Bird control begins with this one easy trick. It literally stops birds in their tracks!
September is typically the slowest month for us at Meridian Bird Removal. Juvenile birds have found homes and are no longer roaming about. The weather is still warm enough to make the outdoors more enticing to birds than inside buildings. There’s also an abundance of insects and plant life to satisfy a wild bird’s appetite.
Because you’re not dealing with bird invasions, this is also the perfect time to bird-proof your building. This month, we’re going to focus on the simplest, easiest thing you can do to prevent birds from getting inside your facility. Ready?
CLOSE YOUR DOORS.
If that sounds too easy, that’s because it is! Doors, whether they’re receiving doors or people doors, are the number one way birds get into buildings.
Here are six steps we recommend to make sure your doors stay closed to birds and other problems.
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Train your staff to keep doors closed.
We know how often people prop open doors or forget to close them. Make sure everyone knows why the doors must be kept closed – because birds could get in, and that means time and money spent removing them and dealing with their fallout.
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Make a list of doors in your facility and inspect them.
Having a list of doors means you have a checklist. Make periodic rounds to ensure doors are shut tight. If you find a door doesn’t close properly, put in a work order to fix it. Do you have automatic doors? If an automatic door doesn’t close in five seconds or less, repair it! These steps will make people aware and increase site security, too.
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Receiving doors need to close all the way and seal to the ground.
Dock doors take a lot of punishment. We’ve seen a lot of roller doors that bounce off the ground and leave a gap and the bottom. That’s an invitation for birds (as well as higher heating and cooling bills). Fix them to keep out birds, drafts, and other wildlife intruders.
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If you have plastic curtains, make sure they’re in good repair.
Like dock doors, plastic curtains see plenty of abuse in the bustle of the working day. Check the strips to make sure they’re secure and not crooked. Also, verify they form a barrier that birds can’t fly through. This includes being trimmed to a gap of less than ¼ of an inch off the ground.
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Regularly remind your staff.
It’s a good idea to remind people why closed doors are important. Make it a mantra at staff meetings or continuing education. Fully operational doors keep out birds AND pests. Plus they save on energy costs and increase building security.
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Hold people accountable.
You probably don’t have a Door Closing Team Lead. So who “owns” the task of checking on the doors? Perhaps this is a job for your facilities manager. Maybe you prefer to assign responsibility by area. Whatever you decide, someone needs to be accountable for the doors. That will ensure they stay closed and in good repair.
Bird Control Resources
Meridian Bird Removal has multiple wild bird control resources to help you. We are experts in bird removal and love to teach people about bird control through prevention.
Read these articles for more information about wild bird control and prevention: