Meridian Protects Grocery Warehouse from Nocturnal Grackles

PARTNER

Independent grocery distribution center for a major supermarket chain

• Located in Kinloch, MS, this 500,000 square foot facility serves a national grocery chain with a refrigerated
  “fresh” section and a standard “dry” section.

OBJECTIVE

Meridian was tasked to capture grackles that had lived inside so long their normal behaviors had changed.

• Grackles are normally diurnal, but these birds had become nocturnal to avoid contact with humans.

• The unchecked grackles consumed a costly amount of food product and also left droppings, causing inventory to be destroyed.

SOLUTION

The technician had to adapt and overcome in an early morning capture.

• Technician Larry L. captured the first grackle in the refrigerated section using Meridian’s live capture system

• The second proved elusive. Not only was it only active at night, but it had also adapted to running and hiding near the ground rather than flying.

• Larry returned six times at no extra charge, finally cornering the bird at 3:00 a.m. and catching it by hand.

RESULTS

The inspection confirmed only two birds, which caused a surprising amount of damage.

• Now that the distribution center was bird-free, the facilities manager could ensure space was cleaned, sanitized, and ready to continue shipping food across the country.

• The partner also learned how ignoring birds can lead to more difficult captures and increased losses to one’s business.