Pollution Engineering - September 2008 - (Page 54)

Avian pests can add whole ock of headaches Avian pests can add a whole ﬂock of headaches to ownership and maintenance, but keeping the birds at bay doesn’t necessarily mean adding to the pollution problem. Attacking birds in their senses is the key. By KELLY CROST, Bird-X Inc. o the layman, the word “pollution” often conjures up images of smokestacks, garbage or oil spills. However, with birds invading the nation’s buildings, landmarks and communities, and leaving their feces to pollute, nature’s own creations can start becoming a source of pollution that is a threat to property and human health. Bird droppings have acidic elements contained within them that can cause erosion to wood, metal or steel. The droppings do not cause immediate damage, but in most situations, bird droppings are left to linger, resulting in deterioration. This damage can cause a decrease in property value, money loss and limit the effectiveness of technology installed on the roof, particularly pollution control equipment. Such droppings have also been documented to spread diseases such as histoplasmosis or cryptococcosis. Non-toxic, non-lethal and non-harmful is the new motto. Humane pest control companies are now going green. Products developed over the last half-century are made to target all animal senses, including taste, sound, sight and physical barriers. Each product’s goal is to deter and repel pests without harming them. T devices use programmable sounds that are intermittent in nature. Effective sound deterrent systems, therefore, are those that can vary in frequency, duration and sequence, or feature the sounds of both birds in distress and predators looking for food. Visual devices As with sound deterrents, change is important. To work long-term, a repellent device must involve movement. One option is a large orange sphere that has holographic eyes on front and back. It appears to move when the bird looks at it from different angles. Another example would be a lifelike owl that moves up and down, with a wingspan that makes it look as if the owl is flying. A more simplistic visual approach is to use holographic tape, which makes a snapping noise in the wind and reflects light at any angle. Taste As farmers discovered long ago, some of the best ways to keep pests away from human materials is to assault their taste buds with pesticides. For birds, a foodgrade chemical called methyl anthranilate is sprayed directly on crops to give them a taste that common birds find repulsive. But the pesticide need not be limited to food crops. Droppings left from birds, such as these pigeons, are not only unsightly but can lead to damage and disease. for birds. The spikes prevent a bird from roosting on a nearby ledge, sill, roof peak, etc. Bird netting works well too. Infestations of any kind can be a hassle, but there are a selection of products that will help solve the problem without adding to it. PE Kelly Crost is a media correspondent for Bird-X. Sound deterrents Since birds get used to the same sound repeated over and over, sound deterrent 54 Pollution Engineering SEPTEMBER2008 Physical barriers Bird spikes are essentially a barbed wire Inc. For more information call (800) 662-5021 or visit www.bird-x.com http://www.bird-x.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Pollution Engineering - September 2008

Pollution Engineering - September 2008 Contents The Editor’s Desk Reader Comments EnviroNews PE Events Legal Lookout Environmental Management The Green Files Guest Dialog 500-Year Storm Control How Do You Clean Up 100 Years of Pollution? SPCC: Don’t Wait and See The Next Wave in Air Purification An Invitation to the Windy City Flood Control Infrastructure Saves ‘Green’ Puts a New Spin on Pest Control Instrumentation Products Material Safety and Storage Equipment PE Products Classified Marketplace Advertisers Index State Rules

Pollution Engineering - September 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.