Without
proper bird control, pest birds can create a lot of expensive headaches for
your commercial building. It may start with just a few birds on your building,
but birds are drawn to the scent of their fellow birds and soon, you’ll have
flocks of birds damaging your roofing, AC units, signage, lighting systems,
solar panels, skylights and rooftop ventilators. Bird droppings can also damage
the controls on skip loaders, power dollies and pallet trucks. These are
expenses you don’t need in this down economy.
There’s
also the problem of wet bird droppings on walkways and loading docks. These can
create dangerous slip-and-fall hazards for workers. To get rid of birds around
your commercial building, you should first start by removing any possible food
sources around it. That includes sealing of dipsy-dumpsters to deny birds
access to food scraps—a big draw for most birds. Once that’s done, consider
implementing a tried and true bird deterrent. Here’s what today’s bird control
experts recommend:
Plastic
Bird Spikes
These
anti-perching, anti-roosting spike strips have proven their value time and
again in keeping birds away. No bird, no matter how skilled or determined, can
negotiate a landing on or near these spikes. Ideal for large birds like
pigeons, crows, and gulls, plastic bird spikes are used by commercial buildings
nationwide. Plastic spikes are less expensive than stainless steel bird spikes,
but they get the job done. They’re non-conductive, too, so you can use them
around cell phone and other RF antennas without worries about interference.
Choosing
the Right Plastic Bird Spikes
There
are bird spikes and there are bird spikes. Make sure you get high quality bird
spikes that last. The best plastic bird spikes are made of rigid UV-resistant
unbreakable polycarbonate. They resist weathering and sun exposure and will
provide many years of reliable bird deterrence. Incidentally, high quality bird
spikes are blunted at the tips, so they won’t harm birds or installation crews.
They have even been approved by humane groups like the US Humane Society and
PICAS. The other advantage of high quality plastic bird spikes is that they
come in a variety of colors—including crystal clear, brick red, light grey,
brown, black and tan—to blend in naturally with your building.
Easy
to Install
Plastic bird spikes are easily installed by your maintenance crew. They can be glued
down, nailed or screwed into most any surface. High quality plastic bird spikes
will have pre-drilled holes or glue troughs for easy mounting. Before
installing any bird spikes, your maintenance crew should first thoroughly clean
the surface, removing any loose rust, peeling paint, bird droppings, feathers
and nesting materials. The use of commercial disinfecting cleaning agents is
recommended to prevent exposure to any of the 60 known airborne diseases
carried by birds. It’s also recommended to provide eye and respiratory protection
if the area is largely contaminated with bird droppings.
For
additional advice on how to properly install plastic bird spikes, consult an
expert like the folks at Bird-B-Gone.
