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Bird Proofing for the Food, Restuarant and Hotel Industry

If you own or operate a restaurant or hotel, or you're involved with the sale or packaging of food, you're probably aware of the problems birds can cause.  Unless you arm yourself with effective bird proofing measures, birds can negatively affect the image of your business and cost you money.

 

The Health Hazards of Bird Droppings

 

It's one of the many things health inspectors look for--bird droppings. Many a food establishment has been cited for having this unhealthful offal on or near food preparation areas, or areas where food is stored or served. Without effective bird proofing measures, bird droppings not only create offensive odors, they can carry any of 60 known diseases. Sparrows and feral pigeons, for example, can carry bacteria causing salmonellosis. Pigeons can also carry ornithosis, a disease similar to viral pneumonia. This makes pest birds especially onerous near hotels and restaurants or anywhere food is exposed.

 

Unsightly and Unsafe

 

When bird droppings litter a hotel sign or cover an outdoor restaurant's tables and chairs, patrons will turn away and take their business elsewhere.  Nothing is a bigger turn off than exterior umbrellas covered with bird droppings. There's also the big liability problem that bird droppings create. Left to gather on walkways, entryways and patios, bird droppings can create serious slip-and-fall hazards. About as slippery as a banana peel, wet bird droppings can result in a prohibitively expensive and time-consuming legal liability for any hotel, restaurant or eatery.

 

Fortunately, there are a number of effective bird proofing measures available to the food restaurant and hotel industry.

 

Bird Spikes to the Rescue

 

Among the most popular bird proofing deterrents is the Bird Spike. Ideal for pigeons and other large birds, these spikes make it almost impossible for pest birds to land. The porcupine-looking spikes can be quite intimidating to a bird, yet because they are blunted at the tip, they are safe for use around birds and maintenance crews. Bird Spikes come in strong, rigid unbreakable polycarbonate or flexible stainless steel. The best spikes are made of marine-grade stainless steel and feature a U.V.-protected polycarbonate base that you can angle to fit curved surfaces. Also available are spikes with a crush proof, non-reflective metal finish.

 

To keep large pest birds like seagulls, crows, and pigeons out of rain gutters, there's a bird proofing device called the Gutter Spike. The best of these spikes comes with adjustable clamps at the base that make it easy to install to the lip of a gutter. If you're being bothered by cormorants, turkey vultures, raptors and other large birds, you should consider the Mega Spike, which has long 7" spikes.

 

Many restaurants have also employed the Bird Spider. These versatile bird-proofing devices can be moved from one area to another to discourage pest birds from gathering in any one area. They have long spindly spider-like arms that wave in the breeze. Pest birds feel threatened by the tentacles and they simply move on to "safer" areas. Bird spiders are often used on outdoor restaurant tables before opening hours to keep pest birds from landing on tables. Many are used on awnings and patio covers. Spiders typically come in a variety of diameters (arm lengths) to deter a wide range of pest birds. And like bird spikes, they may look threatening, but they are harmless to birds and people.

 

Bird Netting

 

Bird netting has long been used to physically exclude pest birds from the signs, courtyards, canopies, and rooftops of hotels and restaurants. Often prescribed by architects, bird netting has proven to be an effective bird proofing solution. It comes in a variety of mesh sizes to deter sparrow, starlings, pigeons, seagulls and larger birds. And you can now get netting in several colors--white, stone and black--to match building's color scheme. The best netting usually meets ISO 1806 protocols and will hold up longer.

 

Bird Slopes

 

Another popular bird proofing device is the Bird Slope. Pest birds simply slide off these angled, slippery PVC panels whenever they attempt a landing. Ideal for eaves, ledges, beams and other 90-degree areas frequented by birds, these slopes are easily screwed, glued or nailed to most any flat surface. They even come in a variety of colors to match a building's exterior décor.

 

Bird Repellers

 

Solar bird repellers can be used on outdoor eating areas such as tables, fence lines and other flat surfaces pest birds like to land. Solar bird repellers have adjustable "arms" that spin in a five-foot diameter, protecting surfaces from pest birds such as pigeons, seagulls and other large birds.  Rechargeable batteries allow the solar repeller to operate during dark periods.

 

Electric Tracks

 

If your hotel or restaurant has been invaded by pigeons, seagulls or larger birds, you can bird proof specific areas with Electric Track. These versatile devices convince pest birds to move on by zapping them with a mild electric shock. Like the shock you get when you reach for a doorknob after walking across the carpet with rubber-soled shoes, electric tracks are harmless but effective. The tracks are easy to install on ledges, signs, rooftops, and most any flat or curved surface. Some electric tracks are low profile and almost invisible from ground level. The best electric tracks feature a flow-through design that keeps water from damming up on rooftops. To ensure the tracks stand up to punishing weather, choose corrosion-resistant tracks that resist alkali and acidic environments.

 

Bird Misting Systems

 

Ideal for outdoor areas, Misting Systems deliver an ultra fine mist to deter pest birds. The chemical used by these systems is methyl anthranilate, a grape extract that naturally occurs in concord grapes. The chemical is safe to use around people, plants and birds. Misting systems are highly effective as a bird proofing measure and will deter sparrows, pigeons, starlings, crows, blackbirds and geese where they fly.

 

 

About the Author

Alex Kecskes is a freelance writer focusing on effective and humane bird cotnrol measures. To learn more about the products mentioned in this article, or if you need to find a company that can help install bird cotnrol products, please visit Bird-B-Gone or call 1-800-392-6915

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