Bird Netting

by Alex A. Kecskes

Pest birds have been with us since man first crawled out of his cave and decided to build huts and grow food.  These mischievous birds pecked and pooped on early shelters, ate food crops, infected water sources and food storage.

Times have changed. But pest birds remain a huge problem, ostensibly improved by technology's ability to eradicate huge flocks of birds with poisons, yet restrained by society's needs to use more humane methods. The latter has prompted the development of pest deterrents--devices and means that discourage birds from landing and nesting in any one particular area.

Physical barriers like netting are one effective way to keep birds away. Straightforward, netting requires a one-time installation that blocks birds of various sizes from entering an area. Today's modern netting is durable and can last for up to several decades. And unlike banners, balloons and other scare devices, bird netting is barely visible at a distance.

Bird Netting is Broadly Effective

Modern bird netting has been shown to effectively keep pest birds off the following:

•    Outdoor Air Conditioners
•    Signs &Letters
•    Steeples
•    Bell Towers or Domes
•    Trees to keep birds from roosting
•    Billboards
•    Support Structures
•    Roofs
•    Perimeters & Chimneys
•    Cables & Awnings
•    Projections
•    Columns & Cornices

The Benefits of Bird Netting Add Up

If you're a facilities manager for a large company, university, or municipality, using bird netting to keep pest birds off your property can result in huge savings in labor and materials. In fact, larger cities have spent over $1 million annually on pest bird cleanups and repairs. Bird netting systems can significantly bring down these costs.

Installing bird netting has a number of important benefits for property owners. For one, it saves insulation, siding, and roofs from replacement or repair. It eliminates destructive, corrosive bird droppings; droppings that can corrode metal, destroy finishes and change the color of paint. By doing this, bird netting cuts down on the number of costly repairs and prevents a drop in property aesthetics and value.

Keeping pest birds from entering and nesting on your property also eliminates your exposure to over 60 potential bird-related diseases, including Avian Flu, West Nile, Histoplasmosis, Salmonella,E. Coli, and more. Bird netting keeps out the pest birds that raise these health concerns and the legal liabilities they create. In addition, installing bird netting is one way to reduce workman's compensation claims and eliminate FDA and OHSA inspection failures. By keeping pest birds off your property, you will also help prevent health department citations and fines.