So Your Building Has Birds - A step by step guide to bird exclusion for commercial buildings.

Featured At: Buildings Magazine

You've got birds. It could be gulls sitting on your roof top or maybe pigeons making a mess of signs and awnings. Perhaps you have an open loading dock and have starlings nesting in the rafters.

Whatever the situation, all you know is that birds are creating a problem that must be addressed. So where do you start?

You may be well aware of the need to implement pest control procedures for general pests such as mice and termites, but few consider the damage birds can cause to the exterior or interior of a building.

Bruce Donoho, Owner of Bird-B-Gone Inc., a U.S. manufacturer of bird control products says birds can cause considerable problems for buildings. The build up of bird droppings and nesting materials can pose a health risk for building tenants, especially if found near ventilation systems. Bird droppings can corrode building materials and machinery, ruin stored product and cost a business thousands of dollars every year for clean-up.

The advantages of bird control

Convincing management to include bird control measures into the budget can be easy when you present the benefits versus the cost.

First, consider if you have a maintenance crew doing any regular clean-up of bird droppings. Outside of labor costs, there is the potential of damaged goods, lost customers or tenants, damaged machinery, and health concerns.

The benefit of bird deterrents such as those offered by Bird-B-Gone is that they are often permanent solutions, different from common pests that call for regular treatments. Bird-B-Gone carries a variety of effective, humane products to fit nearly any situation.

First step: Evaluate the situation.

Visit the affected area to gather some basic information to help determine your next course of action. Is this an easy fix or more involved than expected?

Note exactly where the birds are and what they are doing. Are they nesting in the area or simply perching? List the negative impact the birds are having on the area, whether it is continuous clean up of bird droppings or an image or health concern. This will help determine how much time and money is currently spent on the situation and helps you foresee any problems you may face if the birds are not deterred from the area.

Second step: Consider your resources.

Once you've assessed the bird problem, decide whether this is something you can resolve in-house or not.

Is your crew equipped to handle the bird problem? Do they have the time and proper equipment? Some bird problems are simple to handle, while others can be quite complicated. If an area isn't properly bird proofed, birds will usually find a way back to the spot. If you are considering installing bird control products in-house, don't go it alone. Companies like Bird-B-Gone can help you choose the correct product and give installation advice.

If you don't have the time or expertise to solve the bird problem in-house, look to your current pest control company. They will likely offer bird control as a service and will be able to help.

If you are not currently working with a pest control company, and still do not want to handle the bird problem yourself, there are companies out there who make deterring birds their business. Bird-B-Gone has a network of qualified installers across the U.S. who are experienced in commercial and industrial bird exclusion.

Third step: Make it happen.

The longer birds are allowed to inhabit an area, the more difficult it will be to disperse them.

Take a proactive approach to ridding your building of birds so you can move on to bigger and better things. If you are in need of a materials quote or are looking for an installer, Bird-B-Gone can help. Bird-B-Gone manufactures their own line of professional bird control products in the US and can assist you in choosing the correct product or point you in the direction of a qualified installer in your area.