Managing bird problems in a facility can be both challenging and stressful for managers and customers alike.
Effectively preventing bird-related issues starts with recognizing the signs and understanding when intervention is necessary.
If your business isn’t currently facing health risks, customer dissatisfaction, or operational disruptions due to birds, immediate action might not be needed.
However, if these concerns are present, investing in proper bird removal is crucial to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment.
To help you avoid potential bird problems, here are five non-obvious traps that businesses often fall into, inadvertently creating a bird-friendly environment in their facility:
1. Making the Facility Attractive to Birds:
- Assess the structure’s design and consider modifications to reduce its appeal to birds, such as eliminating nesting spots and access to food and water.
- Store products like bird seed, grass seed, pet food, and other food items securely.
- Use functioning trash lids and properly manage dumpsters and compactors.
- Be mindful of landscaping, as certain trees can attract nuisance birds. In some cases, removing specific trees has significantly helped reduce bird issues.
2. Improper Staff Training:
- Ensure employees are trained in best practices, such as keeping doors shut, not feeding birds, and maintaining cleanliness.
- Emphasize that while watching birds can be enjoyable, it is more humane to prevent them from entering the facility. A stressful environment inside the store is not the best place for a bird to be.
3. Practical Structural Changes:
Evaluate the attractiveness of roof structures, awnings, overhangs, entrances, and foyers to birds and make adjustments to reduce their appeal.
4. Lack of Routine Maintenance and Cleanliness:
- Regularly clean up spills, including traffic areas and under and behind racking.
- Avoid stocking bird seed where birds can see it from outside.
- Promptly repair any structural issues that could provide entry points or nesting opportunities for birds.
5. Not Establishing a Bird Control Process:
- Implement a well-defined, year-round bird control program that includes nest removal, cleaning, exclusion, population reduction, and staff training.
- Set measurable goals and designate someone responsible for managing pest and bird control issues.
With extensive experience working with hundreds of businesses to humanely and safely remove birds, we understand the importance of addressing these often-overlooked factors.
By tackling these issues, you can significantly reduce or even eliminate bird presence in your facility.
Taking these proactive steps will not only help maintain a bird-free environment but also protect your business from potential disruptions, ensuring a safe and welcoming space for everyone.