A Bird Control Professional Can Save You from Pest Birds

by Alex A. Kecskes

The importance of consulting a bird control professional in these hard times can't be overstated. Growers and farmers are suffering extensive losses from the ravages of pest birds that often strip orchards bare. In California, for example, entire orchards of almonds were routinely stripped clean in a matter of days by roving flocks of crows numbering in the 30 thousands. Since a single crow can consume 30 almonds per day, a good sized flock can devour millions of nuts in a day. California woodpeckers are no less damaging, denuding up to 10 percent of an almond orchard due to their propensity to hoard and store almonds.

In general, the damage caused by pest birds can be separated into three basic categories: disbudding by linnets and other species in the early spring; trunk injuries caused by sapsuckers; and the taking of nuts by crows, jays and woodpeckers. The Western crow, with its aggressive feeding habits, is considered the most ravenous destroyer of orchards. Crows are also difficult to control, since their feeding habits are so erratic, attacking orchards virtually any time of day. All the more reason for consulting a bird control professional.

The direct effect of this kind of bird damage to an almond orchard is partially determined by the value of the damaged and eaten nuts. However, the revenue produced by individual growers supports other industries in the economy. Growers create jobs for shop owners, restaurant staff, police, fire, etc., which must also be taken into account when examining the total economic impact of pest birds.

Bird Control for Structures that Invite Pest Birds

by Alex A. Kecskes

Pest birds are attracted to the architectures in many cities and towns. This holds especially true for some of our cherished older buildings with their "gingerbread" sills, ledges, gables and towers. These nooks and crannies are pest bird enablers, providing some of the best bird habitats. In addition, new facades of ornamental block and other ancillary structures provide hundreds of new nest holes for pest birds to call home. Churches often have pigeons roosting in their sculptured walls and around their "decorative-only" bells. Getting rid of pest birds is important to maintain the physical and aesthetic integrity of these buildings and structures.

Many apartment complexes draw sparrow infestations before construction is completed. Some construction methods even permit movement of ectoparasites into these apartments. Shopping centers and drive-in restaurants are vulnerable to sparrow infestations due to ceiling construction with corrugated metal sections or stamped beams, which leave openings throughout enclosed parts of a roof. Air-conditioning equipment, electrical boxes, open light fixtures, and wall or ceiling signs also provide nesting areas for pest birds. Decorative concrete block is often used as a "fence" to hide air-conditioning systems. These blocks create ideal pest bird nesting habitats. Getting rid of pest birds is an important part of overall building maintenance.

Fluorescent fixtures and I-beams in open-walled structures create prefabricated ledges for bird nests. This is a condition found in many open-walled drive-in restaurants--where there's always an abundance of food scraps to feast on. Many birds, in fact, will dive onto tables to pick up food and leave disease-carrying droppings behind.

Thankfully, there are a number of effective and humane bird control products to keep pest birds off private and public property. Most are maintenance free and easy to install.