The bird control experts at Ehrlich have been very busy; if they only had to handle House sparrows, European starlings and Feral pigeons they would still be booked from here til eternity. “House sparrows, Feral pigeons and European starlings make up 95 percent of our business,” said Mark Bingaman, operations manager of the bird division at Ehrlich.
The removal of nuisance birds is only one aspect of bird control. A not-so-known aspect of bird control is space prevention in which the bird is unable to land in a protected area thus thwarting any attempts to nest. This is usually accomplished through strategic netting, bird proofing product (AviGo), bird spikes (usually for pigeons, gulls and larger birds in general).
Kim Lewis, bird division manager at Ehrlich explained, “Basically, we inspect a space, then recommend a (humane) bird control program.” He went on to say that every situation is different often requiring various approaches. “We remove birds from one location- not harming them- only to relocate the birds to other areas,” said Lewis.
Nesting prevention through the use of heavy duty netting that blocks birds from entering unwanted areas such as roofs, warehouses, airplane hangars, loading docks and other exposed enclosures is another safe method of bird control. There are also bird slopes, which are installed on window sills creating slopes that prevent birds from landing and forming nests.
Transparent bird gel, which creates a sticky surface on: ledges, I-beams, parapet walls, conduit, flat or curved surfaces and pipes is also used at times. The gel is specifically designed to keep starlings and pigeons off of horizontal surfaces and lasts up to six months.
Bird spikes are also more commonly used to deter pigeons, seagulls or larger birds from landing due to a newly created uneven surface. These are several of the more common bird control methods.
Bingaman explained that birds of prey or raptors are off limits. “Usually Fish and Wildlife will handle the raptors or some other government office,” said Bingaman. He also added that raptors require extra caution as a raptor biting someone’s finger would be akin to a butter knife going through soft butter. It’s probably best not to put that to the test.
But even without handling raptors, Ehrlich Bird Control is very busy with the “meat and potatoes” of the terrible three: European starlings, House sparrows and Feral pigeons.
Lewis explained that business is booming with jobs in Mexico, metro station projects, popular wholesale store projects and a host of large-scale projects from Pennsylvania to Florida.
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