The droppings and nesting materials from birds can carry over 60 diseases and ectoparasites that can be transmitted to humans and other animals. The longer birds are allowed to nest on your property, the harder it becomes to remove them. Taking proactive measures is the best way to manage pest birds, saving you time and costs in the long run.

Infestations can also attract other pests, such as fleas, flies, and particularly bird mites. It’s essential to seek professional help for bird control as soon as you notice nesting activity. Experts can also provide tailored preventative strategies.

The Negative Effects of Bird Populations

Health Risks

Birds and their droppings pose significant health risks. With over 60 transmissible diseases, exposure to birds or their nests can lead to serious health issues. Many of these diseases are airborne and can easily spread through droppings.

Bird Mites

Bird mites are tiny, often invisible to the naked eye, and highly mobile. They appear semi-transparent until they feed on blood, turning a reddish color. These mites typically infest areas when birds nest in roof cavities, often occurring in early spring and summer. Mites thrive on both young and adult birds, and the abundant nesting materials provide an ideal breeding ground.

Once birds leave or die, large populations of mites can remain, dispersing into the living space in search of new hosts. The rooms closest to their entry points are usually the most affected. While mites require a bird host to survive, they can bite humans but cannot sustain themselves on them. Infestations can lead to discomfort as residents may feel the sensation of mites crawling on their skin until the source is eliminated.

Inventory and Property Damage

Bird droppings can contaminate products and damage production lines, especially in warehouses and storage facilities where birds may perch or nest. The presence of droppings can also jeopardize food safety audits.

Aesthetic Concerns

Bird droppings and nests are unsightly, which can deter potential customers and clients. Implementing preventative measures, such as spikes and deterrents, can help maintain a clean image.

Cleanup Costs

Regular cleanup of bird droppings can be expensive and poses health risks to employees. Instead of incurring these costs, businesses can invest in preventative bird control solutions.

Equipment and Property Damage

The corrosive nature of bird droppings can damage machinery and stain building materials. To avoid frequent cleaning and exposure to harmful substances, proactive bird management is essential.

Food Safety

Finding bird droppings in restaurants or food production areas can negatively impact your HACCP and food safety audits, potentially harming your reputation if contaminated products are distributed.

Liability Risks

Unattended bird droppings can create slippery surfaces, leading to fall hazards and potential liability issues for businesses.

Clogged Gutters and Drains

Nesting materials and droppings can block gutters and drains, creating fire hazards and potential flooding issues. Preventative measures should be implemented to deter birds and avoid costly repairs.

Methods for Managing Pigeons

1. Culling:

This includes shooting, poisoning, trapping, or using raptors.

Method/Product	Best used for	Advantages	Disadvantages
shoot	killing birds	immediate action, low cost	generally prohibited in public; represents a harvest as opposed to a control program
poison	killing birds	immediate action	non-targer risks; socially unacceptable, shot-term solution; dead and dying birds
trap and euthanize	killing birds	immediate action	often unacceptable where people are persent; short-term effect; birds get "trap shy"
raptor	predator and prey	pigenos are a natural prey species; environmentally sound solution	mating pairs are difficult to attract under most urban conditions; raptos migrate and will leave the area part of the year

2. Reproduction Control:

This involves using birth control for pigeons, destroying nests, and managing eggs.

Method/Product	Best used for	Advantages	Disadvantages
birth control	abatement alternative	gradually but predictably unwinds the pigenon population	takes some time to work
nest destruction	destory individual nests	best for a small number of nests where exculsion will be installed	completely ineffective since the mating pair will just build new ones
dececots combined with egg removal or replacement	commune with nature in a park	provides a safe and secure way of harvesting eggs	ineffective at controlling a population of pigeons; only provides extra housing for the birds

3. Physical Exclusion:

Utilizing spikes, wires, slopes, and shock tracks to keep pigeons away.

Method/Product	Best used for	Advantages	Disadvantages
spikes	rails, oerching areas	inexpensive; can be highly effective under the right set of conditions; easy installation	in best case, will only move birds to the next best location
bird wire	rails, fences, fooflines, perching areas	useful tool to keep pigeons off perching areas	more complex installation especially on rooflines
slides	narrow perching areas	inexpensive and relatively easy installtion	only suitable under the appropriate conditions where a slide can be installed
netting	gold standard for physically excluding birds from both large and small areas and structures	tangible and immediate effect; can represent a permanent fix for problem birds	costly installation requireing professionals; moves the problem to neighboring struvtures or facilities
shock track systems	rails, perching and loafing areas and surfaces	highly effective in keeping birds off landing and perching areas	equipment can be complex; professional installation normally required; more costly than spikes

4. Deterrents:

Employing sonic or ultrasonic emitters, effigies, reflective lights, and trained raptors to deter pigeons.

Method/Product	Best used for	Advantages	Disadvantages
sonic and ultrasonic emitters	aural harassment	can be used in larger areas where exclusion is not practical	birds acclimate to the sounds
effigies- plastic ow;. rubber snake	visual harassment	can be effective short term	birds acclimate to effigies
reflected cannon	visual harassment	can be effective long-term under appropriate conditions	cost have a wide range; from shiny pie plates or CD's to industrial lasers
propane cannon	harassment	tangible and immediate effects	Birds acclimate and eventually ignore the noise; not suitable for urbanized areas
trained raptors	harassment with predators	pigenos will flee raptors	pigeons come right back when the birds or prey go home

5. Repellents:

Using gels, pastes, optical gels, and fogs to discourage pigeons.

Method/Product	Best used for	Advantages	Disadvantages
gels and pastes	perching areas	inexpensive	can kill smaller birds; requires consistent reapplication
optical gel	perching and loafing areas	small and inexpensive; easy to install	not necessarily appropriate for large areas; intensive cleaning required
fogs and vapors	large indoor areas	ideal for large volume structures	inconsistent action

By addressing bird infestations promptly and effectively, you can safeguard your property, maintain hygiene, and prevent potential health risks.