We have worked with virtually every commercial bird control product on the market, at one time or another. Many of them can be effective in the right circumstances, but must be used properly in order to achieve the desired effect. In order to help you understand the pros of cons of each, we’ve put together a few “Tips from Tom” to help you out. – Please drop us a line if there’s something specific you want to learn about.
Polybutene Gels
- The Good: If applied correctly, this product gets immediate results. It’s great for interior beams and pipes.
- The Bad: If applied incorrectly, these gels can harm the birds. Also, if applied outdoors and exposed to direct sunlight, the gel can melt and cause damage to the exterior of your building.
- The Ugly: We’ve seen situations in which too much gel has been applied to interior beams and birds became stuck to the gel, died and eventually fell to the ground. Aside for the animal cruelty, this causes a big mess and is a challenge to clean.
Flight Line
- The Good: If installed correctly, it physically keeps birds from sitting on railings, sprinkler pipes and ledges.
- The Bad: Installation of this product is labor-intensive, requiring many lines and different heights to cover wide ledges.
- The Ugly: We’ve seen situations in which the vendor did not secure the line correctly and it was falling on customers.
Shock Track
- The Good: Shock Track is great for excluding birds from coping and ledges. It can’t be seen from ground level, and it can run off of a solar charger.
- The Bad: Shock Track should not be used in areas where the general public may come in contact with it. It requires an experienced installer.
- The Ugly: If not installed properly, connectors and wires are an eyesore that customers will notice.
Spikes
- The Good: Spikes can be applied with glue or screws, and is great for signs, ledges, pipes and flat surfaces.
- The Bad: Spikes require an experienced installer. If placed incorrectly, spikes can serve as a hiding and nesting place, creating even greater cleanup and bird control issues.
- The Ugly: We’ve seen spikes installed incorrectly which has caused them to fall on customers, and we’ve seen the wrong size of spikes used. If big spikes are used for small birds, they use the spikes as a foundation to build their nests.
Wire Mesh
- The Good: Mesh helps keep birds from nesting in small spaces such as pipes and cracks.
- The Bad: Mesh should not be installed where water drainage or air flow would be affected.
- The Ugly: We’ve seen mesh over downspouts that has caused the spout to clog with debris, diverting water draining and causing significant water damage to the structure.
