Seagull Control Explained

Seagulls are a growing problem in the UK. When a lot of people think of seagulls as they think of seaside resorts and trips to beach. However, in recent years, seagulls have started to infest urban areas and cause a number of problems as a result.

The reason for seagulls flocking to urban areas is due to a number of reasons. Firstly the large volume of buildings in cities make for a perfect nesting environment for the seagulls that are free from predators. There’s also plenty of food for them to eat from bins and public waste sites. Lastly, cities and town centers to stay warm during the winter in comparison to coastal areas, which means they don’t have to migrate.

Some of the problems that arise from seagulls nesting in urban areas are –

• Noise pollution
• Droppings causing health hazards
• Swooping on the public and their pets
• Damaging property
• Blocking gutters and gas flues

Although most people might not consider seagulls to be pests, when you want to get rid of them from a particular area, the best way of doing this is to hire a pest control company and better yet, one that specifically deals in bird control.Bird control companies will be able to get rid of seagulls in an efficient and humane way.

Seagull Control Solutions

There is a range of seagull control solutions on the market that are very effective in dealing with the problem. The most common solutions are –

Netting - Netting is a very popular way to control seagull infestation. It is easy to cut and fit on a variety of surfaces and also comes in a number of colours so it can be fitted onto the exterior of a building without being an eyesore. It’s also very low maintenance and will provide years of reliable and effective use.

Spikes - Spikes are another common solution. They can be placed in rows alongside the edge of buildings where seagulls like to perch. The appearance of the spikes will be enough to deter seagulls from perching and nesting where they are placed. They can look unsightly, so whether they’re suitable or not will depend on the type of building where they’re being used.

Wire & post - With this solution, posts are drilled into the fabrication of the building and a wire is hooked onto them. The wire will prevent seagulls from perching where it’s used. The advantage to wire & post is that it’s very discreet and cannot be seen from a distance.

Seagull Control London

If you live in London and want to prevent seagulls from gathering on your building then you’ll want to hire a bird control company who can install one of the solutions mentioned above. A quick Google search will provide you with a list of companies to choose from who will be able to tackle any problems you have with seagulls.

Source: https://medium.com/@jennifermartin/seagull-control-explained-fe18c3e05ff#.5pzlxis9u

What to do When Birds Come Home to Roost.

For some, our feathered friends are a welcome distraction and an opportunity to appreciate what nature has to offer. For others they represent a nuisance and are regarded as nothing more than a pest.

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One of the main causes for this division of opinion is context. Sparrows and starlings frolicking in your garden bird bath are unlikely to cause offense, whereas pigeons perched on your business sign are likely to have you pulling your hair out.

The simple fact of the matter is that birds, regardless of the particular species, can cause significant problems for commercial properties. Birds roosting on window ledges can look unsightly and can also cause damage to buildings.

Droppings are obviously a cause for health concern, especially if they originate from pigeons, but they can also present a slipping hazard. Should a customer, employee or member of the public slip on droppings, and injure themselves as a result, then they could have a legal right to make a personal injury claim against the property owner. 

A Cost Effective and Efficient Solution

The good news is that it is easy, and relatively cheap, to stop birds from taking up residence and causing havoc. While there are many bird control solutions available arguably one of the easiest to install is bird spikes.

These spikes can be installed either by a professional, or someone with a bit of confidence on a ladder. All that needs to be done is ensure that the surface, they are fitted on is thoroughly cleaned and free from debris. A silicone spike adhesive can then be used to secure them in place. Provided that care is taken to cover the entire surface birds will be unable to land, and will therefore be unable to cause any more problems to the property or the wider public.

Besides offering an immediate solution these spikes have other benefits. As they are available in both metal or plastic they have a long life span making them a cost effective solution. They also pose no threat to the environment or the birds themselves.

The spikes are exceptionally versatile and can be used in pretty much any location, including hard to reach area's such as roof tops and aerials. They can also be used on virtually any type of surface, including brick, plastic, metal, wood and canvas, making them the most widely used bird control solution.

Always Seek Professional Advice

Although these spikes can be easily installed by novices, it is still sensible to seek the professional advice of a pest control expert. Spikes can be a fantastic solution for dealing with larger birds such as pigeons, but may prove unsuitable for smaller birds who can nest in between the spikes themselves.

By speaking to an expert and explaining your particular problem, it is possible to ensure you are going to choose the best solution for your property.

Source: https://storify.com/JenniferMartin/what-to-do-when-birds-come-home-to-roost

Bird Netting - An Anti-Entry Bird Control Product

 

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Choose the Right Product and Deny Access of Pest Birds 

 
Bird netting is used all across the UK to keep pest birds away of homes, offices and historical buildings. This bird control product can also be used as a screening device for windows, balconies, air conditioner vents and pipework. Once installed, the netting may typically last for minimum ten years or even more. There are examples of pest bird control nets that have lasted for two decades. 

No Visual Barrier

Many homeowners and businesses have a misconception that installing an anti-entry net may spoil the aesthetics of their property or hamper the natural light’s way to their home or building. Well, this is not true. Netting doesn’t impact much on the visual appeal of the property or space where it is installed.

At the same time, it doesn’t reduce the light reaching the installation site. You may go for a yearly inspection or maintenance to keep the views clear.  The bird control product prevents entry of targeted pest birds from the void areas of the buildings or premises and enforce them to look for other nesting and perching spot without causing any physical harm.

Get Rid of Pigeons

Bird netting product can prevent pigeons from nesting and roosting in particular areas without hurting them. Net is available in many different sizes and it can be custom-designed depending on the size of the area you want to cover and any other need you may have. Households with a roof or any slanted part from outside are more suitable for pigeons’ nestling purpose.

Pigeons mostly travel in crowd in search of a nestling and perching area. And pigeon netting exclude them from a particular nesting location. The product can also be installed to eaves as an alternative of caging. However, if the job site is more exposed to UV rays or harsh climate condition, make sure you choose from weatherproof, heavy-duty netting available out there.

So, no matter how difficult it seems to exclude pigeons from your area, net installation can make the area completely pigeon-proof and keep them away for your good. In addition to pigeons, bird netting can also be used to keep away sea gulls, crows, starling, sparrows and any other pest bird your region may have.

Top Things to Consider While Installing Bird Control Netting

If you are thinking of installing bird control netting in the UK, there are several important things you need to consider before paying for the product including the material of the net, size, coverage, durability and price. Walk around the brick-mortar or online world of bird control netting and know which product best suits your needs. 

From industrial companies, waste management businesses, commercial businesses and corporate houses to residents, netting proves to be an effective barrier for pest birds. It is a great choice for fish farm owners too. Mesh size of the net varies considerably depending on the targeted bird species. For example, mesh size is 50mm for pigeons, 19mm for sparrows, 28mm for starlings and 75mm for sea gulls.

On top of all, make sure the company you choose has ample experience and expertise in bird netting installation and maintenance in the UK. 

Author Bio: Jennifer is a professional copywriter. She has conducted in-depth research for various bird control products across the UK to keep pest birds away. Pigeon netting is widely opted over other alternative of bird control to get rid of pigeons.

5 Methods for Keeping Birds Out of Your Garden

Many people would welcome birds into their garden but these same people would soon become tired of them if they started eating their fruits and leaving droppings. If you have a garden that contains a lot of consumables then birds can soon become a nuisance. 

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To help keep your garden free of unwanted birds, below are 5 great tips to follow – 

1. Use Decoys

Scarring birds away can be a very effective means of keeping your garden free of them. Of course you can’t always be there to scare them away yourself and they’ll soon regroup even if you do. A great solution to this is to use a decoy artificial animal that birds are naturally scared of. This come in different shapes and sizes but when used properly can be a very effective way to keep your garden free of unwanted birds.

2. Use Netting

Netting is used by bird control specialists for a very good reason – it works! Placing netting over your plants will prevent birds from being able to get to them. How you go about positioning the netting will depend on how your plants are laid out and the size of your garden. There are some excellent guides online that show how to set up netting in your garden to keep birds away.

3. Use Wire

Wire is equally as effective at keeping birds away and is easier to set up than netting. To set up wire in your garden simply put posts around your garden and then stretch the wire between them so it’s placed above the plants that you want to protect.

4. Build a Barrier

For smaller plants or ones that are still growing, it’s possible to create your own makeshift barriers to keep birds away from them. Something as simple as a disposable cup with the bottom cut out can be enough to protect your plants from birds. As your plants grow then you can easily switch to netting.

Use High-Tech Solutions

The solutions mentioned above are quite low-tech but there are electronic devices available on the market that can be very effective at keeping birds away. Distress call signal systems are designed to digitally mimic the distress calls that birds send to each other to warn of danger.

Another high-tech means of dealing with unwanted birds are ultrasonic devices such as screeching owls. These are designed to emit a screech that’s frightening to birds and will almost certainly scare them off.

Although birds can sometimes be a nuisance, they can also be very beneficial to gardeners. Annoying pests such as snails, slugs and spiders can cause a lot of damage to your plants. Having birds around will help deal with this problem in an effortless way.

The trick is to attract the right species of birds to your garden whilst keeping the problem ones away. Putting up feeders that only attract certain species of birds is an excellent way to do this.

Always be sure that you never use any forceful means of getting rid of birds from your garden as it could land you in a lot of trouble.

About the Author:

David has a keen interest in bird control and associated with Total bird control. His articles cover topics such as how to keep birds out of your garden.

8 Ideas to Design a Bird Friendly Garden

When it comes to keeping your garden looking good there are certain pests you want to keep away. These include snails, slug and spiders. Whilst you can get pesticides to deal with these insects, a much better way to deal with them is to make your garden as bird-friendly as possible.

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Birds not only help to get rid of unwanted insects that can do harm to your plants but they also help to give you garden a more appealing and organic look. With this in mind, below are 8 great ideas to make your garden attractive to birds.

Re-create Natural Plant Growth

If you observe natural habitats where birds are commonly found then you’ll learn a lot about how to create a bird-friendly garden. The way that plant life is arranged in nature is beneficial to birds in a number of ways. Large trees of course give them somewhere to perch and nest, whilst the shrubs underneath provide them with a source of food. The mud, twigs and leaf litter give them the materials to build their nests with.

You should aim to mimic this sort of plant hierarchy in your garden if you want to make it attractive to birds. 

Select Plants that Provide Nutrition Year Round

When you want to attract birds to your garden, you need to ensure that they have access to nutrition year round. This means selecting plants that will support the different types of birds that visit your garden at different times of the year. 

Plant Conifers

Conifers provide shelter for birds in harsh weather conditions, therefore you should have at least one clump of conifers in your garden.

Group Trees by Species
Grouping trees by species will help to increase fertility and fruit yields. It will also make your garden more attractive to birds when they can clearly see the different types of fruit that are available.

Avoid Non-Native Plants

It might be tempting to introduce exotic plants into your garden and although they might look striking, they’re usually not good for birds. They can easily take over the other flora in your garden and crowd out native plants that are valuable to birds. 

Provide a Source of Water
Although birds get a lot of their water from food, they’ll still seek out water sources for drinking and to bathe in. You can purchase bird baths to place in your garden to make it more attractive to birds. Just be sure to clean them regularly and also ensure that the water isn’t too deep.

Don’t Make Your Lawn Too Big

A lawn is often seen as being the classic centrepiece of any garden. However the truth is that lawns provide little value to birds and can actually become harmful when you have to start using pesticides to control pests in your garden. You should therefore consider limiting the size of your lawn, if you even have one at all. 

Place Nest Boxes
Placing nest boxes is a great way to diversify the species of bird that you attract to your garden. They mimic the natural cavities found in trees that can be scarce in nature. 

About the Author:

 David has a keen interest in birds and wildlife. He is also associated with Total bird control. His articles cover topics such as how to make your garden bird-friendly.

5 Proven Methods Of Bird Control

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There are certain species of birds that are very common, such as pigeons and seagulls. Because these birds are so widespread, they often choose to perch and nest on other peoples’ property, particularly in built up areas with tall buildings.

When birds group on your building, they can cause a lot of problems. The sticks they use to build their nests can easily clog up drainpipes and gutters. Also their droppings are not only unsightly but also spread disease when you come into contact with them. This being the case, you want to get rid of any birds that are on your building as quickly as possible.

Below Are 5 Effective Means To Do This.

1. Wire & Post

Wire & post is a very popular solution for keeping birds away from a property. Posts are drilled into the fabrication of the building and a wire is then stretched across them. This prevents birds from being able to land or perch there. Whilst wire & post is effective, it cannot be used in all settings since drilling is required.

2. Netting

Netting is the most versatile bird control solution available. It works in the same way as wire & post but doesn’t require drilling. Netting can be placed almost anywhere, including under bridges and on scaffolding. This makes it ideal for building projects and hard to reach areas.

3. Spikes

Spikes are another option for keeping birds off your property. They are fairly easy to install and can be placed in rows for maximum coverage. When spikes are placed on a building, it will stop any birds from grouping and nesting there. Spikes can be a little unsightly however, so you may not be suitable depending on the type of property that you have.

4. The Scarecrow Method

There are many props that you can buy to try and scare birds away. Things like rubber snakes and glass owls can be placed where the birds are grouping in an effort to deter them. It’s a safe and clean method of bird control but not always effective, although it is worth trying.

5. Distress Call Systems

Distress call systems mimic the natural sound that birds make to warn each other of danger. The effectiveness of these systems varies but with a high quality system they can be very effective at keeping birds away from your property. They’re best used for flocking birds in search of a winter roost.

What About Shooting Or Poisoning?

If you have a lot of birds on your property then you might be tempted to deal with them forcefully however this is not a good idea. Killing or harming any wild species of bird is illegal in the UK. Therefore if you’re caught shooting or poisoning birds that are on your property you could find yourself in a lot of trouble.

Getting one of the bird control solutions mentioned above installed shouldn’t be too costly and will ensure that birds don’t see your building as somewhere they want to stay.

About The Author:

David has a keen interest in Bird control and also associated with Total Bird Control. His articles cover topics such as how to keep your property free of birds.

4 Common Diseases Pigeons Carry

Pigeons are seen everywhere in the UK and many people assume that they are fairly harmless. Whilst they’re certainly not aggressive, they can certainly be a problem when grouping and nesting where they’re not wanted.

In addition to making a property look unsightly, they also carry diseases, which can very easily be spread through their droppings. Below are 4 of the most common diseases that pigeons are known to carry.

1. Viral Encephalitis

Also known as West Nile virus, Viral Encephalitis can be very dangerous when spread to humans and can cause nervous system damage and even death. The way it is transmitted to humans is through mosquito bites. The mosquito will bite an infected bird and then transmit the disease when it bites a person.

Luckily mosquitos are very rare in the UK so the chances of contracting the virus in this way are extremely low. However you should always be aware of this when travelling abroad to countries where mosquitos are commonplace.

2. E Coli

E Coli is often associated with undercooked meat but it’s just as likely that you’ll contract it by coming into contact with pigeon droppings. To help avoid this risk of getting E Coli, you should make sure that your wash your hands thoroughly whenever you’ve spent time in an environment where there was a lot of pigeons around.

3. Salmonella

Salmonella is another illness that’s commonly linked with food but can also be spread by pigeons. Along with Listeria, Salmonella is a very dangerous to people, especially pregnant women, so you should always ensure that you practice a high degree of cleanliness when you’ve been around pigeons in any setting.

4. Cryptococcal Meningitis

This form of pigeon-borne meningitis is extremely dangerous to people and can easily result in severe consequences such as blindness and death.

Getting rid of pigeons

Now that you’re aware of the types of diseases that pigeons can carry, you’ll almost certainly want to ensure that you don’t have any grouping or nesting on your property. Pigeon infestations are very common in the UK, especially in large cities, but luckily there are effective solutions available to get rid of them and make sure they don’t appear again.

It’s important to note that even if you think of pigeons as being vermin, it’s still not a good idea to kill or harm them in any way. This is because they’re a protected species in the UK, which means causing them harm could land you in a lot of trouble if you’re caught.

Thankfully, there are means of getting rid of pigeons without resorting to violence. Bird netting is one of the most common pigeon control solutions and works by making it impossible for any type of bird from being able to land and perch where it’s placed.

Bird netting can be installed by any good bird control company and will provide you with a long-lasting solution to keep your property completely free of pigeons or any other type of birds, such as seagulls.

About the Author:

Katie has a strong interest in bird control like Total bird control. Her articles cover subjects such as the most common diseases that pigeons carry.