Flock Free Articles

Bird damage is a persistent problem faced by fruit growers. The economic impact of bird damage and the value of bird management are poorly understood, particularly for fruit crops. The average annual economic impact of bird damage to wine grapes in MI, NY, OR, WA, and CA was $126 million with a loss of 1,648 jobs

In January this year we received an inquiry from the Midway Dairy in Declo, Idaho regarding a severe starling problem in their barns. These barns are nearly ¼ mile long and over 100 feet wide and the roof structure is made from steel I-beams giving the birds a perfect roosting area along nearly every horizontal inch of steel. The owner, David Garrett, had measured the area and was estimating the flock at close to 200,000 birds. 

Wildlife encounters increased sharply between 1990 and 2014, according to a report jointly published in August by the FAA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Some of that increase likely results from streamlined reporting procedures (reports have been collected online since 2001), though increases in bird populations (birds account for 97 percent of all wildlife collisions with aircraft).

People have been attempting to control birds for decades using single-event installations with spikes, nets, noise devices and other single deterrents and have often fallen short of the goal of removing birds. With the protection status of most bird species and the human demands that birds not be injured 

Every year, NPMA gathers thousands of pest management professionals from across the globe to offer opportunities for information sharing, provide access to the latest products, services, and technologies. This year’s PestWorld in the Pacific Northwest’s beautiful Seattle, Washington.