by Pigeon Patrol | Jun 8, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
Researchers have identified how a specific strain of salmonella is getting into Bermuda’s drinking water system, prompting environmental health officials to reiterate advice on how to avoid getting ill.
The research team, led by doctoral student Shervon De Leon, took faecal samples from 273 creatures on the Island and discovered that feral chickens and pigeons were the main carriers of salmonella mississippi.
They concluded that although chickens cannot access rooftops, they can pass on the disease-causing bacterium to other animals, such as pigeons and lizards, at shared feeding grounds, which can lead to the contamination of water tanks and the spread of salmonella mississippi to humans.
Elaine Watkinson, a senior public health analyst, told The Royal Gazette that householders should treat untreated or “raw” water like raw meat, adding: “You have to do something to your food, such as cooking raw meat or washing vegetables and fruit. Don’t assume the water is safe.”
Susan Hill Davidson, acting chief environmental health officer, added: “We have more detail. It’s an opportunity for us to again get the message across and maybe some people like to listen to the science and that might be the thing that might spur them [to treat their water].”
David Kendell, director of the Department of Health, said adult Bermudians who had lived here all their lives might have developed some immunity to bacteria in tank water but others were at risk, especially bottle-fed infants whose formula was made using untreated water, and those with compromised immune systems.
“People need to really look at it in terms of protecting the health of their children,” he said.
The joint study into the source of salmonella mississippi — which is the predominant strain of salmonella in Bermuda and on the Australian island of Tasmania, but in very few other countries — was prompted by an earlier Caribbean-led burden of illness report.
That report found from the testing of human stool samples that salmonella poisoning accounted for almost half of the gastroenteritis cases in Bermuda, with some 70 per cent of those salmonella cases involving salmonella mississippi.
Gastroenteritis is a public health concern on the Island, with an annual incidence of one episode per person per year.
Mr De Leon, a student at the University of the West Indies, said his team suspected birds would play a major part in the transmission of salmonella mississippi and the study bore that out.
“We looked at feral chickens, birds, frogs, rats, and we found a high prevalence in feral chickens and in pigeons and in some of the other birds,” he said.
“[In the case of chickens], they pass it on to other birds that share feeding grounds because they all poop where they eat. The other birds that can fly will get on to rooftops and then rainfall washes that poop into your water tank and then people drink that water. If it’s not treated, you have people getting sick from that water.”
Of the 63 feral chickens that were tested, salmonella was detected in 35 and samples from 14 tested positive for salmonella mississippi.
The researchers also tested tap and tank water samples from 102 randomly chosen households, most of which were untreated.
The samples were not tested for specific pathogens but for general “coliform bacteria” that would indicate the possible presence of harmful, disease-causing organisms in the water. Nearly all tap and tank samples — 88 and 89 per cent, respectively — contained coliforms.
A questionnaire on use and treatment of rooftop-collected water from those households discovered that 65.7 per cent did nothing to treat their water.
Almost 100 per cent used the water for cooking, 89 per cent used it for drinking and 100 per cent used it for cleaning dishes.
The researchers, who presented their findings at the third international One Health Congress in Amsterdam last year, concluded: “Most Bermudian residential water is contaminated by bacterial faecal indicator species.
“Depending on the indicator, between 67 per cent and 90 per cent of tap samples surpassed government safe drinking water standards and few households treat their water. Drinking water is likely a source of gastroenteritis.”
The team said its findings suggested “no improvement” to household water supplies since the last study ten years ago.
Ms Hill Davidson said householders could take simple steps to protect themselves and their families, including chlorinating tank water regularly, boiling water for a minimum of three to five minutes, or installing a UV treatment system. Brita and similar filters do not remove bacteria.
She said the aim was not to scare anyone as drinking water was a healthy lifestyle choice, but to make people aware that untreated tank water could cause illness.
“Our budget constraints mean that we can’t do as much as we might like from the public education point of view,” she said. “[But] repeating the message is something we have done annually and certainly over and over again.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Jun 7, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A man was caught on video allegedly trapping pigeons and stealing them off the streets of New York City.
A Manhattan woman posted the video on her Facebook page earlier this week. The woman who posted the video told CBS2 that the man used a net to trap the birds and scooped them up.
The man is caught on video carrying something to his van in the East Village, but it was not immediately clear what he was carrying.
Trapping birds is illegal in New York City without a permit, but it was not immediately clear if the man on video had one.
The NYPD said they are aware of the video, but have not investigated the incident because no formal complaint has been filed.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Jun 6, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
THE risk of being hit by pigeon droppings as you walk under a city centre bridge is set to vanish as plans get under way to bird-proof the entire structure.
Business owners in Fisherton Street and residents living close to the railway bridge called for action in November, saying the birds had become a health hazard and people walking under the bridge need umbrellas to protect themselves.
Salisbury city councillor Matt Dean said it was the “number one issue” that residents complain to him about and has now led the way in obtaining funding from the city council to solve the problem.
He said: “It’s been an ongoing problem for 15 years or so, and now, with the opening of the University Technical College at the former police station, even more people are walking under the bridge from the rail station.
“The bulk of the money for cleaning and bird-proofing the bridge is going to be spent by the city council and we’re going to ask Network Rail for a financial contribution.
“We hope Wiltshire Council is going to assist by paying for the Traffic Regulation Order for the one or two-night road closure – but we have yet to get their agreement. We’ve gone out for tender for the work and hope it will be complete in June.”
The bridge clean and bird-proofing measures are expected to cost between £3,500 and £6,000.
Cllr Dean said: “There are a number of possible different treatments which include spikes or a special paint which is invisible to the human eye but makes buildings or statues seem like they’re on fire, if you’re a bird. The latter was successfully used about a year ago on the Poultry Cross where it was terrible but it’s now completely sorted.
“This is part of a wider programme to protect our buildings from damage by pigeons. In our historical, medieval city, we have to look after our shops and visitors.
“If you sit down and eat in the market square, you get pecked by birds. We need to work with the Business Improvement District to get rid of birds from the city centre.”
Last year, nesting peregrine falcons in the cathedral spire helped make a difference to the number of pigeons in the city but it also led to some very public executions and the council is reluctant to hire birds of prey to keep birds away.
Paul Dauwalder, who runs three businesses in the Fisherton Street, said it was fantastic news, adding: “It’s one of the weak spots in the street. People have had to walk under that awful bridge for too long and run the gauntlet from these feral pigeons.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Jun 5, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services
Dead pigeons trapped under a New Malden railway bridge pose “a serious health issue” to residents, and particularly to drivers in convertible cars, a councillor has said.
Pigeons often become trapped in the netting beneath the bridge
Live birds can be seen sitting on piles of their own excrement under the railway line in Kingston Road, and dead ones are stuck in netting intended to have pigeon-proofed the bridge.
Beverley Ward councillor Raju Pandya said: “This is something that is a serious health issue and we are pleading with Network Rail to get this sorted.
“God help you if you’re in a convertible, they get crap on their heads.”
The birds can be seen sitting on their own excrement
Bird droppings and decaying dead birds have been a long-standing issue under the bridge, with residents and councillors first raising concerns with Network Rail in 2014.
A Network Rail spokeswoman said: “We understand the concerns of people in the area about the ongoing pigeon problem at this bridge, and are working closely with Kingston Council to resolve this.”
A dead pigeon lies on the ground having fallen from the bridge
Kingston and Surbiton MP James Berry brought representatives of Kingston Council and Network Rail to the bridge last week.
He said: “It’s absolutely disgusting, the pigeons get stuck in the netting. I was getting incredibly frustrated with the council and Network Rail.
“I just got them to come down and see it for themselves.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Jun 4, 2016 | Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
China’s air pollution can be so dense that grey plumes are visible from space.
But while smog can cause heart disease, lung cancer and high blood pressure in humans, it seems to make homing pigeons fly faster in one of China’s most hazy regions.
The researchers think the unexpected phenomenon may be down to a scent the birds can use to find their way home.
While smog can cause heart disease, lung cancer and high blood pressure in humans, it seems to make homing pigeons fly faster in one of China’s most hazy regions. A stock image of smog in Shanghai is pictured
Researchers from Nanjing University in China and the University of California, Los Angeles, analysed the performance of racing or ‘homing’ pigeons taking part in races on the North China Plain.
The birds are known for their ability to find their way back home at speeds of around 37mph (60km/h) and were famously used in both World Wars because of their reliability.
The researchers used publicly available data gathered from pigeon racing agencies as well as environmental organisations in the autumns of 2013 and 14 to analyse the speed of the birds in the region, where smog is usually thicker than in other parts of the vast country.
When looking for correlations between the birds’ times and pollution levels, they expected to see a drop in performance.
The researchers used publicly available data from pigeon racing agencies as well as environmental organisations to analyse the speed of the birds. Contrary to their expectations, pigeons homed significantly faster in polluted conditions. These charts show the varying correlations depending on other conditions
WHY DO THE PIGEONS FLY FASTER?
Navigational advantage:
The smell of smog, which is composed of organic particles in China, may help the birds navigate.
‘While air pollution cannot enhance vision, it might enhance olfactory navigation efficiency by providing supplemental olfactory cues to home,’ the study says.
Motivation:
Alternatively, the researchers think the birds dislike the smog and are simply upping their speed to fly out of it as soon as possible.
‘Decreased homing time under air pollution could be explained by an enhanced motivation to home; a possibility proposed several years ago that remains untested,’ they write.
‘Air pollution might be an indication of poor environmental quality, which might trigger rapid escape.’
The birds many want to get out of the smog to avoid predators surprising them in poor visibility too.
‘By homing faster when flying through haze pollution, pigeons reduce the relative amount of time they are exposed to harmful or dangerous situations while away from the safety of their home roosts,’ the study said.
‘We might expect pollution would negatively interfere with pigeon navigation and pigeons would both fly more slowly and be less successful at returning to their home roosts when flying through more polluted air,’ the researchers wrote in the study, published in Nature’s Scientific Reports.
They considered variables including race distance, wind direction, speed, weather conditions and air quality.
Temperature was found to have no ‘significant’ effects on homing time, whereas the others either slowed the birds down or helped them get to their destination more swiftly.
The researchers added: ‘Contrary to our expectations, pigeons homed significantly faster when flying through more polluted conditions.’
Using a model, they estimated that pigeons increase their homing speed from 35 mph (55.6km/h) when flying in unpolluted conditions, to 42 mph (68.2km/h) when the pollution index hit a high score of 500.
While they are not exactly sure why smog is responsible for the performance boost, they have a couple of ideas to do with navigation and motivation.
It is generally accepted that pigeons use the sun and geomagnetic field as a compass, and visual and olfactory cues to create a map.
‘Could air pollution enhance pigeon visual and/or olfactory abilities, and by doing so explain the reduced homing time?’ the experts asked in their paper.
Because smog usually reduces visibility, particularly in North China where smoggy particles are the main pollutants, the study suggests that visual cues aren’t as important to the birds’ navigational techniques as expected, so poor visibility didn’t affect their speed.
While the experts are not exactly sure why smog is responsible for the performance boost, they suggest that the birds may fly faster than usual – and not just as efficiently – because of the smell of smog. A stock image of racing pigeons being released is shown
‘This finding is consistent with previous studies that have shown that pigeons are able to home perfectly well from unknown sites where landmarks are unfamiliar, even when flying with frosted lenses that impede vision,’ they write.
To explain why the birds may fly faster than usual – and not just as efficiently – they suggested the racing pigeons may be stimulated by the smell of smog.
‘Olfactory cues have been shown to play an important role in avian navigation, and in pigeons it is probably a fundamental homing mechanism,’ they write.
They think the organic particles that make up the smog – from burning coal and waste – may help the birds navigate by providing stronger markers for the birds to use when finding their way home.
Racing pigeons are known for their ability to find their way back home at speeds of around 37mph (60km/h) and were famously used in both World Wars because of their reliability (pictured)
‘While air pollution cannot enhance vision, it might enhance olfactory navigation efficiency by providing supplemental olfactory cues to home,’ the study continued.
Alternatively, they suggested the birds might dislike the smog and are simply upping their speed to fly out of it and get back home as soon as possible.
‘Decreased homing time under air pollution could be explained by an enhanced motivation to home; a possibility proposed several years ago that remains untested,’ they write.
‘Air pollution might be an indication of poor environmental quality, which might trigger rapid escape.’
The birds many want to get out of the smog to avoid predators surprising them in poor visibility too.
‘By homing faster when flying through haze pollution, pigeons reduce the relative amount of time they are exposed to harmful or dangerous situations while away from the safety of their home roosts,’ the study said.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
