Have a large project?  Call us for special pricing and help with quoting!

Large birds, such as pigeons and gulls, are notorious for landing on the ledges of buildings causing hazardous situations as well as structural damage and a very unpleasant visual appearance. Bird control is necessary to keep large birds away.

If you own commercial property, you’ll want to keep maintenance and upkeep costs to a minimum, especially in these tough economic times. Bird nests and the droppings they leave can deface and damage buildings, equipment and structures. Clean ups and repairs can be unending if birds routinely flock to any one area. Your maintenance crews have better things to do than clean bird droppings off lighting systems, security cameras, skylights, HVAC units, rain gutters and ventilators. Keep in mind, too, that bird droppings can create dangerous slip-and-fall hazards for your workers, so keeping birds away can prevent on-the-job injuries.

With proficiency in social media platforms and public relations, Jasmine Kashani strengthens company’s marketing team 

Bird control isn’t just a good idea, it can save your business and keep company officials out of jail.  A federal grand jury in Georgia today indicted a company owner, vice president, plant manager, and plant quality assurance manager over a 2009 salmonella outbreak linked to peanuts processed at one of their plants.  The outbreak caused nine deaths, hundreds of illnesses, and resulted in a $12 million insurance claim for over 100 of the outbreak victims.

by Toni Clarke, Reuters (via The Chicago Tribune)

A sign for pharmaceutical compounding company NECC, a producer of the steroid methylprednisolone acetate, is seen in Framingham, Massachusetts. (Image credit: Jessica Rinaldi, Reuters)

(Reuters) – U.S. health inspectors found bugs, a flying bird and other unsterile conditions at Ameridose LLC, an affiliate of the Massachusetts compounding pharmacy at the heart of the deadly meningitis outbreak.

Westborough, Massachusetts-based Ameridose was closed on October 10 to allow state and federal investigators to inspect its facilities. On Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released the results of its investigation.

The agency’s report details a list of quality control failures at Ameridose, including a failure to test the potency of its products, a failure to properly classify patient complaints and the use of “vague, canned language” when describing negative patient reactions to its drugs.

The company, an affiliate of the New England Compounding Center, said it is in the process of preparing a full response to the FDA.

“Ameridose’s history shows clearly that we have not had any instance of contaminated products over the course of the past six years, which covers the manufacture and shipment of 70 million units of product,” the company said in a statement. “Ameridose is committed to addressing all observations in order to enhance our existing systems.”

The investigation of Ameridose follows the closure of the NECC, which distributed thousands of vials of a steroid linked to an outbreak of fungal meningitis that has hit 19 states and claimed 32 lives.

Inspectors found that Ameridose failed to investigate customer complaints related to drug potency, under-filled products and syringe volumes. It also failed to classify “patient response” complaints as “adverse events.”

Several such complains referred to the drug oxytocin, used to induce labor in childbirth. One referred to “fetal distress and hyper stimulated uterus.” Another customer called to report an increase in post-partum hemorrhaging. Another reported that a patient had shortness of breath and that “the throat was closing.”

A complaint related to the painkiller fentanyl noted that the patient was “oversedated” and “unresponsive.” Another patient given the blood-thinner heparin experienced a “life-threatening” negative reaction.

Inspectors said buildings used to make, process, pack and hold the drugs were not maintained in a good state of repair. The firm failed to perform a microbiological assessment after “penetrating leaks” were found in a building and water dripping above the clean room.

“During the inspection we observed totes placed in the location of the penetrating leaks containing water,” the inspection report noted. “There is no documented evidence that the leaks were permanently corrected.”

Walls were cracked, corroded and covered with what appeared to be adhesive material in a room where sterile drugs are prepared, the report noted.

Equipment and utensils were not cleaned or sanitized at appropriate intervals to prevent contamination that could alter the safety, identity, quality or purity of the drugs, according to the report.

Certain metal surfaces “were observed to contain what appeared to be brownish structures, atypical in shape,” the report noted.

Moreover, the buildings used “are not free of infestation by rodents, birds, insects and other vermin,” the report said.

Specifically, insects were located in an area where finished sterile product is packaged and stored. The insects were also located within three to 10 feet of the controlled area where sterile products are manufactured.

At least one bird was observed flying in an area where sterile finished product is packaged and stored.

On Friday, Ameridose, which has the same owners as NECC, said it would lay off about 90 percent of its work force. About 650 employees at Ameridose will be affected, as well as 140 employees at Medical Sales Management, a company that provides sales, technology and human resources support to Ameridose.

by Maggie Menderski (via Quincy Herald-Whig)

HANNIBAL MO. — The Hannibal City Council thought it had addressed a problem with pigeons.

Now it is being forced to address pigeon activism.

A large flock of pigeons roost atop the steeple of the Fifth Street Baptist Church in Hannibal, Mo. The City of Hannibal is looking for solutions to control the pigeons. (Image credit: H-W Photo/Phil Carlson)

Councilmen unanimously voted Oct. 16 to accept a bid from Reliable Pest Solutions to handle the local pigeon population with poisoned feed. Garry Allen, general manager of Reliable, estimated 500 pigeons live in Hannibal, and this surplus of birds causes a danger to the community’s property and health.

Since that vote, People for Ethnical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has sent a letter asking for the city to cancel the plan, and news sources nationwide have picked up on the story. The negative press has caused Reliable and another local company, Big River Pest Control, to withdraw their estimates from the project.

“If Hannibal officials have decided that poisoning is the best way to control the pigeon population, they simply haven’t done their homework,” PETA Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations Daphna Nachminovitch said in a press release. “It’s unconscionable that the city would subject birds to agony and its own citizens to the spectacle of having to watch birds convulse in the streets when humane, proven and cost-effective measures are readily available.”

PETA Senior Cruelty Caseworker Kristin Simon said the organization had received several emails expressing concerns for the pigeons and the community. Her letter to Hannibal Mayor Roy Hark states that the poison, Avitol, would impair the birds’ the nervous systems. After consumption, the pigeons suffer from disorientation, which leads to erratic flight and eventual death.

“Everyone has a big concern and a right to a big concern with such dangerous (chemical),” Simon said.

Since the media explosion, Allen has fielded dozens of phone calls regarding the poisoning method. Councilman Mike Dobson, who supported the method during the Oct. 16 city council meeting, has answered several calls as well, but the complaints he’s heard have come from outside Hannibal.

“I haven’t had one phone call with a local person against it,” he said.

The $3,560 bid from Reliable Pest Solutions would have required the city to gain access to local businesses and place poisoned feed on the top of buildings for the pigeons to eat. The poison would then have killed a small amount of the birds and startled the rest out of the city.

Allen said this method had been successful with local business owners in the past several years.

“The problem with it is that we didn’t keep it up,” Allen said. “You just can’t do it once and walk away.”

Pigeons, starlings and sparrows are the only three birds classified as pests. Because of birds’ habits and flocking tendencies, exterminators may diminish the population just as they would handle a surplus cockroaches or ants. Allen said pest control companies use poisons in some situations, but the products are not used carelessly.

“It doesn’t make sense for a responsible company to do something irresponsible,” he said. “You don’t make money.”

Dobson supported the poison method because he has seen it work firsthand for a company in Quincy. While Avitrol may shock the pigeon population out of Hannibal, Simon feared the poison could harm domestic animals as well as other birds and wildlife. Allen said only 10 percent of the feed would be poisoned. Dobson reasoned a 100-pound dog would have to eat a minimum of 15 pigeons before the poison in the feed would cause the dog to be sick.

“If I was in the business of killing people’s pets, then you don’t have a business,” Allen said.

The city now must pursue another solution. The U.S. Department of Agriculture had submitted a $6,700 bid for a pellet gun program, which would also involve pigeon mortality.

Dobson also has been in contact with a horse whisperer for pigeons. Horse whisperers adopt training and handling techniques for horses that are kinder and gentler than traditional methods. This person has offered to come speak with the birds at no cost to the city.

Simon recommended installing anti-roosting products such as bird spikes, slides and coils. She also suggested implementing statues of natural predators, creating a wildlife feeding prohibition, keeping garbage tightly contained and avoiding artificial sources of standing water.

Allen also had presented the city with a birth control plan for the pigeons. The process involves providing sterilizing feed to the population and then letting them die off naturally without being able to reproduce. This process requires more money to pay for continuous feeding. It also happens gradually, rather than in a couple weeks’ time.

During the Oct. 16 meeting, Dobson stressed nuisance and dangers pigeons cause to a city. Pigeon feces, which is acidic, wears away at roofs and damages cars, and it also can cause health-related issues.

Marion County Health Department Administrator Jean McBride declined to comment about potential health hazards pigeons might have on the community.

According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene website, pigeon droppings pose a small health risk. Humans may contract histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis and psittacosis by inhaling particles from pigeon droppings. Cleaning pigeon droppings does not pose a serious health risk to most people, but avoiding direct contact with the droppings is recommended. People cleaning feces off a car or a windowsill should wear disposable gloves and washable clothing.

Allen said the pigeons have taken to Hannibal for its architecture and river access, explaining that they look for structures to sit on and ways to obtain food.

“It’s all about habitat, and they found a place they like,” he said.

Hark anticipates a solution would be discussed at the Nov. 6 council meeting.

“We’re still looking at what we can do, but we haven’t made a decision,” Hark said.

Southern California Radio Host Calls for Much Needed Bird Control Action

This problem can be easily fixed with the following bird deterrents from Bird-B-Gone:

Pigeon Traps

• A “live" bird trap that captures pest birds for later release or relocation

Bird Chase Super Sonic 

• A bird sound system that is ideal for keeping birds out of open, outdoor spaces

Bird Spikes 

• Spikes used to humanely prevent birds from landing on unwanted surfaces

Bird Net

• A U.V. stabilized polyethylene mesh that keeps birds from entering unwanted areas, especially where people eat.

Bird Jolt Flat Track

• Electric track system that produces a mild electrical shock when birds land on its surface, conditioning them to stay away from the area

Bird Spider

• Made of stainless steel arms attached to a U.V. protected polycarbonate base that prevent birds from landing

The above bird problem can happen anywhere – the key is to have access to the proper bird control products to rectify the situation and ensure the birds do not return and the patrons remain happy and healthy.

Southern California Radio Host Calls for Much Needed Bird Control Action

This problem can be easily fixed with the following bird deterrents from Bird-B-Gone:

Pigeon Traps

• A “live" bird trap that captures pest birds for later release or relocation

Bird Chase Super Sonic 

• A bird sound system that is ideal for keeping birds out of open, outdoor spaces

Bird Spikes 

• Spikes used to humanely prevent birds from landing on unwanted surfaces

Bird Net

• A U.V. stabilized polyethylene mesh that keeps birds from entering unwanted areas, especially where people eat.

Bird Jolt Flat Track

• Electric track system that produces a mild electrical shock when birds land on its surface, conditioning them to stay away from the area

Bird Spider

• Made of stainless steel arms attached to a U.V. protected polycarbonate base that prevent birds from landing

The above bird problem can happen anywhere – the key is to have access to the proper bird control products to rectify the situation and ensure the birds do not return and the patrons remain happy and healthy.

Northern Illinois University has been invaded by geese. The fearless birds seem to be everywhere on campus, walking on the sidewalk outside DuSable, paying no mind to buses and cars, picking at trash on the ground--the problems are almost too numerous to mention.

As seen in Will and Guy's Strange But True Stories of Dangerous Seagulls, workers at a weather forecasting facility in Devon, England have resorted to wearing crash helmets to protect themselves from dive-bombing seagulls. It  seems flocks of seagulls have been attacking staff gathering  weather data from the roof of council offices in Newton Abbot (a market town and civil parish in the Teignbridge District of Devon on the River Teign).

One victim noted that the gull attacks can quickly go from bad to worse. He indicated that more gulls seem to be on the attack every year—and that this is his fourth year in dealing with the aggressive gulls. He recounted how the big gulls swoop down on his head followed by half a dozen others that dive-bomb him. He described the situation as very distressing, but noted that at least he now has a helmet to protect his head and face.

Birds have cost airlines big money in aircraft damage, downtime and even downed aircraft. The statistics are staggering and point to the need for aggressive bird control measures.

During a 19-year period from 1990 to 2008, 89,727 strikes were reported to the FAA across the United States. California, Texas, Florida, and New York suffered the most bird strikes (7,442, 5,963, 5,571 and 4,732, respectively). Twenty-one other states each reported more than 1,000 bird strikes.

Article Shared From: The Otago Daily Times / NZ

Written By: Sarah Marquet

Pigeon poo is threatening the Alexandra bridge across the Clutha River, so the birds have to go.

New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) senior asset manager John Jarvis said the bridge's structural steel was being corroded and, while it was not an immediate safety risk, action was needed to reduce the 400-strong flock of resident pigeons so damaged areas could be repaired.

Bird-B-Gone University is a FREE training course designed to teach the basics of bird control. 

If you’re looking to expand your business by adding bird control, or just want to develop your bird control knowledge, this is an excellent opportunity for you!

The next class is Friday, August 24th, 2012

Bird-B-Gone, Inc. is the #1 specified bird control company by architects, engineers and government agencies. Since 1992, we have worked closely with the AEC industry in both the design and implementation of effective, humane and cost efficient bird control solutions.

Our products are specified on building projects on a regular basis. The AEC industry has for several decades been aware of the damage birds can cause to buildings and architectural features and work proactively to ensure their designs are protected.We provide architectural specifications, CAD and BIM details on our products and have a dedicated team of bird control specialists who can help specify bird control, or help installers get the information they need when bidding on a project.

With the Red Flag Warning still in effect for most of the valley, officials have been warning the public about how quickly a fire can start.

In a field near Rio Vista Sunday afternoon, all it took was a bird strike against a power line to spark a fire. With wind still being a factor, the fire was able to quickly spread 7 acres.

Jeffrey R. Pocaro, an attorney representing a Green Brook resident who lives in the Mountainview at Green Brook Complex, came to the the Green Brook Township Committee on Monday looking for help.

After pointing out a spelling error in the township’s property managment code, Pocaro then asked for an amendment to it to address an issue he said is causing a problem at the complex: pigeons.

Although pigeons nowadays are largely regarded as grubby urban pests, bumblers for bread crumbs, and unwelcome statuary redecorators — in the not-too-distant past, their service to mankind was much loftier indeed. Not only were these hardy birds used to swiftly carry important messages and materials across great distances, for a brief stint at the turn of the last century, an elite group of camera-wielding pigeons also became early pioneers of a then burgeoning field: aerial photography.

Marketing – for some business owners and operators this can be a frightening term. With all of the new platforms (and more popping up every day) it can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you  are already looking at a full plate.

Adding bird control services is a lucrative way to bring in some extra revenue for Pest or Wildlife Control businesses and other service companies.

Bird Control?  Why should we care about pest birds?  It seems the latest issue concerning property management and building maintenance companies is Pest Birds.

Every year millions of dollars are spent cleaning up after and repairing the damage caused by pest birds such as pigeons, sea gulls, crows and other urban birds.  Not only are these problems unsightly, but also pest birds and their feces can spread 60 plus transmittable diseases.

Pigeons‘ brains appear to contain “GPS neurons” that help them navigate, according to a new study published in Science journal.

Scientists at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas have discovered a group of 53 cells in the birds’ brains that respond to the direction and strength of the Earth’s magnetic field, BBC News reported.Le-Qing Wu and David Dickman, the study’s lead researchers, found that the neurons “buzz” at different levels depending on how strong the magnetic field is and which direction it’s pointing in, Discover Magazine’s blog reported.

Bird-B-Gone Ornithologist Rob Fergus has spent a lifetime understanding our “feathered friends” and he’s more than happy to share his insights with the industry.

Editor’s Note: Bobby Corrigan is considered the industry’s foremost “rodentologist” but when it comes to understanding the biology and behavior of birds that honor may go to Dr. Rob Fergus, an ornithologist with Bird-B-Gone, Mission Viejo, Calif. PCT magazine recently interviewed Fergus, who has a Ph.D. in urban bird conservation from the University of Texas, about the challenges of managing bird populations in urban settings, as well as the science of ornithology.

A two-metre tower of bird excrement at an Ontario university has become an unlikely archive that may reveal the reasons for the declining population of the North American chimney swift, according to new research by Canadian scientists.

The study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B document the discovery and cataloguing of the droppings in an abandoned chimney on the campus of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont.

Bird Deterrents are designed to humanely deter birds from landing or nesting in unwanted areas. However, improper installation or misuse of products can lead to undesirable results that can potentially harm birds while also not being effective at deterring them in the first place.

Not every product works for every bird problem and certain products require care and planning to be successful. This is why it’s important to hire or consult a professional when dealing with a pest bird problem on your home or property.

Recent studies have shown that every year, thousands of protected migratory birds die in tailings or detention ponds used for industrial waste or filtering. Tailing ponds may contain bitumen, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, naphthenic acids, brine, heavy metals, and ammonia—substances that are harmful, even fatal to birds.

The problem arises when birds mistake these ponds for fresh water. Without effective bird control measures to keep birds out of these ponds, the birds are doomed to suffer illness or even die. Most government agencies require companies to implement a comprehensive bird deterrent system if they plan to operate these types of ponds.

Bird-B-Gone is a company you can trust. We have first hand experience in the field of bird control. Our content, advice and expertise comes from extensive experience in installing and developing professional grade bird control products, giving hands on trainings or on site installation advice and our ongoing research in the field of effective bird deterrents.

Need help with a complicated bird net installation? Have a specialized bird problem that needs troubleshooting? Bird-B-Gone can help every step of the way. Call us today at 1-800-392-6915 or email nobirds@birdbgone.com. We even have an on staff ornithologist, Dr. Rob Fergus, who can help answer your tough bird questions: asktheexpert@birdbgone.com.