Why it’s Critical to Keep Birds Out of Stores

Recently, more than a dozen birds were seen eating packaged hamburger meat inside a US Walmart. The birds were seen eating meat right out of the packages. Health Department inspectors had to remove over a dozen stray birds from the packaged meat display. Pest birds often make their way into big-box stores, grocery outlets, and warehouses. When they do, they wreak havoc with the operation and sanitation of the building or structure. To see a similar incident caught on camera, read about how birds loiter and feast on the supermarket meat aisle.

A Health Hazard

Birds and their droppings pose a serious health hazard, as they contain bacteria, fungal agents, and ectoparasites. These can carry serious diseases, including histoplasmosis, encephalitis, salmonella, meningitis, toxoplasmosis, and more. Many health inspectors have shut down restaurants and businesses that process, store, or sell food when evidence of birds is found on the premises.

A Turn-Off to Customers

Seeing birds feasting on food inside a store can be a turn-off that can permanently drive away customers. Word spreads fast in a neighborhood when things like this happen, and it doesn't take long for customers to find another store. Worse yet, even long after pest birds have been eradicated, the stigma of birds and their droppings around food shelves and meat areas lingers on. Add to this the exposure of viral social media, and the store can potentially suffer losses from which it can never recover.

Sealing Out Birds

In some areas, keeping birds out is no easy task. You need an experienced bird control professional to keep them out of big-box stores, warehouses, and other areas where food is sold, processed, and stored. Just chasing them out with a broom or shooting them down with a pellet gun is not only ineffective but disruptive and potentially dangerous. The best way to keep birds out of sensitive areas is to consult a bird control professional—like the pros at Bird B Gone. Here are just a few of their recommendations. For more storefront protection strategies, check out our guide on when pest birds are defacing your store front and it's time for bird repellents.

Vinyl Strip Doors

Bird B Gone’s Vinyl Strip Doors block out pest birds from loading docks where their entry would contaminate areas with bird droppings and debris. Vinyl Strip Doors are available in either standard sizes or custom cuts and in a variety of widths and lengths. The panels come complete with all the necessary hardware and are ready to hang. The stripped panels separate easily to allow crew, pallet loaders, and forklifts to pass through them.

Heavy Duty Bird Netting

Bird Net 2000 Heavy Duty Bird Netting seals out pest birds from roofs, warehouses, loading docks, and other exposed or semi-exposed areas. It’s easily installed under exposed roofing areas, pipes, and other perches birds might use once in a store. Specially fabricated of a tough UV-stabilized polyethylene mesh, Bird Net 2000 is rot-proof, waterproof, and flame-resistant. This durable netting is designed to perform as an effective bird deterrent through a wide range of temperatures—from -250 degrees F to +270 degrees F. Bird Net 2000 comes in several stock sizes, as well as custom cuts up to 200 feet in length or width. The bird netting is also available in different mesh sizes to effectively control the species of pest bird in the area where birds have become a problem. Choose the 1-1/8-inch mesh for pigeons and crows, and the 3/4-inch mesh for smaller birds like starlings and finches. Bird Net 2000 even comes in several colors—black, stone, or white—to blend in with its background.

Backed by Expert Assistance

If you're unsure about which product would work best for your specific situation, Bird B Gone has decades of combined experience in the field of bird control. We can help you with product selection, installation, and cleanup. Just call us at 800-392-6915 for a catalog, pricing, or product samples, or email us at nobirds@birdbgone.com. We also work with a network of authorized installers—call today to connect with a trained bird control professional in your area.