School has started, and the holiday season is waiting in the wings. Customer traffic will soon (if they aren’t already!) be focusing on fall goodies such as pumpkin spice and apple crumble, but birds are also attracted to some of the fall specials that may find their way onto the pavement. Cooler temperatures and a surge of traffic for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas means your location could be bustling with activity. Store managers are dealing with increased customer traffic, merchandise rotation, and inventory counts. The same holds true for distribution centers, food processors, and other support businesses.
September is often when we see an increase in bird activity. The colder weather can push birds closer to your buildings, and the reduced food sources can lead to them harassing customers or damaging merchandise. While we understand this is a busy time, we do have a few key tips on making sure birds stay out of your building. The following can help keep “Bird inside store” off your to-do list:
Submit repair tickets for damaged curtains/dock seals/doors etc.
Getting your vinyl curtains fixed or replaced as well as any other delayed repairs such as dock seals, doors, or netting can go a long way to keeping your facility bird free. We have also seen birds squeeze through surprisingly small gaps, so be sure to patch any holes and seal any gaps that might allow unwanted visitors inside. Also, birds love the shelter of your roofline so if you have broken soffits, birds will find them, nest in them, and leave droppings that can rot your building from the inside.
Keep doors and windows closed
A high percentage of the birds we remove from stores enter the easiest possible way, an open door. With increased holiday traffic, the risk of birds slipping through open doors rises. Addressing any issues with automatic doors and making sure the doors stay closed can go a long way to preventing birds from entering! Train your staff to keep doors shut when not in use, including roll-up and dock doors. Since birds can slip through surprisingly small gaps, birds will enter around a parked trailer fairly easily. They can also slip through dock plates, so seal up the voids under these as well.
Place edible merchandise out of sight
Birds are visual feeders, so they will seek out visible food sources. Avoid placing birdseed, dried corn, or any other potential food near entrances. Plastic-wrapped items won’t deter birds if they’re visible, and non-food items like straw bales and decorative trees should be positioned away from doors to minimize their appeal as potential bird habitats. Regularly shake these items to flush any birds that might be considering moving in.
Clean up spills
More customer traffic not only means more open doors, it also means more crumbs and spills. Happy holiday shoppers are bound to drop crumbs around entry points. To prevent attracting birds, clean up food crumbs and other waste promptly, especially near entrances. Regularly empty trash receptacles to avoid attracting birds with food wrappers, uneaten foods, and other temptations. Also, Summer nesting season is over, so there should be no more eggs or juvenile birds to worry about. Clean out any nesting materials that have been left behind.
While September is one of the busiest months for bird activity, following these tips can ease the stress of the season. If “bird inside store” has made it onto your to-do list, reach out to us today, and we can help.