Pigeon droppings cost historic church $48,000
The Solon Congregational Church probably wouldn't have had to replace it's steeple if they had implemented simple tactics to get rid of the pigeons.
Famous rock stars aren’t the only one’s having problems with pesky pigeons. The Solon Congregational Church in Solon, Maine had to replace their steeple because of their continuous pigeon problem.
The church is one of the town’s historic landmarks. It is very important to not only the parishioners, but also the residents in general.
In addition to being the largest building in town, it hosts nearly every wedding and burial, he said. It holds music concerts and other events. It served as a place to pray and reflect after Sept. 11 and World War I and II.
So in a town of only 940 (at the last census count in 2000), finding out the steeple of one of their proudest historic landmarks was decayed beyond repair was “devastating” for many. The cause? Persistent leaking and pigeon droppings.
The combination of water and dried, built-up fecal matter is dangerous. Not only toxic to humans – birds carry over sixty diseases transmitted through fecal matter – but also detrimental to surfaces. Eroding steel, metal, and, in this case, a 173-year-old steeple of the town’s beloved church.
Solon residents care about their historic church, and many donated money to replace the steeple. One congregation member even went door-to-door to get the funds for the project.
We’re kind of the little church that could,” the Rev. Nathan Richards said. With between 30 and 40 congregation members, they raised $48,000 for the work mainly through small donations.
Replacing the steeple was necessary, but how is the church going to defend itself against another pigeon attack? Bird spikes are a start. Since steeples use ledges and beams for internal structural support, spikes are an excellent first step for roost inhibiting.
Putting spikes on ledges is the best physical barrier for pigeons. It immediately inhibits roosting, all but eliminating the possibility of resting birds. (Photo courtesy of fencespikes.net)
What are you doing to protect your business from a possible $50,000 disaster? Bird-X can help you maintain your property, keeping it free from possible liabilities, and saving your business a fortune. Call us up and we’ll point you in the right direction.
Kings of Leon concert halted by pigeon poop
The Kings of Leon had to stop a concert because of pigeons. (Photo courtesy of CNN)
Who expects to go to a concert and have it end three songs in due to…pigeons? That’s what happened at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in St. Louis this past weekend. The Kings of Leon spent Friday, July 23, dodging aerial attacks by pigeons.
An infestation of the birds in the rafters of the Verizon Amphitheatre bombarded the musicians as soon as they took the stage, according to Andy Mendelsohn of Vector Management.
“Jared (Followill) was hit several times during the first two songs,” Mendelsohn said of the band’s bassist.
The pigeons were a problem the entire night, even before the popular band took the stage. Band members reported seeing droppings on their instruments and carpet when they walked out. Soon after, the droppings began falling from the sky.
Even the opening bands, The Postelles and The Stills, dealt with the birds during their sets.
(The opening bands) came offstage complaining of getting riddled with large amounts of excrement, their publicist said…
…”We couldn’t believe what The Postelles and The Stills looked like after their sets,” Followill said.”
This didn’t have to happen, and, honestly, this never should happen. There are too many maintenance free and inexpensive ways to curtail this sort of thing. A simple, stop-the-problem-right-now solution is bird spikes. Pigeons love to roost on ledges, wires, panes — anything that’s available and easy. Spikes immediately take away that option.
The Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre only need a few spikes to get rid of the pigeons. Instead, they got a media firestorm and the worst publicity imaginable. (Photo courtesy of Bird-X, Inc.)
Don’t like the way spikes look? Well, try a roost-inhibiting gel like this one. Like spikes, this stops birds from roosting. But the gel makes the surface sticky and uncomfortable for the birds, and they’ll find another place to rest.
Outdoor music venues are ideal places for pigeons to roost. (Photo courtesy of Blisstree)
Another option are sound devices. Two in particular – the Ultrason X and the Quad Blaster QB-4 – emit ultrasonic sounds inaudible to humans. The Ultrason X has four external speakers each with 100-foot cords perfect for indoor and outdoor music venues like the one pictured above. It covers 3,600 square feet and gets rid of all types of birds, especially pigeons.
The Quad Blaster QB-4 is also great for outdoors. It’s four internal speakers emit high frequency sound waves and audio signals. The sounds confuse and frighten the birds, quickly scaring them away from the effective area up to 6,500 square feet. Either one of these sound devices, in combination with physical aversions, will greatly reduce the risk of pigeons affecting your business negatively.
This story has been all over the news, and it’s been awful publicity for all involved. What if this had been your business? What would you say or do to make this go away? Could your business handle this kind of publicity?
Situations like this are 100% avoidable. Call us up at 312-226-2473 if you have questions about bird damage or just want simple tips to get rid of them. And definitely check out our website for more info on effective bird control products.
Canada goose, 3 eggs slows down production on a $150 mil. luxury building in the UK
A security guard has been assigned to protect this Canada goose and her two eggs in a U.K. building. This little goose has held up work on a $150 million luxury building.
A funny things happen to living creatures every once in a while: they reproduce. Unfortunately for a British construction company, a goose decided to exert her right to reproduce on their production site.
A recent Aol News piece shed some light on the situation, saying that the goose got comfortable. There is even a 24-hour security guard standing watch to make sure she’s safe and sound.
While production on the building isn’t completely stalled — the contractor explains that they are working on a different area until the goose leaves — it’s definitely a hassle. What if this happened to your company? Comfortable geese looking for a nice spot to raise a family just plop down and stay a while? This could cost millions and the liability factor could tack on more to that. Every seen a slip-and-fall incident resulting from a bird droppings? It’s quite expensive.
The GooseBuster is designed specifically for the humane elimination of pesky geese.
Putting up a few sound devices is the best thing to do for this kind of problem. The Goose Buster emits high quality digital playbacks of goose distress and alarm calls recorded in natural environments. Since the sounds are in the geese’s own language, they get the message: STAY AWAY!
Got questions about your specific goose problem? Check out www.bird-x.com for more products, or call us up at 800-860-0473!
Social starlings cause big problems
Starling packs are always on the hunt for places to roost, feed and rest. Taking over a large building isn't too difficult for a group of over one thousand of these aggressive birds.
Of all the birds flying cities, starlings are probably the biggest problem. Last September, Steve Carlic of Syracuse (N.Y.) The Post-Standard wrote an article about exactly how dangerous – and expensive – it is to have starlings hanging around an area.
200 million shiny black European starlings crowd North America…The enormous flocks endanger air travel, mob cattle operations, chase off native songbirds, roost on city blocks, leaving behind corrosive, foul-smelling droppings and hundreds of millions of dollars of damage each year.
Carlic is absolutely right. Starlings travel in massive packs. These packs are so large and dense – sometimes totaling over a thousand birds – it can blacken the sky and completely take over sections of buildings.
The main problem with hypersocial starlings is their droppings. Bird droppings carry many diseases, and they come with a big risk: the liability factor. Slip-and-fall incidents are not uncommon; they can cost companies thousands, possibly millions, of dollars in legal fees and lawsuits.
Tiny but powerful: multiply this little guy by six thousand, and a cute feathered friend turns into an enormous problem.
A multi-pronged attack is the only way to get rid of these tiny birds. Trying an ultra sonic sound device like the Bird-X Ultrason-X is a good place to start. It includes 4 speakers with 100-foot cords that emits annoying ultrasonic sounds annoying to birds. And with a coverage area of up 3600-square feet, it’s a guaranteed way to stop packs of starlings from getting too comfortable in your area.
Starlings love urban areas for the same reason most wildlife does: easy access to food, resting areas, water, and shelter among other things. Roosting for these packs is necessary, so physically obstruction them from being able to rest is necessary. Try some bird spikes or Bird Proof gel. Spikes are rigid and crooked, making it impossible for birds to rest, while the gel makes the area sticky and incredibly uncomfortable.
Stop starlings from making your roof their next roosting spot by putting up spikes or spreading some Bird Proof Gel; both of these are green and humane ways to get rid of unwanted pest birds immediately.
Make sure to contact one of our experts here at Bird-X for any other questions you have about your starling problem. Check out the website at www.bird-x.com or call us up at 800-860-0473!
Bird-Proof Gel a proven success
Bird Proof Gel is a great alternative to spikes when getting rid of birds on ledges, shelves and doorways.
A customer recently wrote a post on their blog about using our Bird Proof Gel to get rid of sparrows on and near their front door. Here’s an excerpt of the problem:
Last year, I had a family of sparrows nest just above my front door. Their mud nest left a mess on my patio, not to mention bird crap from both the adult sparrows and eventual babies, which was most irritating when packages were set directly on top of this mess.
After applying the gel, this customer saw the change immediately.
The day after I applied it, I noticed the sparrows visiting once again, but they would only fly near the corner they favored for nesting and then retreat. They stuck around for another day or two before leaving for another nesting site.
Another satisfied customer!