Restaurant Owner Faces $2,000 Fine for Hosing Bird Poop Off Store Entrance

Last year, the owner of Crawdaddy’s in downtown Corpus Christi, Texas faced a $2,000 fine if he hosed off the bird droppings in front of his restaurant. City officials explained that the city’s storm water ordinance prohibits washing pollutants, like bird poop, into the storm drain system that runs out to the bay. Proving Charles Dickens' "the law is an ass" statement popularized by Oliver Twist, the Corpus Christi ordinance stipulates that it’s okay if rainwater washes the poop out into the storm drain system—you just can’t use a hose. Corpus Christie officials advised business owners to vacuum the sidewalk or to secure the services of a professional to clean it for them.

To circumvent this insanity, storeowners in Corpus Christi (and other areas with similar ordinances) do have a sane and less costly alternative to waiting for rainfall or calling in a professional cleanup crew.  It’s called bird control. 

Deter Birds with Spikes

If birds are perching and nesting immediately above your store’s entrance, you can invest in some Plastic Bird Spikes. These anti-perching, anti-roosting bird deterrents won’t allow birds to land on or near them. They are blunted at the tips and approved by a number of humane groups—including the U.S. Humane Society (so you won’t have any trouble with city ordinances). They also come in a variety of colors—including crystal clear, brick red, light grey, brown, black and tan—so they’ll blend in with your store’s color scheme. Be sure to get high quality Plastic Bird Spikes made of unbreakable UV-protected polycarbonate. These spikes have a flexible base, which allows them to “follow” curved surfaces like signs and archways. They also have pre-drilled holes or glue troughs for fast, effortless installation. The spikes come in two-foot sections and 3-, 5- and 7-inch widths to provide increasingly larger areas of anti-perching protection. The spiked strips measure just 1.5 inches wide at the base, so they can be mounted on very narrow surfaces.

Block Birds with Netting

If birds are nesting under your canopies and eaves, you should also invest in some Garden Bird Netting.  It seals out birds and prevents them from nesting in these areas. Birds who have nested there last year will invariably return to the same spot, since birds are very territorial. Lightweight and easy to handle, Garden Bird Netting is easy to install and comes in 14 x 100-foot and 14 x 200-foot rolls. It can be easily cut down to the size to need.  It’s also available in three different mesh sizes. There’s a 1/4" mesh for small birds, 1/2" mesh for medium sized birds, and 3/4" mesh for large birds. Be sure to get the bird netting clips to keep the netting taut and in place. The best Garden Bird Netting is made from a durable, UV-protected polypropylene. It’s strong, light and virtually invisible. You can install this netting temporarily if you only have a seasonal problem with birds, or permanently to ensure year ‘round protection for your storefront.

Top 3 Pigeon Control Devices for Rooftop Nightclubs

If you own or manage a rooftop nightclub, you know that birds can be a problem. Before you open, these flying pests can leave droppings all over your tables, sofas and chairs, leaving you with a nasty cleanup job. If your club features a pool or spa, bird droppings can pose a real headache, requiring an expensive cleanup.

After you open, when guests start streaming in, the presence of birds on tables, chairs and sofas can be a turn off.  Birds are attracted to your club because of all the finger foods on tables and scraps that have fallen on the floor. You also need to keep birds away from decorations, signage, bar areas, lighting fixtures and sound equipment. No matter how you look at it, without effective bird deterrents, you’ll be at the mercy of pest birds that can quickly ruin the image of your club.
Fortunately, there are some very effective bird deterrents you can install that will keep birds away from your club. Here are three today’s bird control experts recommend:

1. Bird Spikes

Proven worldwide, Bird Spikes are the anti-perching, anti-roosting devices that will keep birds off signage, light posts, awnings, fixed umbrellas, rooflines and virtually any elevated structure. Today’s plastic bird spikes come in a rainbow of colors—including crystal clear, brick red, light grey, brown, black and tan—to blend in with your club’s façade. The best plastic bird spikes  are made of rigid UV-resistant unbreakable polycarbonate to resist weathering and sun exposure. These spikes come in 3-, 5- and 7-inch widths to protect areas up to 7 inches wide. The base of the spiked strip is just 1.5” wide, so it’s easily installed on narrow fixtures.

2. Bird Chase Super Sonic

Easy to set up, the Bird Chase Super Sonic broadcasts predator and distress calls that frighten birds away. The Bird Chase device can be set up to emit distress and predator calls day and night. And it can broadcast distress and predator calls for as many as 22 different types of birds. So one device takes care of all your bird problems. Incidentally, these sounds are not annoying to humans, since they resemble natural bird calls. And unlike ultrasonic devices, the Bird Chase device emits sounds birds can actually hear.

3. Plastic Bird Netting

Easy to install, Plastic Bird Netting can be used to deny pest birds access to overhangs, canopies, and electrical control and food storage areas. Bird netting is available in several mesh sizes to deter various types and sizes of birds. For larger birds, like pigeons or seagulls, a 1-1/8-inch to 2-inch mesh size is recommended; for sparrows or starlings, a 3/4-inch mesh size would do. The best bird netting is UV- stabilized, flame resistant and rot- and water-proof. Bird netting is even available in different colors--like white, stone and black, so it’s barely visible.

Pigeon Control for Architects

by Alex A. Kecskes

Today, more architects than ever are integrating pigeon control measures into their building designs. They know that the image of beautiful arches, clean lines and walls of glass can quickly be ruined by bird droppings. They also know that the acid in bird droppings can eat into wood, composites and even stone surfaces to permanently damage areas that were once showpieces of design.

The fact is, many clients ask for references when contracting architects. The references are often in the form of completed projects. If these artistic creations are covered in bird droppings and their surfaces eaten away, they become useless as samples of one’s work—often to the point of excluding an architect from future bids.  So the importance of effective pigeon control—or any bird control—for that matter, can’t be understated.
Adding pigeon control and bird control services is an excellent way to round out an architectural firm’s repertoire of capabilities. The goal is to install effective pigeon control measures during the design-build process and to use low-profile humane deterrents that are easy to install and maintain.  Keeping pigeons and other pest birds away from commercial, civil or large federal structures can be an added profit center for any architectural firm.

When integrating pigeon control measures into an architectural design, one must take into account the aesthetics. Building materials and surfaces should be analyzed to ensure that the bird control methods minimally impact the overall structure. When enlisting the services of a bird control firm, that firm should offer products that are easy-to-specify. Any bird control repellents and/or deterrents used should meet the approval of local, state and federal agencies for humane operation. The products specified should be of the highest quality and be easy to “drop in” to projects specs. They should be backed by extensive warranties and the firm should offer support to help with the bird control designs. 

Here are two popular and highly effective pigeon control/bird control measures architects have been incorporating into their building designs:

Bird Spikes. Designed to deter pigeons and larger birds, Bird Spikes are often used by architects to prevent birds from landing on structures. The spikes come in rugged stainless steel or rigid U.V.-resistant unbreakable polycarbonate. The poly spikes are more economical than steel spikes and are recommended in areas where the electrical conductivity of steel is a concern. Poly bird spikes are also preferred in structures that have cell phone and dish antennas. To keep very large birds away--like seagulls, cormorants, turkey vultures and raptors--there’s the Mega Spike, which features 7-inch spikes of marine-grade stainless steel. Finally, there’s the Gutter Spike, which is ideal for keeping pigeons and other large birds out of rain gutters and drains.

Bird Slopes. This is an architect’s favorite because it’s a pigeon and bird control device that’s integrated into the design of the building or structure. What makes the bird slope so effective is that birds slip right off these angled PVC panels. They are ideal for keeping pest birds and pigeons away from eaves, ledges, beams and other niches. They can be easily installed on virtually any surface using nails, screws or glue. The panels even come in a variety of different colors to blend in with a building's color scheme.

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