By Fran PriscoAirplane hangars have often become a natural habitat for birds. They are wide open, offer shelter and ideal nesting areas. Clinton Air Force Base in Oklahoma had six hangars with 200-300 house sparrows in each hangar. Lockbourne Air Base in Ohio had 2,000 to 3,000 house sparrows between three hangars with an additional 2,000-3,000 starlings. Along with these birds come the droppings and debris they leave behind. Bird droppings, accumulating on the aluminum skin of airplanes, can corrode the metal and eventually weaken the structure itself. Another serious concern is that if droppings, feathers, and other matter get into the engines, critically important parts must be cleaned as they could stop an engine during flight. Cleaning an aircraft engine is very expensive and time consuming. Pest bird droppings can also pose significant health risks, carrying and transmitting any of 60 known diseases. Sparrows and Feral Pigeons can carry bacteria causing Salmonellosis. Feral Pigeons carry Ornithosis, which is similar to viral pneumonia. Not only do the droppings and debris left behind by birds damage the airplanes kept in hangars, they are also dangerous to the personal working on the planes.Problem: Pest birds are causing added maintenance to aircraft and endangering airline personal with their droppings and debris. Thousands of dollars spent each year on cleaning aircraft skins, engines and airplane hangar infrastructures. Solution: Install bird netting in the airplane hanger. Bird netting is an exclusionary bird control system. Once installed, pest birds are excluded from the area being protected by the bird net. It is often necessary to install bird netting on the sides of the walls as well as under the roof. The goal is to block off any areas that pest birds will find attractive to land, roost and nest. Once installed, the bird netting is virtually invisible and will need very little maintenance. In fact there are bird net installations inside airplane hangars that have gone untouched for well over 10 years and are still as effective as the day that they where installed.When choosing bird netting to install in an airplane hangar or any area, be sure to get heavy-duty bird netting that has a break strength of at least 45 pounds. This ensures that the netting will be strong enough to keep birds from defeating it. Bird netting comes in various mesh sizes. The ¾ inch mesh bird netting is ideal for all types of birds, the mesh is small enough so that even small birds like sparrows cannot get through. If large birds like pigeons and gulls are the issue, choose a bird netting with a 2-inch mesh size, this can save a lot of money for large bird netting jobs.If the bird netting installation looks to be too complicated, look for a professional bird control installer in your area that can help. Manufacturers of bird control products can usually suggest the right person or company for the job.