Green Pest control

Being a compassionate person, it is hard to figure out what to do when birds take over your land and create a dangerous/unpleasant situation. Obviously you do not want to be cruel but you want results. The company Bird-X, Inc. (www.bird-x.com) is right in line with my beliefs. I don't want to kill or hurt an animal. I don't want to have a negative effect on the environment. I do want to disperse bird populations to somewhere else.

It's also very nice that they offer free phone consultations. You just tell them your issue and they can suggest how to fix it. They just sell products; no one comes out to install them for you (but they can refer people if you feel uneasy) which means it costs a lot less than traditional pest control services. So, even if you feel bad about shooing the birds away, at least you can have confidence that you were as nice as possible while doing it.

A response to Feeding Ban/Goose Control Protesters

I spend a lot of time reading articles about the feeding bans around the world. In New York, Simcha Felder is meeting a lot of resistance from people who love pigeons. Similarly, when communities are dealing with Canada Goose infestations, people are horrified. The comment that I hear most often is: "Humans made this situation; now we should put up with it."

I have to say I have a real problem with this attitude.

These individuals aren't thinking deeply about how people affect pigeons or other birds. While feeding pigeons might seem like a loving act it is really very harmful. By feeding them, we are stripping them of their food gathering instincts. The longer this goes on, the more damaging our effect on bird populations will be. Beyond the superficial "full" feeling, we are not doing anything good for pigeon health. When we feed birds, we feed them commercial bird seed, white bread, popcorn, etc. We aren't feeding them the foods they need to be healthy. We are filling them up on empty calories so they are not motivated to look for healthy food choices.

In terms of Canada Goose populations, people say that even non-lethal methods are "unnatural" and therefore shouldn't be used. Instead, these individuals would prefer that we leave the goose population alone and just let things unfold without intervention. Let me tell you something...the current goose population is not natural. In fact, until recently, Canada Geese were endangered until the 1960's. Thanks to "unnatural" conservation efforts we have revived the population. Now, the Canada Goose population is expanding by 15% each year. Because many of the birds involved in conservation never learned to migrate a lot of the birds stay in the United States year-round rather than making the return to Canada for summer. This puts a very unnatural stress on land that has never dealt with such huge wildlife populations. There simply aren't enough resources in some of the areas that Canada Geese have chosen to live in. Furthermore, to those who claim that geese are being pushed out of their natural habitat by urbanization I offer this line of reasoning: First of all, there is still PLENTY of undeveloped land. The fact is, that geese prefer to live by people because we construct artificial lakes with high surrounding visibility which makes them feel safe, there is a steady source of food, and there are virtually no predators. Despite the fact that geese are attracted to the habitats we've made for ourselves, they are perfectly capable of fending for themselves. There is no reason why we should hesitate to discourage geese from depending on us and living on our land.

How to: Keep Birds from Flying into your Windows

We've all probably heard that horrifying "thunk" before. You look up at your window only to see a bird laying at the ground next to it. Sometimes the bird has died on impact, sometimes it lies there in shock and you sit there wondering if will pull though. Either way, after a bird flies into a window, most people find themselves wondering if there is anything they could have done to prevent it.

The answer is "yes". There are a lot of things that we can do to prevent this from happening again. Birds fly into windows for a couple reasons. The first reason is that, often, birds will not even realize the window is there. They may fly into it trying to access something inside your home or office that seems appealing. Or, they may see the reflection of the sky and not realize that it is only a reflection. The other reason that birds might fly into a window is that territorial birds often see their reflection and assume that there is another bird vying for the territory. The bird will then attempt to divebomb its own reflection.

To show birds that there is a window there, it might be helpful to place decals on the glass. However, to add strength to your approach, you will want to use other bird exclusion techniques. Place visual bird scares near any windows that seems to attract birds. In the case of outfitting a home, this could be in the form of holographic tape, scare balloons or lifelike predator decoys. For large office buildings, you might consider using a sonic device.

Remember, if a bird dies on your property, call a wildlife specialist before removing the body. There might be disposal procedures. NEVER, touch a wild bird with your bare hands.

Why Killing Birds Doesn't Stop them From Infesting your Property

This seems kind of strange to most people. Killing a bird is the most permanent way to get rid of it, right? Well, only sort of. Using lethal methods will permanently keep that specific bird away but I think it's safe to assume that your issue is with birds in general rather than a personal vendetta. Think about this: your problem is that birds like the environment that you provide. The birds that you encounter are simply a symptom of that problem, not the problem itself. If you solve for the issue of the specific birds you see by killing them, you're just leaving prime real estate open for the next flock that comes along. To be sure, that void will be filled and you'll be trapped in an endless cycle.

The key here is to address the environment rather than the birds themselves. Make the environment unappealing (address the senses: visual, auditory, taste, smell) and use physical barriers (like netting or spikes) if necessary.

An important side note on this topic: a huge number of birds (like the Canada Goose) are protected by the Migratory Bird act of 1918 which makes it illegal to kill them or even tamper with their nests. So, even if your issue is with a species like pigeons you really do not want to leave poisoned seed out (or anything like that) because you could accidentally affect one of the protected species and get in BIG TROUBLE with governmental agencies and the nice people over at PETA. Luckily there are cruelty free, humane bird control methods available so you can get rid of even the most stubborn Canada Goose.

How to: Keep Aggressive House Sparrows Away from a Songbird Feeder

Don't you just love it when songbirds finally show up at your feeder? These shy little critters timidly fly up, take a seed or two, and shyly fly away. Over time, trust is built up. When they feel comfortable to hang around a little longer, you almost feel a sense of accomplishment. Then, the sparrows move in and bully them till they go elsewhere.

I for one do not want to feed a bunch of little bullies. That's like rewarding them for being bad. One product that I recommend to combat this problem is the "Magic Halo". You may have heard of this little contraption if you happen to frequent birding forums or the like. It's pretty popular because it works really well.

After you hang this around your feeder, sparrows will not want to fly under the hoop/between the dangling wires because instinctually they like to be able to fly away from danger as fast as possible, and they know that they could become tangled in the wires. With the bullies out of the way, our favorite little songbirds are free to come back and enjoy a feast as they are not affected by the same sort of instincts.

Avian Bird Flu is Scary but Birds are Spreading other Diseases to Humans Now!

More than 60 transmissible diseases (some of which are fatal) are associated with geese, pigeons, starlings and house sparrows. For example:

Histoplasmosis is a respiratory disease that may be fatal. It results from a fungus growing in dried bird droppings.

Candidiasis is a yeast or fungus infection spread by pigeons. The disease affects the skin, the mouth, the respiratory system, the intestines and the urogenital tract, especially the vagina. It is a growing problem for women, causing itching, pain and discharge.

Cryptococcosis is caused by yeast found in the intestinal tract of pigeons and starlings. The illness often begins as a pulmonary disease and may later affect the central nervous system. Since attics, cupolas, ledges, schools, offices, warehouses, mills, barns, park buildings, signs, etc. are typical roosting and nesting sites, the fungus is apt to found in these areas.

St. Louis Encephalitis, an inflammation of the nervous system, usually causes drowsiness, headache and fever. It may even result in paralysis, coma or death. St. Louis encephalitis occurs in all age groups, but is especially fatal to persons over age 60. The disease is spread by mosquitoes which have fed on infected house sparrow, pigeons and house finches carrying the Group B virus responsible for St. Louis encephalitis.

Salmonellosis often occurs as "food poisoning" and can be traced to pigeons, starlings and sparrows. The disease bacteria are found in bird droppings; dust from droppings can be sucked through ventilators and air conditioners, contaminating food and cooking surfaces in restaurants, homes and food processing plants.

E.coli. Cattle carry E. coli 0157:H7. When birds peck on cow manure, the E. coli go right through the birds and the bird droppings can land on or in a food or water supply.

Besides being direct carriers of disease, nuisance birds are frequently associated with over 50 kinds of ectoparasites, which can work their way throughout structures to infest and bite humans. About two-thirds of these pests may be detrimental to the general health and well-being of humans and domestic animals. The rest are considered nuisance or incidental pests. A few examples of ectoparasites include:

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) may consume up to five times their own weight in blood drawn from hosts which include humans and some domestic animals. In any extreme condition, victims may become weak and anemic. Pigeons, starlings and house sparrows are known to carry bed bugs.

Chicken mites (Dermanyssus gallinae) are known carriers of encephalitis and may also cause fowl mite dermatitis and acariasis. While they subsist on blood drawn from a variety of birds, they may also attack humans. They have been found on pigeons, starlings and house sparrows.

Yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), perhaps the most common beetle parasites of people in the United States, live in pigeon nests. It is found in grain or grain products, often winding up in breakfast cereals, and may cause intestinal canthariasis and hymenolespiasis.

West Nile Virus while West Nile is technically not transmitted to humans from birds, humans can get infected by the bite of a mosquito who has bitten an infected bird. The obvious lesson is that the fewer birds there are in any given area, the better. This translates into a smaller chance of an infected bird in that area, a smaller chance of a mosquito biting an infected bird and then biting a human.

A place to start: Humane Strategies for Controlling Wild Bird Infestations

For people who want their options spelled out, I'll gladly break them down for you:

Visual Scares: These devices are meant to intimidate birds by resembling their predators. Most people think of scarecrows, rubber snakes, or plastic owls when they think of this category. If you’ve ever used one of the aforementioned products you’re probably already aware that they don’t work. A rubber snake has the same effect on a bird as it does on you. At first you might be scared and then once that initial reaction passes you quickly see that it’s not moving and you go on with your daily business. Birds do not get intimidated by things that look like predators; they are intimidated by things that act like predators. This is why having a stationary object is ineffective. Look for scares that incorporate movement along with the appearance. One effective product is a special balloon that can be attached to a tree or post. These balloons have holographic eyes on them that follow birds as they fly by and bounce around in the wind creating the feeling that this thing might actually be alive. Just make sure, when using visual scares, to move the devices around every so often so birds don’t become accustomed to seeing them.

Auditory Devices: Auditory devices are broken down into two subcategories: sonic and ultrasonic. Both categories are heard by birds but ultrasonic devices use a frequency that is above the range of human hearing.

Ultrasonic devices are best used in semi-enclosed or enclosed areas because the waves dissipate fairly quickly when compared to sonic devices. They are good for places like outdoor restaurants, airplane hangars etc because they can cover a small area effectively without people even knowing that it’s working. These products also drive away bat populations. Look for a system with multiple speakers so you can control the direction of the sound waves and create a surround sound effect.

Sonic devices are heard by both humans and birds. They use a variety of recordings that can include the sounds of predators, gunshots, and most importantly, distress calls of birds. The combination of sounds from predators like coyotes or owls and the distress calls create a very convincing ruse. When birds hear these sounds they feel unsafe in the surrounding environment. These products can be species specific or for general use. Something that makes a sonic device more effective is the inclusion of change in the product. Like the visual scare devices, birds become accustomed to anything that stays the same for too long. Make sure the device you use alternates the order and frequency of the sound effects.

Physical Barriers: Physical barriers are pretty straight forward. If you see a bird roosting somewhere, but a barrier on it. There are rows of spikes available to attach on your roof, on ledges, etc that do not hurt the birds, they just make the surface very uninviting and uncomfortable. In addition, there are sticky gels that you can either dot on small surfaces or dilute and spray over a larger surface that stick to the birds feet and feathers that just make them feel uncomfortable and want to find another place to land next time. Another option is netting which physically keeps birds out of a particular area.

Taste/Smell Aversions: Birds have a sense called the Trigeminal sense which humans lack. It is something like taste or smell. As it turns out, this sense is very much disturbed and overwhelmed by the scent of a chemical found in concord grapes. There are products which use this chemical, called Methyl Anthranilate (a common flavoring used for candy, gum, soda, and drugs for decades), which you can spray on your land that gives birds a similar sensation to what humans get when exposed to the scent of bleach. It won’t kill the birds, it will just make them want to get away from the source of this feeling.

There are tons of products out there that can help you to reclaim your property. While they are all helpful on their own, they are best used synergistically. If your land offers a lot to the birds they are going to need a lot of motivation to leave and try to find a replacement home. They will be willing to put up with some abuse. If you take an approach that addresses more than one of their senses they will be much less enamored with the home they’ve made on your property—and much more likely to leave you in peace to enjoy your upcoming spring season.