Bird Control

At Total IPM we understand the need for business and property managers to have an effective solution to bird control. Pest birds and the issues caused by them can, without action, lead to high and increasing building maintenance costs.

Bird fouling and nesting debris can not only make areas hazardous for persons to enter or work in an area, they can also lead to additional costs for problems, which might include:

Refusal of Engineers to work on contaminated equipment
Blocked rain water gutters
Secondary insect infestations with parasites such as bird mite and a whole range of other insects including blow flies, meal worms, carpet beetles, clothes moths and many more

Other significant hazards associated with pest birds include the following:

Protective behaviours of nesting gulls, typically over the summer months, where the large birds may swoop at or even contact people while protecting their nests and young, potentially making accessing roof areas dangerous
Gulls and carrion crows have been known to pick up and drop large pebbles from roofs, this can be potentially very dangerous for pedestrians and cause serious damage breaking glass roof panels.

Total IPM provide a full service - first clearing areas of fouling and any associated debris before proofing works are completed to protect and prevent pest birds from re-contaminating areas.

Whatever your bird control problem contact us and we will be happy to offer advice. We also provide free site surveys to assess and make recommendations which will be provided as a full photographic report detailing all required actions.

Fouling Clearance

Bird fouling, often referred to as droppings or guano, presents a significant health and safety risk. There are multiple diseases associated with bird droppings such as histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis and psittacosis. Once dry bird fouling can often become very dusty and is easily breathed in, and respiratory precautions need to be taken when entering any area contaminated by bird fouling.

Our teams undergo training on the safest methods and processes for the removal of bird fouling, including being prepared to work in areas of restricted or confined spaces. It is important that all works are properly planned and we provide full Risk and Method Statements for all works.

We can remove and dispose of most contaminated waste items including loft insulation and we offer a service to re-lay these once loft areas have been safely cleared of fouling.

Cleaning methods can include dry cleaning with brushes and scrapers to remove fouling, treating with the minimal amount of biocide spray to reduce dust levels all the way through to full pressure wash cleans of areas.

Do you have a bird fouling problem? Contact us today for a free site survey.

Pigeon Netting

Pigeon netting is a barrier which completely prevents pigeons and other pest birds from accessing protected areas. Total IPM has experienced teams of installers who can design and install bespoke netting systems to fully encapsulate areas such as roof top plant compounds, fire exit stair cases, loading bay canopies and in numerous other situations.

In situations where high level access is required, our IPAF and PASMA trained operatives can safely access buildings using mobile plant and access equipment.

Depending on the species of bird to be excluded different diameter netting can be installed:

19mm Sparrow netting
25mm Starling netting
50mm Pigeon netting
75mm Gull netting

To prolong the life of installations nets are installed and retained in place using stainless steel fixings and tensioned retaining wires.

When correctly installed nets provide 100% solution to prevent pest birds access to areas.

Pigeon Spikes

Anti-roost spikes are ideal for use in areas such as ledges and the tops of signage where pigeons or other birds may be perching or roosting overnight. To ensure the long life of our installations, Total IPM install only the highest-grade stainless-steel anti-roost spikes using long lasting adhesives.

Anti-roost spikes provide a good deterrent in most situations, although their effectiveness may be limited in areas of very high pressure. In these cases, bird netting may be a better solution with population management to control resident birds used as a last resort.

It is important to fully assess all bird control issues to find the best solution, taking into account factors such as the:

Level of infestation
Possible displacement of the resident birds
Building aesthetics

Do you need help with a bird control problem? Contact us today to arrange your free site survey.

Pigeon Deterrent Sprung Wire Systems

Sprung wires, provide an effective breast height barrier to prevent pigeons and other birds alighting on ledges. Sprung wires are best used in areas of light activity or on newly constructed buildings as a built-in deterrent. Bird wires are one of the least visible of all bird deterrents and can be almost invisible from the ground once installed.

Although offering a very discrete solution, bird wires are not recommended for use in areas suffering with moderate to high levels of activity where pigeons may be roosting overnight; in such cases pigeon spikes or physical barriers such as netting will always be the best solution.

Bird wires can be installed to a variety of building materials, either drilled and fixed into brickwork and concrete or mounted to bases fixed in place using adhesives to lead covered ledges or metal cladding.

Total IPM's experienced team are able to offer guidance and recommendations for the most effective bird control solution for any situation.

Construction Projects Bird Deterrents

Bird deterrents can often be overlooked on projects, leading to ongoing and unsightly fouling of building façades and contamination of newly installed rooftop plant and equipment.

Total IPM can review plans for new developments and work alongside quantity surveyors, architects, project and site managers to recommend strategies for bird control.

Working to both tender specifications and designing bespoke bird control solutions to meet aesthetic requirements as needed.

If you have a bird control requirement for your next project, please contact us for a free site survey and consultation service.

Gull Control

Gulls can cause various issues on buildings which range from fouling of areas and blocking of rain water gutters with nesting debris to direct risks to persons working on roofs when the protective adult birds swoop during their nesting season.

Gulls can only be controlled under specific licences issued by Natural England and it is a requirement that all non-lethal deterrent measures are tried unsuccessfully before an application can be made to directly control gulls. There are limited permitted reasons for control such as for air safety or to prevent disease, damage or risk to public health and safety. Applications must include a full integrated management plan.

With each situation being different, a full survey of the site is required to assess the situation and provide the most appropriate plan of action.

Do you have a problem with gulls? Contact us today to arrange your free site survey.

Carrion Crows

Carrion crows are very intelligent long-lived birds which are adept at taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the urban environment. Although carrion crows usually pose little risk to public health and safety, they can have problematic habits such as the picking up and dropping of roof pebbles which has the potential to be very dangerous for anyone beneath and can cause significant damage to buildings.

This natural behaviour is most often exhibited by juvenile flocks of carrion crows and it is thought that the birds mistake roof glass for bodies of water. Successfully deterring these intelligent birds and stopping this behaviour can often require a combined approach using multiple methods of deterrent such as Bioacoustics and direct control as required.

Bioacoustics are audio systems which can be installed to deter carrion crows and other bird species by playing the pre-recorded distress calls of the bird. These calls are played out at random intervals to unsettle the birds, who may believe that a predator is present which cannot be seen. This often works well if used as part of a combined approach and when re-enforced with other forms of deterrent or direct control.

Hawking

Using nature to control nature, hawks can be used to deter feral pigeons and other pest birds from areas. Hawking is used to humanly and effectively deter pest birds, by regular flying of hawks, prey birds perceive the area to be unsafe and vacate the area.

Hawking can be used where other forms of deterrent and proofing may be impactable or cost prohibitive. In some situations, hawking may form part of an overall bird deterrent strategy alongside other deterrents and proofing systems.

Our team of experienced specialist falconers can tailor services for each site and situation to find the most effective solution.

If you would like more information on Hawking or any of our other bird control services, please feel free to contact us for advice or to carry out a free no obligation site survey.