by Pigeon Patrol | Aug 19, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
The blueberries are here! The strawberries have been great, and now the blueberries are coming into season!
But we aren’t the only ones who like blueberries. We’ve got the sparrows, robins and all different kinds of birds, so there are a couple of different things you can do to protect your blueberries so the birds don’t get the whole crop.
The first thing is if you have a small bush or just one or two bushes, it’s nice to cover them with bird netting.
Now to do this, don’t just drape the netting over the bush, because every time you pull it off you’ll be pulling off berries and leaves and damaging the bush. It’s better to put some stakes in around the bush and then put the netting over the stakes. Its much easier to get in to work around the bush.
There are also reflective devices that you can use to scare birds away. I’ve got my old Pat Metheney CD over here! But really, anything that is going to reflect light such as CDs, aluminum pie plates, and holigraphic tape can be used. I even hang this scare eye balloon, that believe it or not, looks like a hawk to many birds, so they tend to stay away.
They key with these devices, though, is to move them around so that it looks like the hawk is moving around too. The wind will really help move these reflective tapes!
The final thing you can do is spray your berries with a sugar solution. Take 4 packets of Grape Kool-Aid, and a couple of quarts of water and then spray that solution on the plants. You can use regular sugar, too. The sugary solution has a flavor that the birds don’t like.
So all of this will hopefully make you have a beautiful berry crop that you can have all for yourself!
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 | Aug 7, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
BATHURST Regional Council has not ruled out resorting to using birds of prey in an effort to control the pigeon problem in the central business district.
Council has had discussions with Dubbo City Council regarding its success in using falcons to encourage pest species to leave the main shopping precinct.
A report to tomorrow night’s ordinary monthly meeting updates council on how Bathurst’s pest bird management strategy has fared since it was adopted in 2012.
One of the recommendations of the plan was to introduce a co-ordinated pigeon control program involving council facilities and businesses in the CBD.
Council conducted a successful program during 2012-2013, when 1089 pigeons were removed from council and private properties.
According to the report, council’s environmental staff have discussed with staff from Dubbo City Council that city’s recent trial using native birds of prey.
“Dubbo has a problem with starlings nesting in trees in the main street, causing $12,000 of annual clean-up costs,” the report states.
“They engaged a falconry company to conduct a trial using four different predator bird species that would fly in the area with the intention of moving the starlings on.
The program was moderately successful for two of the birds used though more trials are needed to determine if the program would work on an ongoing basis.
“This may or may not work in the Bathurst context in relation to pigeons as they are impacting across a broader area and moving the birds from one place to another may not reduce the issue.
“Council staff will continue to receive updates regarding the Dubbo trial to determine if a similar program could be conducted locally.”
The report also notes that pigeon control efforts have also continued in 2013-14 with a targeted trapping program in Machattie Park.
However, this was largely unsuccessful as pigeons are attracted to the high volumes of artificial food supply at the duck ponds and therefore could not be enticed to the trapping area.
“Since then, council has recently commenced a trapping program at the Post Office building, the TAFE complex and at one private building in the CBD,” the report states. “These three sites have the highest populations and therefore have been targeted first before the program moves onto activities at other CBD properties.”
In other pest bird initiatives, council hosted a community Indian Myna workshop, attended by local and regional residents as well as staff from Bathurst and Orange councils.
Presentations were given by the Clarence Valley Indian Myna group and the Pest Cooperative Research Centre’s Mynascan project coordinator.
Thirty Indian myna traps were distributed on the day (for a small cost) so that interested community members could remove these pest birds from their area.
Council staff will continue to implement the Pest Bird Management Plan as required and as funding and resources permit.
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 | Aug 6, 2014 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
DALLAS (AP) — United Airlines is defending the poisoning of birds at Houston’s biggest airport, saying it was done for health and safety reasons. But the airline said Wednesday that it didn’t tell its contractor how to control the airport’s bird population, and will ask the firm to consider other methods the next time.
The contractor laid out corn kernels laced with a bird-killing nerve agent at Bush Intercontinental Airport. People who work around the airport reported seeing grackles and pigeons fall to the ground and spin around as they died.
The bait manufacturer, Avitrol Corp., says a lethal dosage causes birds to show distress — including alarm cries and trembling — that frightens away other birds. It usually causes death within an hour, the company says.
Airports commonly take steps to shoo away birds, which can be sucked into jet engines and cause a loss of power. In 2009, US Airways pilot Chesley Sullenberger safely ditched his Airbus A320 into the Hudson River after hitting a flock of Canada geese during the climb from New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
United spokeswoman Mary Clark said in a statement that the airline works with the airport on abatement programs “to reduce the health and safety risks posed by birds on airport property” and to “provide a clean and safe environment for our customers and employees.”
Clark said United hired a contractor, Texas Bird Services, which is experienced at removing birds from airports. She said the company complied with all regulations while laying bait at terminals and a maintenance hangar at Bush airport.
United will work with the contractor to consider alternate methods, Clark said. Texas Bird Services, which lists American Airlines and Delta Air Lines as references on its website, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bush airport spokeswoman Katena Carvajales said the company’s work was reviewed Tuesday by officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and found to be within guidelines. She said controlling wildlife is important for safety and sanitation.
John Hadidian, a senior scientist at the Humane Society of the United States, said it would have been better for the airport to use netting, take away food sources, or use loud noises to deter the birds.
The biggest threat to aircraft is often larger birds such as geese. A group of U.S. agencies including the Federal Aviation Administration recommends steps such as limiting bird-friendly features like ponds and the use of technology to harass birds. The FAA is evaluating portable radar systems for tracking birds.
An FAA database lists more than 80 cases of planes colliding with wildlife — from sparrows and pigeons to cattle egrets — at Bush airport last year. Two planes were damaged — a United Boeing 737 was left with minor damage and a private business jet suffered substantial damage.
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 | Aug 6, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
By now, we know that all of the 298 passengers and crew members traveling on the Malaysia Airlines flight that was shot down over Ukraine on Thursday were killed. Those 298 people included 192 Dutch citizens, 44 Malaysians, 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians, 10 Britons, four Germans, four Belgians, three Filipinos, a Canadian and a New Zealander. One of the Dutch citizens held dual Dutch-U.S. citizenship.
A cargo manifest that has been posted online shows that besides the luggage of those on board, MH17 was carrying hundreds of pounds of live birds, including pigeons; two dogs; and fresh-cut flowers. Here is a sample of what was loaded on to the plane at the Amsterdam airport:
12 shipments of fresh-cut flowers weighing about 474 pounds
2 shipments of live dogs weighing about 110 pounds
5 shipments of live birds weighing 154 pounds
4 shipments of live pigeons weighing 181 pounds
You can see the full list of materials in the cargo compartment of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in the manifest below:
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 | Aug 6, 2014 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
LAKE ALFRED, Fla. (AP) — Every evening they come.
After a day of circling the skies, scanning the ground for the dead and dying, they make their way back home — an inhospitable home, to be sure, but home.
During the past couple years, it has been turned into a fake bird cemetery; it has reverberated with loud, scary noises; it has sent electric jolts through their bodies; and most recently, it has flashed blinding light into their eyes.
But still, black vultures settle down each evening on the Lake Alfred water tower.
“We are kind of in the final attempts (to get rid of the vultures),” City Manager Ryan Leavengood told the City Commission last Monday. “You wouldn’t think these things are as resilient as they are, but I’ll give them credit where credit is due.”
Leavengood’s comment sparked laughter from the commissioners and audience, but the city has had about $24,000 worth of work done to try to persuade the vultures to settle somewhere else.
The city has tried using a buzzer to frighten them — which worked until they got used to the noise. Fake dead vultures didn’t work, either. Those attempted solutions cost about $2,000.
Commissioners accepted a $20,332 bid in November for Terminix to install bird spikes and low-voltage electric tracks on the tower. The tracks were supposed to give the birds an uncomfortable, but harmless, shock. The spikes were supposed to make the surface uncomfortable to perch on.
Public Works Director John Deaton said the electric track works but doesn’t cover the whole tower, leaving plenty of space to sit comfortably. The spikes don’t seem to do anything, he said.
Leavengood said Monday the city will pay only part of that cost because it failed to deter the birds.
“Ultimately, we paid for a solution, and we didn’t get a solution,” he said.
In an attempt to hold on to hope, the city bought two Eagle Eyes for about $1,600 in May.
Eagle Eyes are bird deterrents that reflect sunlight or artificial light, limiting birds’ vision and causing them to steer away and find somewhere else to land.
It doesn’t seem to work for vultures, though.
“It looks pretty flashing around out there,” said Public Works Director John Deaton. “But the vultures are not annoyed by it at all.”
Leavengood said the city has another last-ditch effort idea: putting up cables and wires to impede their ability to land.
“That’s about the last thing we can think of,” he said. “We were hesitant because we didn’t want them to get caught up” in the wires.
City staff members have said they want the scavengers to find a new place to perch because they are worried about damage to the tower. Vultures’ urine and regurgitated fluids are highly corrosive.
So far, the only damage has been to the paint. The vultures have no access to the water, so the water quality isn’t in danger.
But cleaning and painting the tower is costly. Staff and residents don’t find the sight of the birds particularly appealing, either.
Vultures are a protected species, and the city cannot do anything to remove the birds that would harm them.
“You know what it is?” Deaton said, with a laugh. “Lake Alfred is a great place to live, and the birds have figured it out, and they don’t want to move.”
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)
