Bird Proof Products

by Alex A. Kecskes

If you’re a manager or owner of an industrial or commercial building, you know the problems pest birds can cause. If you have skylights, especially the ones that are designed to open, you know that bird droppings can “freeze” them closed or open. If you have rooftop AC units and turbine rooftop ventilators, they too will freeze up with bird droppings. And if your roof has been leaking, you can probably blame bird nests, droppings and debris clogging up your rain gutters.

These bird problems can cause you all sorts of headaches and costly maintenance, something you really don’t need in these tough economic times.

Fortunately, there are ways to bird proof your industrial or commercial building. Below are just a few of the pest bird deterrents you can now employ. These devices are both humane and proven effective is discouraging pest birds from landing and/or nesting on your property.

Bird Spiders

These devices have flagellating, spindly arms that whip about in the breeze to discourage pest birds from landing on or near anywhere they are positioned. They are often placed on AC units and fixed skylights to deter a wide range of nuisance birds--including pigeons, seagulls and larger birds. They come in 2-, 4-, 6- and 8-foot designs to provide increasingly wider diameters of protection.

Bird spiders are easy to install on most any flat surface. Just make sure the “tips” of the spider’s arms reach out several inches over the outside surface(s). The arms should be able to move freely and the tips should be no more than 2 or 3 inches above the mounting surface. If you use glue to affix the spider, use the PVC adapter. When installing multiple spiders, position them 6 to 8 inches from arm-tip to arm-tip (not base to base).

Stainless Steel Bird Spikes

Ideal for rooftop areas and structures that seem to draw incessant flocks of pest birds, Stainless Steel Bird Spikes are a building owner/manger’s best friend. Installed properly, no bird will try to land on or near them. They can be mounted on ledges, I-beams, parapet walls, conduits and signs--virtually any flat or curved surface.  They come in rows of spiked strips--typically 3-, 5- and 8-inch widths and two-foot sections. The 8-inch spikes provide 8 to 10 inches of deterrence on a 10-inch wide ledge. You can mount them on AC units and other rooftop structures. The best stainless steel bird spikes feature a “no-nest” design with no-gap spacing to deter birds from roosting or landing.

Bird spikes are easy to install. They can be glued, nailed or screwed in place. Just remember not to leave any gaps wider than two inches between the spike strips. Pest birds are clever little buggers. For very wide ledges, be sure to use multiple rows of spikes and keep the gap between rows to two inches or smaller.

Finally, before installing bird spikes, the surface should be clean and dry. That means you’ll have to remove any loose rust, peeling paint, bird droppings, feathers and nesting materials. Birds are drawn to this type of debris and will regard it as “home sweet home.” You should also use commercial disinfecting cleaning agents to prevent exposure to any of the 60 known airborne diseases carried by birds and their droppings. Use eye and respiratory protection if the area is heavily contaminated with droppings.