Building owners and facility managers understand property ‘wear-and-tear’ very well. In fact, those who manage large facilities must budget for repairs and maintenance of their grounds and equipment each year, due to harsh weather-related factors like sun, wind, and rain. A problem that managers may not predict is bird damage and liability caused by pest bird infestation. However, there is a very important difference between Mother Nature and a pest bird problem: you can get rid of your bird problem!
Pest Bird Damages
Pest birds leave their droppings on walkways, walls, rooftops, equipment, and more. Bird messes contaminate pond water and clog drainage vents. Birds seem to play target-practice with cars parked in outdoor lots. But it is not just an issue of filth – pest bird damage is actually a serious problem for facility managers.
Bird droppings are the most common issue, causing walking surfaces to become slippery and dangerous. Droppings are also linked to over sixty transmissible (some even potentially fatal) diseases. In outdoor eating areas like picnic tables, sanitation can be a real concern.
Droppings are also extremely corrosive and can cause irreversible damage to property and equipment. When the messes are not quickly washed away, the droppings dry out and turn to salt and ammonia; when they later come into contact with rainwater, small electrochemical reactions take place that speed up the rusting process. This acidic substance can eat away at paint, concrete and metal, and can even cause structural failure.
Birds themselves can also interfere with operations by getting tangled in machinery, causing fires, pecking holes in roofing, interfering with power lines, and even flying into moving rides – endangering themselves, customers, and workers – while significantly increasing the need for repairs and replacements that cost time and money.
Pest Bird Prevention
While some changes such as altering the landscaping may help, greatest success comes with a combined approach including bird deterrents. When choosing a bird control solution for your facility, look for a company that offers products that are humane and eco-friendly, such as Bird-X. The use of harmful chemical pesticides can put customers and workers in danger, while using traps or poisons that harm or kill pest birds is inhumane, messy, and unsanitary – which is very bad for business (and bad for your company’s reputation).
The ideal solution for facility managers is to use ‘green’ bird control products. Bird-X products include bird spikes, netting, visual scares and sonic/ultrasonic devices that deter birds from roosting in specific areas as well as electronic devices that can rid the premises of rodents, bats, spiders, and other pests. Bird-X also specializes in preventing and solving geese infestation problems. Investing in bird control will save precious funding otherwise spent on cleanup and repair. Find out more about ‘green’ bird and pest control solutions and preventing pest bird damage at www.bird-x.com.
Chrissy Hansen is the Marketing Manager at Bird-X, Inc.
