Bird-Plane collisions up 25%

A recent Associated Press discussed by the Riverfront Times report stated that nearly 10,000 bird strikes were reported last year, which is up considerably from the 7,507 reported in 2007. And that rise is only an average, with some states reporting an increase considerably higher than that.

In some states, such as Texas and Minnesota, the number of bird-plane collisions have doubled since 2005 thanks to an increase in air traffic along bird migratory routes.

…bird-plane collisions at Lambert-St. Louis International airport have increased nearly 300 percent over the past decade.

Hmmmm…maybe these airports need to try Bird-X’s new Airport Bird Control System.

The airport bird and wildlife control system is perfect for this time of year when birds and other animals start heading to their spring and summer spots.

This system is made up of three of Bird-X’s best sound devices and one sensory spray: the Megablaster, the Goosebuster, the Critterblaster and Goosechase. The combination of the four of these makes it almost impossible for birds to get comfortable anywhere around an airport.

Bad economy means no pest control in Wales county

According to This is South Wales, county in south Wales has taken up a questionable practice to saving money: eliminating pest control. Of course, this has had it’s consequences. Now, rats are everywhere and citizens are gettign concerned.

One Llanelli resident, who asked not to be names, said: “Failure to control rodents will lead to an increase in disease and deaths.

“This is a fact.

“Rodents cause billions of pounds of damage to foodstuffs, drainage systems and properties.”

Tough the move will save the county tens of tousands from now until 2013, it still isn’t a well-thought-out plan. Rats carry 17 diseases, and, like the resident said, can spread many of those diseases easily to humans. And county residents are well aware of these facts.

The resident added: “Only those who have experienced a rodent infestation in their home can appreciate the fear and worry caused.

“To do away with the existing pest control service is false economy, but worse it is a denial of one of the council’s fundamental responsibilities and that is to protect public health.”

Quality pest control does NOT need to completely empty your pockets. Here at Bird-X, we understand that the economy is tight and we want to help. Our prices are reasonable and we off a FREE consultation.

Call us up at 800-860-0473 to talk to one of our X-perts. Bird-X has the solution to your problem!

Propane cannons causing problems in British Columbia

A recent ruling against the use of propane cannons has Vancouver-area Canadians resting easier. (source: www.abbynews.com)

A Surrey, British Columbia resident recently complained about the bird control methods practiced at a nearby blueberry farm. The suburban Vancouver farm is using propane cannons to scare birds away from their crops. And, according to the Abbotsford News, more than one person has been displeased.

Bradner (B.C.) resident Don Gibbs is a member of Ban the Cannons, a group focusing on eliminating the use of propane cannons. The group formed in 2001 and has fought for a break from the ear sores. They took their cause to the courts that favored on their side on the use of the cannons at the blueberry farm. Their recent success gives them optimism for their long-term goal: banning the cannons completely.

“We were very excited to hear about the ruling. We have been fighting this thing for years,” said Gibbs. “We think the ruling has a lot of potential.”

The guidelines of the ruling calls for “a more sensible approach to cannon use, ordering farmers to monitor their fields and only use the cannons when a ’significant’ number of birds are present.” Though Gibbs is satisfied with the ruling, he still wants more.

Blueberry farms are like an all-you-can-eat buffet to birds. Acres of ground-dwelling berries and plenty of room to relax between meals is tempting. Shooting off cannons is successful in detering birds…for a while. Once the cannons stop, or once they get used to the repetitive noise, the birds will keep feasting on the crops.

The best solution to this problem is bird netting. Netting works well because it physically hinders the birds from picking away at crops. It also makes nesting, roosting and resting impossible.

Bird-X's standard bird net is one of three options in detering birds from farms and fields.

Bird-X carries three kinds of netting: standard, heavy duty and premium. Each of them are designed for specific areas, issues and birds for maximum effectiveness. And the good thing about netting is that it deters ALL pest animals. So deer, coyotes, squirels and anything else you’re concerned about will no longer be an issue.

Oregon park flooded with geese droppings

Tualatin, Ore. has decided to use swan decoys to control their growing geese issues. (source: www.tualatintimes.com)

A recent article in The Times, a Portland-area newspaper, talked about a goose problem at the Lake at the Commons in Tualatin, Oregon. According to Bob Martin, parks maintenance supervisor, the geese are producing “nearly five gallons of excrement a day, which mostly ends up on the pavement.”

The mess is problematic in various ways — smell, chemical, general sanitation, take your pick — so a parks staff person has to spend an hour a day cleaning it up. This costs quite a bit of money over time, Martin says, so the city has tried multiple methods of “goose abatement.”

They hit it right on the head - geese can become a pest, but dealing with their droppings is expensive and  can be down-right dangerous. Slip-and-fall incidents are not uncommo, and that can lead to lawsuits. Not to mention that acidic droppings can erode multiple surfaces and are filled with transferable diseases.

Their solution was two plastic swans anchored at the bottom of the lake shown above. Swans and geese are natural enemies, so having decoy swans in the lake does make sense.

A good addition to the swans would be a predator decoy; something like a fox or coyote replica works well because both of them present a valid danger. If the geese get to close, they may turn into dinner! Bird-X carries predator decoys, like our 3D coyote and the fox replica. The 3D coyote is life-like and in attack mode, creating the illusion of danger to the geese.

The fox replica is a menacing 2D decoy that covers up to one acre, perfect for small lakes and community parks. Luckily, both of these bird control options are low maintenance — set it up once and you’re done. No clean up. No reapplying a product. And no hassle.

Get in contact with one of our experts to order one today!

Flooding causes more problems than just water

Water damage and bad traffic isn't the only worry when it comes to flooding. Birds can become a serious problem, too. (source: livescience.com)

This winter has been an eventful one. And flooding has become as normal in certain parts of the country as double-digit inches of snow and sub-zero temperatures. From sunny southern California to the coastal northeast, flooding has become more of an issue in recent years.

The thing about floods is that they affect everything: water damage, driving, basements, etc. Not many people realize beforehand that birds become an issue once waters start rising. In a recent Associated Press article published in the Los Angeles Times, a 31-year resident of a coastal Maine town complains of the unusually severe floods this winter.

Birds aren’t that different from us; they will only invest in real estate if it has most or all of the required amenities. Ledges for roosting and resting; trees or bushes for nesting and food; and water for cleaning and food. When flooding happens in urban areas, dry land is all-of-a-sudden incredibly attractive to the feathered fliers.

Birds are always looking for a comfortable place to call home. Flooding brings waters to urban paradises, providing plenty of water and places to roost, nest, perch and an all-birds-can-eat buffet. And more birds equals more bird droppings. (source: www.calgarywildlifecontrol.ca)

More birds means more bird droppings. And birds carry over 60 diseases, some fatal, that are passed on through their fecal matter. Aesthetically, bird droppings are an eyesore. Water damage is a given in any flood situation, but acidic bird droppings can cause rusting on steel and metal.

So what can you do to stop bird damage while dealing with a flood? Bird-X carries a host of products designed to get rid of birds without driving you insane, including the Ultrason X. It emits ultrasonic sound that is inaudible to humans but loud and clear to birds. The four speakers provide a coverage of up to 3,600 square feet and it targets pigeons, seagulls, vultures and many more pest birds and small animals. The Ultrason X is perfect for outdoor use becaues of it’s power and four-speaker system.

The Ultrason X is commonly used outdoors in and near boathouses, docks and warehouses. Purchasing one of these will eliminate a bird problem during a flood. (source: www.bird-x.com)

With coastal America continuously dealing with rising waters, Bird-X sells products that stop birds from becoming an issue. Check out www.bird-x.com for other effective bird control methods.

St. Louis University using owl decoy

The crows aren't going anywhere at St. Louis University this year. And cars all over campus are suffering.

The St. Louis University student newspaper, The University News, recently published a piece on the unusual number of crows on campus this year. Terry Palmisano, a maintenance worker for 31 years at the university, said that this was the first year that the crows actually became a problem. And they are definitely leaving their mark on campus.

“The cars in the back of the [Marchetti parking] lot are loaded with bird feces, Palmisano recently told the studnet paper. “…At night, there are hundreds, and it is freaky when they are flying all over the place.”

A biologist at the university understands why the crows are so prevalent this year.

According to Thomas Valone, a behavioral ecologist in the Department of Biology, crows often gather in urban areas for winter roosts because of big trees, open areas, unnatural lighting and food waste. Urban areas are also five to 10 degrees warmer than rural areas because of the heat island effect, which traps the sun’s into urban areas and creates a warmer environment for the crows.

To fend off the crows and the damage they leave behind, the university purchased two life-sized Great Horned Owl decoys with four-and-a-half-foot wingspans. The Great Horned Owl is a natural predator to the crows. Bird-X’s Prowler Owl fits this billing to a tee.

This visual bird scare is so effective because owls, especially Great Horn Owls, are a natural predator to ravens and crows.

The Great Horned Owl is so feared amongst birds because it captures and eats almost anything that moves. Birds instinctively avoid the Prowler Owl as they would a Great Horned Owl. And set-up for the Prowler Owl is beyond simple; it mounts practically anywhere and it is constantly moving in the wind making it more dynamic.

St. Louis University will be receiving their owl decoys by the end of the week. They have also considered sound devices, which would work wonderfully along with the Prowler Owl. Affecting multiple senses is the most effective way to eliminate pest birds.

Coyote replica a success in Arkansas

A recent article in central Arkansas’ Jacksonville Patriot talked about the effectiveness of a replica coyote in scaring geese.

Maumelle residents who think they’ve seen a coyote around town aren’t seeing things. Actually what they’re seeing is a fake coyote.

Philip Raborn, director of Maumelle Parks and Recreation, said the department purchased two fake coyotes that they are moving around the city’s two lakes in an effort to keep the Canadian geese off the pathways around town.

The migratory birds have become a problem leaving droppings all over the lake area and even harassing visitors, he said.

This is the city’s first year using replica coyotes for geese control. Last year, the city destroyed goose eggs with special permission from the federal government. This is a common mistake people make when fighting birds; killing the parents and addling their eggs only eliminates the current crop. Unless you make the environment unpleasant for the birds, they’ll continue to be a problem.

And the replica coyotes in Maumelle have been a success.

…the geese appear to be staying in the lake and not getting out to relieve themselves and leave droppings all over the place.

Raborn said that’s the intended purpose (of the replica coyotes) - to keep the geese in the water. He said they won’t excrete in the water and obviously are going somewhere else to do so, but at least they’re not leaving their droppings on the two city lake’s walkways as they did before the coyotes were placed.

Bird-X carries a top-of-the-line 3D coyote replica, as well as a 2D one and a 2D fox replica.

Bird-X's 3D coyote is a humane way to eliminate geese.

This live-size predator strikes instinctual fear in all birds and small animals, especially geese. The 3D replica coyote appears real from every angle, increasing effectiveness more than other products on the market. Since bird vision is strong, this is considered to be more effective than some sound devices.

Using this in conjunction with Bird-X’s GooseBuster and Goose Chase will solve your goose problem permanently.

Deer repellent deters pesky woodland animals

5/5 star Customer Product Review

After trying a multitude of remedies this device [Deer Gard] seems to work in our woodland backyard. Deer which are abundant in woods seem to avoid our area which previously was their garden buffet line. It is still early in the season but so far so good.

By W. Mulligan from the Pacific Northwest

View the DeerGard Deer Repellent here.

Birds, Buildings, and Solutions

by Dave Kogan

Bird poop on property

What do buildings, houses, parks, hotels, restaurants, airports, golf courses, all have in common? They are all major targets for pest birds. Face it, they’re everywhere. And you cannot avoid them. Even when cities and town post signs that explicitly say “DO NOT FEED THE BIRDS,” people still sit there and feed the birds. Why? Are they pretty? Sure. People love birds and there are so many of them in so many different colors that they’re hard not to like…except when they leave a foul mess in your building, or hang around when dining alfresco, or when they take over a window ledge so you cannot open your window for fear that they’ll fly inside and take up residence. What then can you do about pest birds?

Well, many people love birds until, well, they don’t. That is when the birds make a terrible mess and ruin your property that one stops liking those adorable yet messy abominations. How un-adorable are they? Take for example the Butler County Courthouse in Hamilton, Ohio. Birds were roosting on ledges all over the building leaving quite an unsightly mess. The problem came crashing to reality when a cornice on the structure began pulling away from the building in 1988. A maintenance crew removed the cornice to find over 300 pounds of bird feces. “Conditions were deplorable,” said the purchasing director of Butler County. “Bird droppings were a foot thick on some ledges.”

The mess generated questions in regards to public health and was a public relations nightmare for the county. A few of the courthouse employees were diagnosed with Histoplasmosis, a bacterial infection caused by a fungus found in bird droppings. The county installed some bird preventative measures at a cost of nearly $100,000. Then the building was refurbished in 1997 and the architects found Bird-X’s 100% recycled polycarbonate plastic, nearly invisible spikes which now cover 11,000 linear feet of ledges, porticos and round windows for the 4-story building…and there have been no more birds or their feces since.

Electronic sonic bird deterrent installed on roof

That’s just one scenario. In Davenport, Iowa, pigeons were bombing a local branch and sidewalks surrounding a US Bank with their nasty droppings. The bank was spending thousands of dollars every week power washing the exterior walls and sidewalks. The bank manager went on line, completed a search for getting rid of pigeons and found Bird-X. They decided on using an electronic sonic bird deterrent. Now there are no birds leaving their droppings or even roosting or nesting by or on the bank.

So what can you do as a homeowner, business owner or unfortunately, a resident in Magna who are under attack from barn swallows? Wildlife control experts will tell you to move the nests or trap the birds and release them elsewhere. To make matters even more challenging, there are often restrictions on conventional control methods. Harming the birds is often a problem. Facility managers are often reluctant to kill birds due to sensitive public relations and image concerns (we’re still reading about the 2,000 geese being culled in New York near JFK airport a week later). Other options which do not kill, but are still visible to the public, such as traps or possibly glue boards, may not be permissible.

Ultrasonic bird repellent sound device

Yet there are ways to get rid of the birds without harming them. A sound deterrent works great inside or outside. This, of course depends on the area you’re seeking to protect. For instance, patrons at an outdoor eatery may not want to hear the distress cries or predator calls of birds every hour or more. So how does a restaurant combat birds? There are ultrasonic sound devices. That means that the sounds are played above that of human hearing. Patrons can eat in peace with the noise of birds or the mess.

If the bird problem is on or inside a building, like with the restaurant, facility managers can try sound deterrents that will readily disperse the birds. However, many will tell you that the best defense for any building ledge, roof or outcropping would be to use plastic or stainless steel spikes. Or a special bird proof gel or spray that includes methyl anthranilate which comes from the skin of concord grapes.

The spikes, sprays and gels would work well for residents in Magna, Utah as well as everyone else. Those residents might also benefit from sonic bird repellent machines to scare off their swallows. Building owners may also want to try bird netting to block entry to a specific area or visual scare deterrents like scare balloons, prowler owls or three dimensional coyotes to scare off birds before they even get close enough to find an area desirable.

Synergestic bird control

The main thing is to make an area inhospitable to birds. While birds might become accustomed to one approach, combining two or more to work in tandem (for instance using a sonic device and polycarbonate spikes) will greatly increase your success rate. With so much easy to use technology developing in the realm of bird control, every situation has a solution just waiting to be found. And clearing a bird infestation can make a huge difference in terms of economics, morale, and most importantly, public safety. If the choices seem to be overwhelming or you don’t know where to start, there are always bird control experts who are happy to help.

For more information about bird control and bird control products, contact Bird-X at 800.662.5021 or visit the website at www.bird-x.com.

Repel Geese From your Property

By Elana Moriarty
(Previously Published)

Winter is on its way. Along with colder temperatures, this season also brings an overwhelming number of migrating Canada Geese. As a passerby these birds can be innocuous or even charming. However, when it is your land that the geese have claimed as their winter vacation getaway, they suddenly stop seeming so harmless. Not only are geese irritating—they can be dangerous as well. Part of the difficulty with solving the issue of goose infestations is that once a cycle of migration nests on your property, the new generation of geese have already been ingrained to return with each season. When a layperson attempts to deal with a goose infestation on his or her own, without any knowledge of goose behavior, it becomes clear where the saying “a wild goose chase” originates.

Just like the saying hints at, chasing a goose is futile. The key is to be proactive rather than reactive. To be clear, the origin of your problem is not the geese. The problem is that your property is attractive to geese. Take away the geese that are on your land right now and another flock will take its place. This is why solutions like the use of a border collie trained in chasing the geese away only last as long as the border collie.

Likewise, while you might be tempted to do something unsafe and ridiculous like shooting the geese that land on your property this is unnecessary and unhelpful. In addition to the fact that you will possibly be breaking laws and endangering your neighbors by taking this sort of action, you will also find that it has a very minimal, if any, effect on your goose infestation in the long-term. Instead, you will find that you’ve gained a new pest in addition to your goose problem: people protesting outside your property. Temporary solutions will only prolong your frustration. These types of situations trap you in a never-ending cycle and force you to keep shelling out cash. Products that focus on the environment that you provide rather than the geese who respond favorable to it will be much more effective for a lasting solution.

One thing to keep in mind is that the sooner your take action, the easier it will be to get a quick result. Ideally, you should prep your land before the geese arrive so that they know to travel elsewhere before laying down roots and starting the nesting process. If a full-fledged infestation is already in progress, start strategizing and execute your strategies as soon as possible. The longer the geese stay on your property, the more comfortable they will get. Once a goose realizes what a nice home he has found on your land, it will be much harder to convince him that there are better homes elsewhere.

If you have already let your goose problem go on for a long time it is not too late to solve it.

Environmental and Health Hazards of Goose Infestation

When geese come to your land they bring their appetite with them. They eat everything in their path. When they come in large numbers, as they often do, they can completely strip the land of plant growth. In one report published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service , the population of Canada Geese at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge started at 350 in 1989 and jumped to 5,000 by 2007. This population required approximately one half-pound of food per adult goose each day. The geese at said refuge ravaged the tender roots of aquatic plants, over-browsed the ground vegetation and contributed to a 40% loss at the refuge’s cornfields this past year. This problem was made worse when compounded with the fact that this ravenous eating leads to copious waste.

In the case of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, bird fecal waste leached into the water and degraded the water quality. Build up on the local driveways and parking areas of the visitor center was actually deemed a safety hazard due to the possibility of a slip-and-fall accident. Still, the most disturbing aspect of the waste from geese is that a plethora of avian diseases are passable to humans and fecal matter is rife with the possibility for transmission. While you may not have a population of geese as large as the wildlife refuge, you probably also do not have the resources that it is able to provide the existing geese. It is clear from this example that geese will populate an area until its resources are used up.

Solutions to Goose Infestation:

The first step to dealing with an infestation of geese is to get as much information on the population as possible. When do they arrive? What direction do they come from? Where are they settling? What are the environmental factors that make your land appealing to the geese? It will be easier to strategize ways to combat the problem if you have a full understanding of what the problem consists of. Start with a clean slate and get rid of all evidence: nests, fledglings, droppings, dead birds, and the residual scent - adult birds will return to protect their young, or to a familiar, “marked” scent. Also remove food spillage, garbage, nesting material and other items that make eating and nest-building easy.

You must consider that, like you, birds are multi-sensory. Just like you can put up with an irritation if an environment is appealing overall, geese will also stick around if you only approach the problem from one direction. Be prepared to take a synergistic approach that challenges all the senses:

Sight: Sight aversions are designed to look like predators. While some sight scare aversions are virtually useless due to the fact that geese become accustomed to their presence, others have been modified for maximum effectiveness. Rather than the traditional statue of an owl, try a balloon with mylar eyes. These are designed so that the eyes appear to follow any goose within a given area. Rather than sitting on the ground, they can be hung in trees so that they blow in the wind and move as a real predator would. For even more impact, they can be moved periodically to keep the geese from getting used to them. Also, holographic tape can be useful as the geese will feel ill-at-ease as the reflection changes with the light. Sight scare tactics are an economical and easy approach to dealing with bird troubles. They are very effective especially if you have a smaller property.

Smell: Geese utilize something called the trigeminal system which is similar to our sense of smell. A constituent of concord grapes has been found to be so unappealing to Canada geese that it actually seems to overwhelm them to the point that they are driven away from the treated environment. Despite its dramatic effect on bird infestation it has been used by the food and drug industry for over 40 years to flavor candy, sodas, gums, and drugs, is listed by the US FDA as “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS), and is classified by the US EPA as “reduced risk”.

Touch: For specific areas that you would like to protect, netting can be used to block an area off from geese.

Taste: Products that utilize the same part of concord grapes that were mentioned in the

“smell” section also act upon the sense of taste. Geese will not want to graze on your property when the overwhelming sensation of these products hits them.

Sound: There are goose-specific sound devices that project the sound of distress calls into an area. While many companies carry sonic bird control devices they are not all created equal. In fact, all but one of these sonic devices uses distress calls that were recorded in a laboratory environment. As a result, the calls obtained by the researchers are not the same calls a flock would use to signify real, immediate danger in the wilderness and are, therefore, less effective. Bird-X manufactures and distributes the first and only sonic goose repeller with varied recordings obtained from the wild has been developed by Dr. Philip Whitford after 23 years of research in Canada goose behavior and vocal communications. This includes the very rare “alarm call” which is elicited for only the most dire emergencies.

These devices are especially useful if you have a large property or farm which is otherwise difficult to monitor. One unit covers 5-7 acres of land and adding another unit extends the coverage to 15-21 acres. After a couple scares geese will remember you’re your area is considered unsafe and find another, safer environment for when they are molting and nesting—times when they are most vulnerable.