The Hudson River disaster has brought forth unprecedented attention to “mysterious” bird strike calamities. However, bird strikes have been prevalent presumably since 1903—when the Wright brothers first roamed about in innovative engine planes.

Airport regions are ideal habitats for a variety of bird species, as airports have plentiful open space and rolling fields of luscious grass. Precautionary and preventative measures can be taken in order to reduce the chances of such a costly and ill-fated catastrophe from reoccurring.

Birds that aggressively protect their roosting habitats in airport spaces have unconsciously become immune to the busy traffic.

Birds need to be chased away from airport complexes prior to takeoff. This can be effectively done by making their environment unbearably inhabitable with the combined use of visual and sound deterrents as well as taste aversions—a commonly implemented three-part method. One must use bird spikes, bird lasers, bird nets, visual scare devices, annoying sounds, and/or repulsive tastes. If the three-part technique is executed correctly, birds will be forced to find another home farther from the airfield, hence reducing the risk of hazardous airborne tragedies.

More information about deterring pesky birds can be found on Bird-X‘s website.

Geese chilling at the train station pond

I take the train to work because of the traffic and the amount of money I save in gas and upkeep costs. Though I have to tell you that I’m really getting sick and tired of those frakkin’ geese! I’m at the station in the morning and there they are, busy flying overhead, crapping on the train platform just to protect their rights to the man-made pond nearby. And then I come home in the evening, trying to leave the parking area before I get stuck in a logjam of traffic and they are busy taking their own sweet time crossing the street. I swear, I often think about just plowing on through them, but they are protected by the government.

And that incessent honking! Can anything by any louder or more annoying than the geese communicating to each other? And what are they saying to one another? If only we could understand what they are saying, maybe their conversation would go something like this:

Goose #1: “Hey, I’m gonna take a big old dump right on the sidewalk. And then I’m going to honk at and chase the next human that walks by.”

Goose #2: “Oh yeah? Well, I’m going to go for a swim, defecate in the water, eat part of a fish and leave him in the pond. Then I’m going to fly over to that parking lot and I’m going to defecate some more right on that shiny red car.”

Goose #3: “You two are doing child’s play. I’m going to grab three friends and walk across that wide road all day long and stop traffic. And, while I’m in the middle of the road, I’m going to stop and clean myself.”

Geese 1 & 2: “Ooh. You win.”

And geese are smart. No matter what you do to stop them or get rid of them, they just ignore it…well, almost anything.

There’s this biologist in Ohio who’s like the Diane Fossey of geese. He’s been watching geese for over 25 years and is the foremost authority on goose behavior. He has been working with us here at Bird-X to develop products that will make geese leave – on their own – and take their friends with them. There’s this cool sound device called a GooseBuster that emits natural recordings of goose alarm and alert calls. Once the geese hear those soundas, they vamoose, knowing that trouble is afoot!

So I decided to do a little test. I asked my train mates about putting this sound device out there to see if it would scare away the geese – we’re subjected to the early morning honking and late afternoon jaywalking so why not try to get them to go elsewhere? They agreed and we set out to get rid of the geese. It took only three days! And now we hear faint honking and a distant corporate park when the wind is not in our favor. But the key here is that the geese are gone from our train stop. No more honking (from geese – cars are another issue). No more defecating on the train platform (someone actually slipped and fell in it once). And no more afternoon strolls across the street. Nada. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. They are gone – those frakkin’ geese are gone!

What, exactly, does this have to do with pests? Well, I found some really great video of squirrels searching for and eating food. It was not the actual act of chewing that got to me, it was their sheer will and fearlessness. One squirrel got onto a person’s lap to eat an almond M&M. Then there’s that awesome Bud Light commercial. You know – the one where drinking Bud Light gives you the power to talk to animals. And the dog says ‘sausages’ repeatedly and the squirrel tells the guy to mind his own business. Classic.

I never really paid much attention to squirrels until I moved to downstate Illinois to go to school. This is when my true memory of squirrels and their valiance began. They were everywhere and completely ruthless. Ask anyone who went to school in a college town with a green campus and a huge quad – squirrels are fearless. Maybe they’re just used to the idea of college kids rushing to class and get a kick out of making their commute that much harder.

Hearing stories about squirrels from friends became a daily occurrence. I never had any problems with them and actually came to admire the little critters for their bravery. I mean, they would literally walk right up to me, as if to have some sort of conversation. I thought it was cute until, that is, I started to hear true horror stories.

In August 2006, people lounging in an Orlando-area park complained of squirrels getting violent. One woman said her three-year-old son was bitten by a squirrel several times, resulting in a two-inch gash. Another young child, also three, was bitten on the calf while a man endured scratches and bites on his arm while sitting on a bench. Apparently, just one squirrel caused all of this damage.

In October of that same year, a squirrel attacked a four-year-old California boy in a Bay area park as his mother unwrapped a muffin. Officials said that attack like this had been occurring since May 2006. Officials also said that the “brazen behavior stems from years of being fed by park visitors.” People expressed outrage when authorities decided to kill the squirrels – which we should all know by know does not work.

People could go a long way in helping themselves when it comes to this seemingly harmless furries of mass destruction. I sometimes think squirrels have gotten a bad rap with sites like All Squirrels Must Die! devoted to getting rid of the creatures. Posted on the site is a pretty entertaining video showing what happens when a group of squirrels and a female M&M – this of the animated persuasion – cross paths (what is it with squirrels and candy-coated chocolate candies?).

Bird-X has sme great devices that can solve your squirrel problem. One such gadget is a Quad Blaster QB-4. This device is ultrasonic which means it is above the human hearing threshold (we can’t hear it).  Basically, it emits a sound that birds, squirrels and most other pests and critters cannot stand, and they will flee the coverage area immediately. You can use it almost anywhere and the 360-degree coverage is up to 6500 square feet. It is programmable, so you can change the frequency, warble rate and speaker sequencing so the animals will not become accustomed to the noise.

Another top option is the YardGuard.  This sonic repeller has a built-in infrared motion detector; activation occurs when animals wander into the coverage area (up to 4000 square feet). Since this is a motion detector, it is actually lower maintenance than many of our other products including the Quad Blaster QB-4. It is also effective in getting rid of raccoons, deer, skunks, as well as dogs and cats, and other garden pests.

  
Hollywood’s response? OMG!

  
Residents were less than pleased when more pigeons, and more pigeon droppings, got in the way of their high-stress life of beaches, Beamers and Botox. Panic ensued. The ACA then went the way of twenty-something women everywhere in an effort to fix the problem. During the summer of 2007, they implemented the first dose and expected to see some kind of results in a year. My incessant Googling produced no updates on their current plight, but by 2012, the pigeon population is expected to shrink by half.

  
After Hollywood, the domino effect was instant. Almost immediately, the Linda Vista neighborhood in San Diego tried Ovocontrol-P for the pigeons roosting on the roof of a popular skate park. Then, a councilman representing Staten Island, NY suggested that birth control could slow the pigeon population at the ferry terminals. Recently, St. Paul, Minnesota employed the tactic just in time for the Republican National Convention.

  
Why is ‘pilling’ the pigeons becoming so popular? It is a non-lethal and completely humane way to get rid of them. Basically, the pill interferes with the egg development; pigeons will still lay the eggs, they will just never hatch. And since People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) gave Ovocontrol-P the thumbs up, it is all systems go. Even our British frenemies are considering borrowing (aka stealing) our brilliance to handle their pigeon problem.

  
I’m not sure how I feel about this. Sure, it will (eventually) rid my life of pesky pigeon poop on my freshly washed and waxed automobile. And I will (eventually) not have to deal with their low-flying, loud and disease-infested presence ruining my ambiance. No more feathers clogging my drains. No more threat of bird mites attacking my bloodstream, making my life miserable. No more lice (courtesy of nests) lurking a few feet above my head.

  
But…

  
This seems a bit extreme – even for someone who doesn’t care too much for the little critters. Pigeons, with all their pervasiveness, should be given a shot to procreate as well. No, we don’t want them roosting on our roofs or defecating on our property. But do we really want to stop another living species from, well, living? What happens when we get tired of squirrels; put them on the pill too? How about stray cats? Animals in shelters? One (extremist?) poster on sciforums.com suggested that this is the beginning of the end for humans as well. Overpopulation? No worries! The good ol’ government will just design a gene that makes people infertile. Problem solved.

  
Though I feel this is somewhat radically overstated, maybe they’ve got a point. The fact remains that these people are treating the symptom and not the problem. There are too many proven effective ways to controlling birds to resort to encouraging their extinction. And besides, putting the current crop on the pill will not stop future fliers from resting where the old ones perished. The roof, ledge, tree, or wherever is still appealing to birds; that won’t change. And the people over at Tree Hugger made an excellent point about human birth control and its dire effect of fish. What, then, will the effect be on Raptors that pray on pigeons?

  
Hmmm…check out this site to see some of the humane ways (and by humane, I mean will not render barren) to control pigeons and other birds. Pigeons on the pill? What is the world coming to…

I remember the times when it used to be like “Hey, there’s a pigeon in the way so let me just lightly step in its direction and it’ll fly away,” and that was all there was to it. However it’s a completely different story now. They’ve obviously mastered the art of adapting to urban environments.

Now they flock together and glare at you mockingly, daring you to step in “their” territory.  When I need to pass, I try to get them out of the way by idiotically stomping like a madwoman and chasing them, which in so many ways never works to my advantage.

After awhile their all-too-comfortable presence gets frustrating. I mean, seriously, can you deal with the constant cooing that resonates in your ear, forcing you to scrunch your face in disgust?  How about their piercing red eyes, mucky feathers, razor-sharp beaks, and prickly clawed feet? Or how about the thought of them proudly mingling and feasting within five centimeters of your standing area without acknowledging your presence?

I’m a frequent public transportation rider, which unfortunately means that I’m always forced to share my limited waiting space with random flocks of disease-ridden pigeons.  Sometimes I wonder how so many birds can manage to remain in the same area for such a long period of time.  Oh, wait, I forget that oblivious culprits feed them falling to acknowledge the potential environmental and health risks that come along with doing such a thing.

When I witness these “culprits” feeding them, I always think to myself, “What the heck are you doing?! Do you not see that huge sign with huge letters telling you NOT to feed the birds? I think the sign’s there for a reason!”

I’ll have you know that birds are actually smarter than you think. They are completely capable of adapting to different settings. They just choose not to due to lack of incentive. I respect them as animals and all, but they need not roam about in metropolitan areas. If we continue to feed them nonchalantly, they will never get accustomed to natural wildlife environments.

People generally hesitate to approach unpleasant settings. Luckily I know how to effectively rid birds from any given area. (But sadly I’m no property owner. All I can do is spread the word.) I work for Bird-X, which is a company that specifically focuses on humanely getting rid of pesky birds and other critters. It’s important that solutions are logical and humane because illogical and inhumane fixes are cruel, redundant, and most importantly ineffective. I would love it if local officials considered administering effective maintenance strategies. Heck, I’d love it even more if private property owners did the same. It’s as simple as setting up a few Terror-Eyes, BroadBand PROs, and Spikes. That way pigeons become uncomfortable with the environment and we city dwellers can avoid crazy bird harassment.

We just added a new member to our family – a black labrador puppy. He’s great! We take him for extended walks, but clean up after him wherever we go. Not so is the case with our neighbors who take their dog out early in the morning and late at night. And each morning and each night I find that I have to clean up an extra helping of poop because my neighbor lets his dog defecate in my yard and does not clean up after it.

There are several dog owners in our community and several “curb” or clean up after their pets. Yet there are a few who don’t. And there’s nothing worse than having to clean up after someone else’s pet.

I have talked to my neighbor, called my association so they could fine him, and even called the non-emrgency police to let them know so they could fine him too, but nothing worked. I was at my wit’s end with my neighbor. I actually sat in the bushes early one morning and sprayed him and his dog with my garden hose. This is not something I want to do every morning and he is obviously doing this on purpose now (as opposed to letting his dog crap in my yard on purpose before I started asking him to politely curb his dog).

And that’s when I figured that the Yard Gard I had from Bird-X, Inc. (www.bird-x.com) was going to be my new dog defense system. I had purchased a Yard Gard unit to keep squirrels and rabbits out of my wife’s garden – and it sure did the trick! (I work at this company and was so happy to see firsthand that the humane solution is really the best solution). So I took the Yard Gard and placed it in my front yard (hidden, of course) and turned it on its motion sensor mode and left it to annoy my neighbor’s dog.

I know, you’re wondering how it affects my own dog. Well, here’s the thing: since it is an ultrasonic unit (meaning that its sounds are above human hearing), it cannot penetrate walls. So I leave my dog inside my house and let me neighbor bring his dog over to poop in my yard. You know what? That dog avoids my yard like the plague. And now he poops in his “master’s” yard. Now he’s forced to pick up the poop. And I have a poop free yard. And I turn the unit off when I walk my own dog.

If you have any questions on how to keep dogs from pooping in your yard, just check out the Yard Gard at www.bird-x.com and see how you can keep your lawn dog poop free.

“…with each drop of strychnine / We feed to a pigeon. / It just takes a smidgen! / To poison a pigeon in the park…”

We quickly called up the station, a popular classic rock station here in Chicago, and after a few tries, finally got through. The show was syndicated but we didn’t care. We had to know the song. The producer said he would play it in its entirety after the show ended, which he did – at 2:00 am. The song was called “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park” and is about a couple of people who go out every spring Sunday afternoon and poison pigeons in the park (and sometimes a squirrel).

As I look back on those times with my friends and all the fun we had – the one thing that keeps popping in my mind is that song (and the frantic search for it. Though, the funny thing about that song is that – several years later – I now work for a company that manufactures products the use humane methods for getting rid of pigeons in parks (and other places).

And while the song may ring true for many an angry park goer, that happens to be the WORST way to get rid of pigeons. The only tried and true way to get rid of pigeons for good is through behavior modification. The pigeons won’t leave an area unless they think it is unsavory. Meaning that it isn’t safe, secure or there’s no food.

One great way to get rid of pesky pigeons, especially if you have a serious pest bird problem or pigeon problem is to use a sound device. Anyone can blast a radio, but as we all know, pigeons adapt to their enviroments pretty fast. When walking the streets of Chicago, I see pigeons walking down the middle of busy streets and on the “L” (elevated) train tracks and fly away at the last minute only to return a moment or two later. You should really try a sound device such as a BroadBand PRO or a BirdXPeller PRO. These products use natural bird sounds – in this case pigeon alert and alarm calls – to scare away the birds. Other sounds found on these devices are that of predators of pigeons (hawks, eagles, owls, etc) that will make the area undesirable because it means that their is potential danger nearby.

One could also try using a spray solution like our BirdShield product. This is mixed with water and sprayed on vegetation, trees, buildings, can be added to ponds and most of all, it is non-harmful and non-toxic. It just tastes really, really bitter. Once sprayed on the pigeons’ food source and they’ll stop eating it and go look for food elsewhere.

Or you can start with a visual scare device like a Prowler Owl or a Terror Eyes scare balloon. These products look like the predators that scare off little pigeons and with one look at these “terrifying” objects, the pigeons scram.

As one can imagine, one doesn’t necessarily have to poison pigeons to get them to leave the park. In fact, poisoning them doesn’t tell the other pigeons that the area is unsavory – so all you’re really doing is replacing the foul birds with more foul (fowl?) birds. Take it from us, we know what we’re talking about. We’ve been moving birds from corporate, residential, municipal, and practically every other area you can think of for over 45 years. Visit us at www.bird-x.com and find out how you can solve your pigeon or other bird pest problem today!

There are so many great things about a garden. Not only is a garden a way to relieve stress, but they make your property prettier, which drives up property value, you can grow fruits and vegetables for sustenance and it adds value your neighbor’s property which makes the whole neighborhood more valuable.

But, when you add pesky animals to the mix, you can pretty much say goodbye to anything mentioned above, plus your property will look worse due to the destruction these animals bring. Not too mention that your stress level has gone up and your fruits and vegetables have been consumed by other creatures – a garden can truly be a hassle…

Though, with a few bits of information and some “how-to’s” we know that we can help make your garden pest-free. First, take a look at the BIRD-X ANIMAL PEST REPELLENT page and familiarize yourself with our products. Then, let’s get to know our garden variety pests:

Armadillo

Armadillo: An armadillo is an expert digger. They can cause serious damage to a lawn or a nicely landscaped area. They often dig holes in undesirable places such as underneath a concrete porch, the foundation of a house or near water/gas lines. If they remove too much dirt from under a concrete foundation, the foundation faces the danger of cracking and crumbling – you could easily kiss your house goodbye. Their burrows may also attract other animals such as the opossum (see below). If you see a large hole in your lawn or property with a lot of dirt thrown around it, then you have an armadillo.

Chipmunk

Chipmunks: Don’t be fooled, chipmunks are rodents and are best described as small ground dwelling squirrels. While these little guys may be a favorite of children everywhere, they are not so much in favor with gardeners. Chipmunks are omnivores. Their primary diet consists of grains, nuts, berries, seeds and insects. They are also burrowing animals. They also like to eat flower bulbs, fruits, and seedlings – all conveniently found in your garden. If they are around in large numbers they can cause structural damage by burrowing under patios, stairs, retention walls or foundations.

Deer

Deer: We all loved Bambi and hated to see her mother get killed in the famous story, but this is real life and while we would prefer not to shoot the deer roaming through our neighborhood, darting across the street and eating all our plants – we must find a way to stop them…humanely. The primary concern with deer is their appetite. They will eat a large array of plants and vegetation. They will eat your crops, damage your trees and can ruin your nice landscaping. Deer are also responsible for the spread of Lyme Disease because they are carriers of Deer Ticks.

Fox

Fox: The fox is a medium sized canine with a large bushy tail, often tipped in white. The fox ranges in color from flame red to rust red to a grayish color, but is usually reddish-brown. The fox uses a variety of different habitats for dens including abandoned holes dug by other animals. Their diet varies and often includes small animals and birds. These guys a mostly a hazard for poultry producers. Turkeys, chickens, ducks, and geese are all susceptible to an opportunistic fox. Young pigs, lamb and small pets are also considered tasty morsels. They will also steal food left for outdoor pets. Foxes may carry rabies.

Mole

Mole: Moles live underground and occasionally come to the surface. Their cylindrical bodies and powerful front claws are ideal for digging. Moles create a complex labyrinth of interconnected chambers by burrowing both deep and close to the surface. Though your primary concern is the tunnels. They can leave ridged tunnels all over a lawn. While they are not necessarily harmful, they can ruin your nice landscaping and leave holes all over the place. Though, if you see a large hole with dirt all around, it probably is an armadillo, but a smaller hole might mean a mole.

Opossum

Opossum: Opossums are unique for several reasons: They are the only North American marsupials (meaning that females have a pouch on the belly where the young – up to 13 – are carried and nourished), they have a prehensile tail from which they can hang, and are also known for “playing dead” as a defense tactic. The main issues with an opossum are that they are known to find shelter underneath a porch or a shed. They steal garbage, pet food and harass pets. They will build a home in your attic and have their babies there. They will invade a home under the floorboards and in the walls. And if they die in your home they will cause a horrible odor (like anything else that dies in your home). The main problem with opossum in your attic, walls, basement, etc is that they leave a large amount of droppings which can carry several different parasites and diseases. They are not the cleanest of animals, and carry a strong odor that is unbearable.

Rabbit

Rabbits: The Cottontail Rabbit is not part of the rodent family. It is classified in Lagomorphs. Litter sizes up to 10 have been reported, but typical litters have 3 to 5 young, born after a gestation period of about 28 days. Eastern Cottontails are herbivorous, eating a wide variety of plant materials. They are cute to look at, both adults and children marvel at and are infatuated with them. While they may be part of some religious holidays, they also a known for creating a large amount of crop damage. In high numbers, they can decimate your garden. They will eat all the plants, flowers, flower bulbs and vegetables that you grow in your garden. Additionally, rabbits can infect humans through openings in the skin with Tularemia, a bacterial disease, which is also known as rabbit fever or deer-fly fever.

Raccoon

Raccoons: Raccoons are easy to recognize with their distinctive black mask and ringed tail. They are common in practically every neighborhood in every city and are well adapted to survival in cities. They are known as excellent climbers and have very nimble hands, are strong and are adventurous – with no problem tearing open new areas in search of food and shelter. They like to den in trees, but also find attics as a great alternative. They have learned that garbage cans and dumpsters are excellent sources of food and that houses are an excellent habitat. A mother raccoon will tear a hole in a roof to access an attic where they will make quite a mess and a lot of noise. They can cause quite a substantial amount of damage to your home by both contaminations from their waste or by structural damage to insulation, beams or even by chewing on wires. They will even break into a screened porch in search of food. If there’s food or shelter to be had, raccoons will break into your house, crawl under your house and climb through the walls. They carry a large number of parasites and diseases that can affect people and pets alike. They are the #1 carrier for rabies, a potentially fatal disease and they also carry canine distemper which can kill your dog. Their feces may contain raccoon roundworm, the spores of which can infect humans when breathed in.

Skunk

Skunks: Skunks are easy to recognize with their bold black and white coloring. Using special glands below the tail, skunks can spray their powerful scent up to 15 feet. The scent burns the attacker’s eyes and causes temporary blindness. Of course, the stench is too much for most animals to bear, and serves as a strong warning against future attacks. Most skunk problems involve skunks that have chosen to take up residence under your house or in a crawlspace, under a porch, deck or shed. They often dig to gain access to these are. No homeowner appreciates this scent under their deck. And, a skunk in the area poses a constant threat to nosey pets that are not aware of a skunk’s defense mechanism. Skunks are omnivorous animals that eat both plants and animals and will change their diet as the seasons change. They will topple garbage to gain access to food and will often eat pet food or the carcasses of rodents left behind by cats.

Squirrel

Squirrels: Squirrels are members of the rodent family and are very active year-round. A mother squirrel bears young twice a year, usually in February and August. They are arboreal, which means they live in trees, but they also seem to love attics. They are active most in the mornings and evenings and eat all kinds of food, but prefer nuts and seeds. They especially like the seed found in your bird feeder and their amazing acrobatic moves allow them to reach almost anywhere they want to go. To gain access to your attic or soffit, they will chew a hole in your house, often times near wires for phone, electricity or cable/satellite television entering your home. The attic provides shelter and warmth which is ideal for baby squirrels but not ideal for a homeowner who has to contend with chewed wood, beams and power lines which can create a fire hazard. They also bring nesting material and biohazardous waste into an attic.

Bird-X, Inc.

So, what can you do to effectively and inexpensively get rid of them? Bird-X actually carries a product, Bird Proof Gel, that works instantaneously. Place some on any surface where pigeons roost, like ledges and gutters, and the surface immediately becomes uncomfortable, making the area sticky and unappealing. Don’t worry; the gel is completely harmless to the birds and non-toxic. It is also discreet and low profile as to not make your property less appealing visually.

Tip: Don’t feed them. Obvious? Definitely, but some people need an extra reminder. If the geese can’t eat on your property, they have no reason to return. A great way to discourage those in public parks is posting “Do not feed the geese” signs.

Tip: You know what geese hate? The smell and taste of Concord grapes. Bird-X’s GooseChase active ingredient, Methyl Anthranilate, is made from a constituent of Concord grapes. One gallon of concentrate yields 60 gallons of mixture. Spray it onto dry grass and said goodbye to geese.

Tip: Shooting and poisoning them don’t work! Short-term solutions do not change the fact that your property is appealing to geese. And these methods create another problem: animal rights activists, angry neighbors, and law enforcement. Stick with humane geese control.

Tip: Visual scares can work wonders if used properly. Try an aversion with mylar eyes, like Terror-Eyes. The lenticular eyes produce a holographic effect, constantly changing, making the birds believe they are being followed everywhere.