are a double threat; they can adversely affect the well being of both people and structures. Bird droppings often harbor dangerous diseases, bacteria and parasites that can be passed on to adversely affect the health of people exposed to the droppings. Bird waste is corrosive and a physical threat to structural steel, architectural surfaces, electrical equipment and more. Addressing these issues called for an integrated bird management plan.

Since the new transit center is LEED-certified, the environmental quality aspect of LEED’s Green Building Rating System would have to be maintained. Nixalite’s Premium Bird Barrier Spikes earn LEED points for materials, resources and design.

The project’s architect specified Nixalite’s Premium Stainless Steel Barrier Spikes in several of the available ColorCoat colors. These spikes are physical barriers that prevent birds from landing on ledges and other exposed surfaces. To avoid drilling holes, all of the Premium Spikes were installed using Nixalite’s glue clips and adhesive.

While bird netting also was considered, the decision was made to install the Premium Nixalite spikes and several bird hazing units from Nixalite. These create a dry, non-staining aerosol with a harmless but effective bird repellent that has no effect on people but a profound repellent effect on birds, Nixalite says. This combination of the Nixalite Premium Spikes and area dispersal became the basis for the integrated bird management system specified for the station.

More than 45,000 feet (about 8½ miles) of the Premium Nixalite Spikes in three different ColorCoat colors were installed with the hazing system. Reno’s 4th Street Station serves about 8,000 people a day — none of whom need worry about pest birds and the mess they could have made if not for the integrated bird management program in place and working as intended. This integrated bird control promises low maintenance, trouble-free bird control for many years to come.