October can truly set off the holiday frenzy in your store, from the spooky skeletons and pumpkins on one display to garland and evergreen on another. If you happen to have the holiday drinks inside your store, then that increases the customer traffic even more with this month offering the seasonal drinks that everyone searches out whether they’re looking for cinnamon or nutmeg.
Bird activity is on the upswing, so if you haven’t already, it’s time to review bird control policies with employees as well as submit any repair tickets. Repairs can have a waiting list so it’s important to get into the queue as soon as you can…just like the customers waiting for their pumpkin spice latte! See our article last month for some helpful tips.
However, with the holiday rush beginning, you might have a curious customer or two. As your food safety and bird removal partner, Meridian knows we contribute to your public image. Our proven process is designed to not disrupt your operations, and our technicians are all trained on any potentially “spooky” customer interactions that may happen. Below we have listed our most often asked questions in the field from both employees and customers alike:
Do you harm the birds?
Meridian’s process with interior bird removal has always been a live capture system. Before we came along, exterminators often used air rifles to shoot birds. There are a variety of reasons as to why this method is not always popular from facility shutdowns to pellets damaging products to dead/injured birds falling or hiding behind shelves or equipment
Some pest control companies still use precision shooting exclusively. Meridian specializes in live bird capture and removal inside buildings. This method does not harm the bird.
Does the net hurt the bird?
This is a frequently asked question! We use ornithological nets designed to capture but not injure birds. A bird may struggle once caught in a net, but our technicians’ goal is to remove the bird from the net as quickly as possible.
And no, our nets are not electrified!
Why do we need to remove the bird?
Some get attached to the bird inside the facility, giving it a name or even feeding it. However, wild birds belong outside, not inside the building. The building is full of tight spaces and electrified equipment that can harm them. We’ve even seen birds that have lived inside too long grow deformed feet from perching on hard, flat surfaces instead of tree branches.
Birds also cause serious health problems for humans by carrying more than 60 diseases and parasites. The birds then transmit these to food they touch. State and local health departments will close a facility with persistent bird incursions. It’s important to get the bird back outside before it turns into a much bigger issue.
What happens to the bird?
This depends on federal and state regulations!
We release protected birds outside the facility, this includes all predatory birds.
For common nuisance species such as sparrows, grackles, and starlings…we take them far away from the capture site to be released. Our standard practice is to take them in a ventilated container at least 10 miles away from the facility and release them.
If a bird is injured, we take it to a wildlife rehab center. We maintain close relations with local wildlife and conservation groups, and several technicians are volunteers themselves.
There are numerous laws regulating birds in America. Meridian Technicians are trained to know these laws and better help birds such as raptors and migratory species.
Your protection is our priority when it comes to bird control, and we can certainly help if any bird sneaks through the door in a costume with our team at Meridian Bird Removal.