There are huge risks associated with pest birds on buildings and ledges. Bird droppings are acidic and can cause structural damage by eating through paint, some roofing materials and fabrics resulting in massive spending on restoration and/or complete replacement. Health hazards associated with pest birds pooping on and around buildings are serious since birds carry a multitude of diseases that are easily spread when droppings dry and form a dust that is sucked through AC units and then inhaled. And of course legal issues arise when slip and fall incidents occur on your premises due to messy bird droppings. 

How do you get rid of birds on your buildings and ledges? Bird Spikes! Bird•B•Gone has top class bird spikes that will keep birds away. Bird spikes come in polycarbonate (plastic) or stainless steel and are the ultimate solution to getting rid of birds on buildings and ledges. The bird spikes are durable, effective and long lasting with a five year guaranty on the polycarbonate bird spikes and a 10 year guarantee on the stainless steel bird spikes. Bird•B•Gone’s patented technology on its stainless steel bird spikes make them superior to any spike on the market. Bird spikes are available in a variety of sizes (and colors in the plastic bird spikes) to suit your bird control needs.

Installing bird spikes will save your company time and money by ensuring birds stay off of your buildings and ledges. Installation is easy as bird spikes can either be glued down with polyurethane adhesive or nailed down. Bird•B•Gone also offers a free training class to guide installers through the process and if you don’t have your own installation crew, Bird•B•Gone can connect you with professional installers in your area.

Our online bird spike comparison chart or our team of specialists will help you determine which bird spikes are best for your bird problem. Keep pest birds away from your ledges!
We proudly make all of our bird spikes in the USA.

With their open courtyards, outdoor eating tables and overflowing garbage cans, schools can draw pigeons by the hundreds, especially during bird season. Without effective pigeon control measures to deter them, pigeons can deface school property and leave mounds of disease-carrying droppings.  These droppings—which can carry salmonella and e-coli—will cover benches, tables, playground equipment, even doorknobs. Wet pigeon droppings are very slippery and leave dangerous slip-and-fall hazards.

Pigeon poisons are dangerous to use around children. And just frightening the birds away with loud noises or water hoses are ineffective. What’s needed are professional-level pigeon control devices. Here are some proven-effective pigeon deterrents recommended by bird control experts:

Deny them a Place to Perch with Bird Spikes

Pigeons love to perch on rooflines, parapet walls and most any elevated area around a school.  Bird Spikes deny them the opportunity by making it impossible for them to land. The bird spikes most often preferred by government entities are made of stainless steel with the spikes embedded in a UV-protected polycarbonate base. These have a 10-year guarantee and come in 1”, 3”, 5” and 8” widths to cover wider and wider areas. The spikes have a 1.5”  base, which allows them to be glued, screwed, or tied down to narrow landings. The best, high quality bird spikes have been approved by several humane groups around the world–including the US Humane Society and PICAS (Pigeon Control Advisory Service).

Whisk them Off with the Repeller 360°

Ideal for use on rooftops and other flat, elevated  areas where pigeons tend to flock, the Repeller 360° is entirely wind powered. The device’s large arms rotate continuously to discourage pigeons from landing. The arms cover a 6-foot diameter area. The end of each arm is covered with a large reflective “predator eye” to intimidate the most determined pigeon. For lasting durability, the stainless steel arms are attached to a UV-protected polycarbonate base. The Repeller 360° assembles easily and can be attached with a variety of available bases.

Bird Wire Systems Keep Pigeons Away

Birds like a nice steady landing perch. Pigeons are no exception. Which is why Bird Wire Systems are so effective in denying them a place to perch. These post-and-spring-wire set-ups are easily installed along any roofline, elevated railing or parapet wall. Post Wire Systems are often used by Federal and State government buildings. As with all bird control devices, it pays to go for quality. The best bird wire systems feature nylon coated stainless steel wire for lasting durability, rain or shine.

Pigeons Fear to Tread on Bird Gels

Pigeons don’t like walking on a sticky surface. One or two steps on Bird Gel and off they go. Bird Gels are easy to applied using the standard caulking guns your maintenance people already have. The chemical stays sticky for six months.

If you have a shed, barn or even an open storage area, and you happen to live anywhere but the inner city, you’ll have critters trying to sneak in. These critters can include bats, squirrels, rabbits, coyotes, skunks, raccoons, even deer and bears. If you store any kind of food in these structures, these critters will make a beeline for them to seek not only food but shelter.

Chances are, you’ve encountered this problem before and probably thrown up your hands in frustration. For you’ve tried traps and poisons and all manner of homegrown critter deterrents—all with minimally effective results. You’ve even tried mothballs and animal urine—no help. You’re just about ready to whip out your shotgun, but unless you live “in the sticks,” there are legal and safety concerns in going that route.

But the fact remains, you’ve got to find some way to get rid of animals. As you’ve undoubtedly experienced, critters can create a lot of headaches in time and money. They can eat virtually anything you’ve stored inside or outside–grain, crops, feed, the list goes on and on. Critters can also chew up the electrical wiring inside barns and sheds. Some, like raccoons and opossums, can chew into a roof faster than you can say holy critter! And they sure can leave a smelly mess if they’ve been there awhile or if they died there.

Fortunately, there is a humane, inexpensive animal deterrent that will keep critters away from your shed, barn or even an open storage area. It’s called the Bird-B-Gone Sonic Shield™. And critters don’t like it.

Light and Sound Deters Any Critter Around

The Bird-B-Gone Sonic Shield™ has been proven effective to keep a wide range of bats and four–legged critters away from your property. It uses a motion sensor that springs to life the second a critter crosses its area of protection. Once activated, a dog barking and flashing LED light scare critters away.

Works Day or Night to Give Critters a Fright

The Sonic Shield™ has both a daytime and nighttime mode of operation. For the daytime mode, flashing LED lights and loud barking dog sounds work in unison to frighten all types of critters from your property. In the nighttime mode, just the flashing LED lights come on—perfect for neighborhoods where night noises would wake up the neighbors. Either way, the Sonic Shield™ is a very cost-effective way to get rid of bats and four-legged critters. And it sure beats those ultrasonic deterrents, which emit sounds most critters can’t hear.

The Set-and-Forget Animal Deterrent

The Sonic Shield™ is self-contained, portable and goes wherever critters creep. It runs on four standard AA batteries. So you can position it practically in the path of suspected critter entry points. There’s no need for AC connections. And you won’t need to resort to such deterrents as shotguns, traps, smelly mothballs or urine.

Recent media reports from China highlight a new form of avian influenza (or bird flu) that has killed several people over the past few months. While we are still learning more about this strain of bird flu, we do know a lot about avian influenza in general, which may help the public, civic leaders, and bird control professionals take the necessary precautions to limit the spread of H7N9 and other bird flu strains.

What is Avian Influenza?

Avian (or bird) influenza is a disease caused by several related types of viruses. There are dozens of strains of each of these related viruses. Most of these viruses are usually only found in birds, while others, such as the common flu virus, can cause illness in humans and other mammals. While there are more than 100 different types (and even more subtypes) of avian influenza, the one recent news reports are concerned about is referred to as H7N9.

What is H7N9 Bird Flu?

H7N9 avian influenza is a strain of bird flu virus that was first reported to cause human infections in China at the end of March 2013. As of the end of April 2013, it has caused 126 cases of human infection in China, including 24 deaths. In humans, the virus causes respiratory infections that can lead to death from pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or multiorgan failure. So far H7N9 cases have not spread beyond China, and appear to be limited to people that have had close contact with live infected ducks and chickens at poultry markets.

How does H7N9 Bird Flu Spread?

Bird flu viruses can potentially circulate between wild birds, poultry, and humans. H7N9 was first found in wild birds in the Republic of Korea and Mongolia during avian flu surveillance activities in 2008. During this current outbreak, H7N9 has only been found in chickens, ducks, quail, and captive-bred pigeons at live poultry markets in China. There is evidence that chickens may harbor the disease without showing symptoms, making it difficult to track in poultry markets. No wild birds have tested positive for this strain so far. Transmission to humans is still being studied, but appears to take place primarily from close contact with live infected poultry. There is currently no evidence of direct human-to-human transmission. Officials are still looking for evidence of how the virus may spread between pigeons, other wild birds, and poultry.

How can we protect ourselves from H7N9 and other strains of Avian Influenza?

Most Americans face very limited threats from bird flu viruses at this time, since they do not come into regular and direct contact with infected birds. Other cultures, especially those that support live poultry markets and small-scale poultry production, may face greater risks. Hunters and wildlife professionals, including pest management professionals, should follow the bird handling guidelines outlined by the National Wildlife Health Center. While the risk of infection is usually small, people should avoid contact with live birds or their bird droppings, and they should wash hands with soap and water (or alcohol-based products) thoroughly after any such contact, especially before rubbing their eyes, eating, drinking, or smoking.

Can bird control help stop the spread of H7N9?

While it is too early to know exactly how the H7N9 bird flu is being spread, since it was found in pigeons at a poultry market in Shanghai, it does highlight the importance of bird control in poultry operations and markets. In general, wild birds including feral pigeons should be excluded from areas where they can come into contact with poultry, in order to limit bird flu virus transmission. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommends screening, fencing, or netting be used to keep wild birds away from poultry and other animals. Backyard and commercial poultry growers should follow the bio-security guidelines published by the University of Georgia CAES. While avian influenza should not be over-hyped, bird borne diseases such as avian influenza do pose a risk that should be carefully considered and managed when dealing with wild birds, poultry operations, and other situations where people may come in contact with wild birds and their droppings.

While the hope is that the geese are just visiting, one faculty member who teaches ornithology noted that some populations of geese remain throughout the year in Ohio. Drawn by the manicured lawns, tasty vegetation and the absence of predators, the geese are likely to call this campus their home.  While there are no large bodies of water on campus, experts believe the geese, like the ducks before them, will adapt and make nests there.

Campus officials worry that once the geese take to nesting, the campus will be overrun since geese are prolific reproducers. The other concern is that Canada geese are protected by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, so permits are needed to hunt them out of season or destroy their eggs.

So far, campus officials have considered resorting to dogs, scarecrows and lasers to get rid of the geese. Malone’s Director of Physical Plant suggested some goose controls but these were considered inhumane.  A Department of Natural Resources publication noted that hunting virtually eliminated Canada geese from Ohio by 1900. But by 2000, the Division of Wildlife estimated there were 84,000 Canada geese in Ohio.

Perhaps it’s time for Malone University to implement some professional goose control measures. Here are two —a goose repellant and a goose deterrent—that will get rid of geese quickly, efficiently and humanely:

Goose-B-Gone Super Sonic Goose Deterrent

Broadcasting pre-recorded goose-distress calls, the Goose-B-Gone Super Sonic system intimidates geese over a wide area. The system comes with one internal speaker that covers a full acre and more speakers can be added to cover up to five acres. The Goose-B-Gone Super Sonic is fully programmable to operate between 65 to 105 decibels and can be turned on or off at night. The system is ruggedly designed for outdoor use, with UV-protected materials to endure harsh sun and weather.

Migrate Goose Repellent

Turning a goose food source into a sour-tasting substance, Migrate Goose Repellent transforms grass areas and shrubs into a natural repellent. This non-toxic liquid is easily applied by grounds crew and won’t harm people or pets. Its active ingredient is Methyl Anthranilate, a harmless grape extract that irritates a goose’s trigeminal nerves and mucous membranes.  One or two bites of a chemically treated lawn or shrub will make geese think twice about considering campus lawns and shrubs as a food source. Migrate lasts up to three months outdoors, and won’t wash off with rain or sprinklers. One gallon covers about 16,000 square feet for one application.

A sign for pharmaceutical compounding company NECC, a producer of the steroid methylprednisolone acetate, is seen in Framingham, Massachusetts. (Image credit: Jessica Rinaldi, Reuters)

(Reuters) – U.S. health inspectors found bugs, a flying bird and other unsterile conditions at Ameridose LLC, an affiliate of the Massachusetts compounding pharmacy at the heart of the deadly meningitis outbreak.

Westborough, Massachusetts-based Ameridose was closed on October 10 to allow state and federal investigators to inspect its facilities. On Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released the results of its investigation.

The agency’s report details a list of quality control failures at Ameridose, including a failure to test the potency of its products, a failure to properly classify patient complaints and the use of “vague, canned language” when describing negative patient reactions to its drugs.

The company, an affiliate of the New England Compounding Center, said it is in the process of preparing a full response to the FDA.

“Ameridose’s history shows clearly that we have not had any instance of contaminated products over the course of the past six years, which covers the manufacture and shipment of 70 million units of product,” the company said in a statement. “Ameridose is committed to addressing all observations in order to enhance our existing systems.”

The investigation of Ameridose follows the closure of the NECC, which distributed thousands of vials of a steroid linked to an outbreak of fungal meningitis that has hit 19 states and claimed 32 lives.

Inspectors found that Ameridose failed to investigate customer complaints related to drug potency, under-filled products and syringe volumes. It also failed to classify “patient response” complaints as “adverse events.”

Several such complains referred to the drug oxytocin, used to induce labor in childbirth. One referred to “fetal distress and hyper stimulated uterus.” Another customer called to report an increase in post-partum hemorrhaging. Another reported that a patient had shortness of breath and that “the throat was closing.”

A complaint related to the painkiller fentanyl noted that the patient was “oversedated” and “unresponsive.” Another patient given the blood-thinner heparin experienced a “life-threatening” negative reaction.

Inspectors said buildings used to make, process, pack and hold the drugs were not maintained in a good state of repair. The firm failed to perform a microbiological assessment after “penetrating leaks” were found in a building and water dripping above the clean room.

“During the inspection we observed totes placed in the location of the penetrating leaks containing water,” the inspection report noted. “There is no documented evidence that the leaks were permanently corrected.”

Walls were cracked, corroded and covered with what appeared to be adhesive material in a room where sterile drugs are prepared, the report noted.

Equipment and utensils were not cleaned or sanitized at appropriate intervals to prevent contamination that could alter the safety, identity, quality or purity of the drugs, according to the report.

Certain metal surfaces “were observed to contain what appeared to be brownish structures, atypical in shape,” the report noted.

Moreover, the buildings used “are not free of infestation by rodents, birds, insects and other vermin,” the report said.

Specifically, insects were located in an area where finished sterile product is packaged and stored. The insects were also located within three to 10 feet of the controlled area where sterile products are manufactured.

At least one bird was observed flying in an area where sterile finished product is packaged and stored.

On Friday, Ameridose, which has the same owners as NECC, said it would lay off about 90 percent of its work force. About 650 employees at Ameridose will be affected, as well as 140 employees at Medical Sales Management, a company that provides sales, technology and human resources support to Ameridose.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montana said SM Energy Co. pleaded guilty Wednesday one misdemeanor count of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in each state. U.S. Magistrate Carolyn Ostby also placed the company on probation for a year and ordered it to make a $7,500 payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The case dates back to 2005, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service documented deaths of a dozen migratory birds at uncovered open fluid pits at Nance Petroleum sites in Wyoming. Nance later become an SM Energy subsidiary.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Image credit: US EPA

Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Wednesday announced that the bird flu having broken out four months ago in the western Jalisco state has been “totally controlled.”

“After 68 days with no new cases reported, we are entering the stage of eradication” of the H7N3 virus, Calderon said at the presidential residence.

Mexico will recover very soon from the highly dangerous avian influenza, he said, stressing that the control of this disease is the result of “great effort of the government and producers.”

Among the measures, he said the culling of over 22 million chickens, the establishment of a sanitary cordon and the development of an “effective vaccine against the disease, are crucial to control the virus quickly and decisively.”

In the past months, “around 140 million doses of vaccine have been applied, and we also have a sufficient reserve bank to use if necessary,” the president said.

Thanks to efforts to restore the productive capacity of the farming, Mexico is expected to recover in November the number of laying hens to the level prior to the outbreak of the avian influenza, he said.

Calderon noted that the goal now is to stimulate the creation of new chicken producers’ centers in other parts of Mexico to diversify regional egg production and prevent such an impact in the future. However, Jaime Crivelli, president of the National Poultry Union, criticized the government for minimizing the impact of the bird flu on egg production.

As a response, Calderon said his government acted in time, because otherwise the damage to egg production would have been irreversible in his country, the fifth largest producer in the world and the largest per capita egg consumer.

He announced a support of $16.6 million (215 million pesos)in normalizing egg production and credits for those who want to engage in egg production.

The president noted that so far 65 percent of egg production has been restored. Besides, the country has imported nearly 14,000 tons of eggs, mainly from the United States, to meet demand.

The battle to protect Norwich’s historic buildings from feathered invaders has intensified – as officials attempt to defend two more city attractions from their droppings.

How it could look if pigeons attacked Norwich Castle. (Image credit: Norwich Evening News 24)

Proposals to install pigeon-guarding systems have been put forward for the Bridewell and Shirehall, following a successful application for a similar idea at Norwich Castle. Mess on the pavement outside the Shirehall, in Market Avenue, below where the pigeons roost, affects access to the building for visitors according to planning documents from the Norfolk museums service.

The papers add that the droppings are also causing white staining to the stonework, which cleaning is “unlikely to remove”, as well as health and safety issues. At the Bridewell, the documents state the volume of pigeon waste creates a risk of “slipping on wet foul”.

Measures to deter pigeons from sills and ledges in the museum’s central courtyard were installed during a recent £1.5m refurbishment. But the plans reveal these are ineffective in many areas.

There are concerns at both sites that the mess stops workers being able to reach and clean out gutters and pipes to stop them getting blocked. There is a risk water could seep into the walls and damage the buildings’ walls if these are not unblocked.

Posts with thin wire on them are proposed for both buildings. These aim to stop pigeons from being able to roost or perch.

Museum officials are also bidding for cash to fund a similar defence system at Norwich Castle after the city council approved the plan. It is hoped these measures will protect the 11th century structure from further damage. The post and wire system was trialled and also checked by English Heritage before permission was granted, to try and ensure it will not ruin the appearance of the castle.

Stuart Garner, operations manager for Norwich museums, said: “We’ve had the pilot and we all agreed on the best way forward with English Heritage. We’ve got the majority of listed-building consent. Now, it’s preparing the documents for the funding.”

Mr Garner said it was Norfolk County Council’s responsibility to look after the attractions, but the city council has agreed to contribute 30pc toward the costs of pigeon-proofing them. No cost figures have yet to be made public.

Dr Will Fletcher, English Heritage’s inspector of ancient monuments in Norfolk, said it is difficult trying to protect historic buildings from pigeons.

But he said it involved pinpointing the ideal roosting locations and then installing new equipment without damaging the fabric of the building while ensuring it is “sympathetic” to its appearance.

Dr Fletcher said of the Norwich Castle plans: “It can all be taken away without damaging the fabric and leaving the castle intact.

“We will come back six to eight months or a year later down the line to see how effective it’s been.

“We are aware of the fact pigeons can be a problem elsewhere. We’ve talked about the issues, falconry and other options around the town but it pushes it from one place to another.

“There will be an ongoing issue and it’s really something for the people of Norwich to get involved in and we welcome their views.”