Many people ask the question, “How did the bird get in my building?”. Birds can be a nuisance species just like mice, and insects. They typically look for the most sustainable living environment that can provide food, water, and shelter. Once inside a facility, birds cannot only survive but thrive if the conditions are right.
How Did the Bird Get in My Building?
There are multiple factors and phases that occur before a bird will enter a building. Once you understand these phases it will be easier to combat the factors attracting birds to your location. Keep reading to answer the question, how did a bird get in my building!
Attractant Phase
Birds are attracted to your environment by a combination of factors including food, water, warmth, and shelter. Birds are constantly searching for an environment that contains all or as many of these factors. Once birds discover your facility contains one or many of these, they will visit the area frequently and then return to their normal nesting area.
Moving In Phase
Next, the birds realize that the benefits of your area outweigh their current home; they begin the move-in process. Note that trees and other shrubs may provide shelter during the day; however, birds will eventually figure out that any shelter on the exterior of your building will also suffice—particularly if it is closer to a food or water source.
Exploration Phase
After birds have moved into the area around the exterior of your facility, they become bolder, flying closer to people. During this time they will hop through the carts, under benches, and around your doors, close to where the warm or cool air is coming from depending on the time of the season. The birds will explore the entire exterior of your facility.
Bird in the Store Phase
Following the exploration of your facility environment, birds will often find holes in your walls, notice the wide-open dock doors, see the gaps in loading plates, or even learn that they can gain entry through the front door. At this juncture, we are dealing with three types of birds: those who love their new home and decide to stay; those who decide this is not for them and desperately try to get out; and those who simply come and go.
Common Building Invaders
English House Sparrows will take up residence as they are an invasive species and not only survive in this environment but flourish. If not removed they will proceed to build a home, mate, and grow a family in your store.
Hawks, starlings, and many other birds often become very uncomfortable and do not like this new environment at all. As their instincts kick in, these types of birds will invariably seek the highest ground away from people or the perception of threat and so you’ll find them in the rafters or on structures close to the ceiling. Once they find this more defensible spot in your building, they will not likely be willing to fly low enough to make it out an open door.
The third and perhaps most frustrating category is the everyday visitors. We have nicknamed these birds “door timers.” These birds will learn to fly through the doors as customers open them–some birds even learn how to activate the door sensors themselves! These birds fall into two categories: the first is the daytime visitors, who come in during the morning or afternoon to feed and then leave. The second is the overnighters–they leave in the morning when the doors go up and then return in the evenings to roost inside.
Removal and Exclusion Phase
As you would suspect, when birds enter your facility they pose a clear and present danger to food safety, introduce a health risk hazard, and will impact your public image while creating the possibility that you will face both state and local fines. If you are wondering how to get a bird out of your building, we can help.
As such, whatever the bird species, once inside your facility they will need to be quickly removed. Following a successful bird removal, whatever led them to pick your facility should be addressed with a thoughtful assessment of your environment’s bird-attractiveness condition. With this report in hand, you’ll have the right blueprint to fix the problem and thus minimize future infestations.
At Meridian, we provide 100% guaranteed bird removal via a live capture and relocation methodology steeped in the observance of local, state, and federal laws. For more information click on the “Our Services” tab and select your location.
If you are experiencing bird issues, contact us by email at nobirds@meridianbirdremoval.com or for emergencies call 855-362-2200.