Outsmarting Birds

Birds in and around food and beverage processing facilities can cause a wide range of problems, including both direct and indirect contamination of foods, as well as physical and health and hazards. In fact, because of the high potential for contamination, the presence of birds—on and in buildings—is cause for client concern, third-party auditor documentation, and potential federal inspector warning and/or citation. Some of the problems that birds can cause are: 

• Contamination. Bird droppings and feathers can contaminate foods and food supplies at all stages of processing and packaging. In fact, the feathers can linger after the birds have been eliminated if steps aren’t taken for complete sanitation.
   
• Disease transmission. Birds host parasites and insect pests that can bite humans and contaminate foods. Pigeons, for example, carry a variety of disease organisms, including those of toxoplasmosis, encephalitis, and Salmonellosis. Accumulations of bird droppings also pose a health threat to humans when they become a growth medium for airborne pathogens.
   
• Property damage. Bird droppings can deface property, create unsightly stains, and erode building surfaces, metal structures, and paint. Roof-top nesting birds will bring large amounts of nest material and food remains, which can obstruct drainage systems and lead to structural damage and food contamination.
   
• Fire hazards. When near wiring, nesting can create a fire hazard and cause extensive damage to structures, roofs, eaves, and machinery. 

Exclusion. Birds are best controlled through an integrated pest management program, with exclusion as an important first step in bird management. In his book, Reducing Customer Complaints in Stored Products, David Mueller, of Insects Limited, details some simple steps to help exclude pests from food plants and warehouses, including:

• The key to controlling birds is patient observation of the birds to look for trends and patterns. Birds do things for a reason—often they are searching for food, water, or a mate.
   
• Birds need food and water to survive. If you take away their water, you can cause the birds to leave the building or die. There are several sources of water in a structure, and birds have even been known to get water from:
  • eye-wash stations—which birds have been seen turning on themselves.
  • standing water in drinking fountains.
  • condensation on pipes.
  • liquid from floor cleaners—even following scrubbers to drink the thin layer of water left behind.
     
• Removing the food source is an important component in a bird management program. Warehouses with accidental spills often have plenty of food to feed feral birds.
   
• Keeping doors closed is one of the most effective ways of keeping birds out. Additionally, said Alexander Brown, director of marketing for Bird-B-Gone, doors can be protected with hanging vinyl strips to prevent birds from flying in and becoming established.
   
• Regular inspections of the building’s exterior to check for gaps and holes is very important, Brown said. “We also recommend quarterly inspections of the roof and overhangs to make sure birds are not nesting or roosting on your building.”
   
• Physical exclusion can be accomplished by keeping cracks and voids in the building sealed, said Cory Gellerstedt, Nixalite co-president.
   
• Gellerstedt and Brown, along with Gary Crawford, president and CEO of Birdbuffer, all noted that sanitation is a critical part of any bird control program. “Birds are attracted to anything that even looks like bird activity,” Crawford said “If bird droppings, nests, feathers, or any sign of activity are around, it attracts other birds to come into the area.  It’s like the attraction a bull has for a red flag.  The birds see that activity as a signal to move in and enjoy it like the other birds have done.” Thus, he said, clean up is an important part of a bird program.

Control. “Most all types of legal bird control methods can be practiced at food and beverage processing plants,” Gellerstedt said. Noting that bird netting, spikes, shock track, trapping, baiting, chemical repellents, and harassment techniques are all applicable for such facilities, he said, “I feel the most effective bird control technique is exclusion and this can be accomplished with bird netting, wire mesh, and physical barriers such as bird spikes and shock tracks.”

There are, however, many situations where exclusion is not practical, such as large open areas on roof tops, open fields, and parking lots, he said. For these situations, a combination of tactics may be needed.

Often, the most effective control method will depend on the bird species and facility design. Examples of methods to use in combination or alone are:

• Netting. Forms of netting can be used to capture birds that are present, with others erected to exclude birds from entering, nesting, or roosting. Netting should be of good quality with holes no larger than 3/4 inch. Otherwise, small birds can get through and thrive in the safe haven that is created. Brown said that such exclusion is one of the most effective forms of bird control. “Keeping birds out of the building is key to a 100% bird-free zone.”
   
• Spikes. Placed on ledges, window sills, lighting, parapets, and roofs, spikes deter birds from landing and roosting.
   
• Fogs and vapors. Fog and vapor dispersal systems can clear or reduce bird populations in large areas. The use of a grape vapor product in haze machines is one option, as it repels birds in a wide area without harming or killing them, Crawford said. Often, this takes only takes one or two machines to cover an entire facility, and the program can be conducted in-house, with plant maintenance employees trained to fill and operate the machines. “Bird repellants convince the birds to stay away, not attract them to eat food,” he said, adding that this humane method keeps birds from frequenting the area, thus reducing bird droppings. Because the oil-based grape does not leave a residue, he added, it can be safely used around food facilities and not affect the people or equipment. 
   
• Baits. One form of bait works as a chemical frightening agent. Containing an acute oral toxicant, it causes the birds to emit distress and alarm cries and visual displays that frighten the flock and cause it to leave the site. Other technologies include a “birth control” bait for pigeons. When a bird eats the treated bait on a daily basis, the hatchability of its eggs is decreased and the population is gradually reduced. Both are restricted use pesticides.

Bird Smarts. Bird control isn’t always easy. “Birds are very smart, Crawford said. “They will figure out how to get in and get out of an area.” Crawford described an incident they had had with a bird trying to get into a cooler but couldn’t get past the plastic strips guarding the door. After watching a forklift go through it for two days, the bird jumped on the back of the forklift and rode it inside. “You need to be smarter than a bird to have good bird control,” he said.

Many food processing plants have their own pest management operators on staff and can successfully implement most bird management techniques, Gellerstedt said. However, before implementing a bird control program, it is advisable to investigate all federal, state, and local laws that may regulate products or protect the birds. It can be a federal offense to harm or disturb a protected bird or nest.

The author is Editor of QA magazine. She can be reached at llupo@gie.net.