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Bird control: frequently
asked questions
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Q: What is bird control?
A: In this case, it means managing the problem of birds
making a home or roosting in places where they are not wanted
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| Q: What kind of birds are we talking about?
A: Primarily, pigeons, sparrows, and starlings. Federal law protects
all other birds. Even so-called "pest" birds are protected to various degrees
by state and local laws.
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| Q: What can I do to keep birds off of my property?
A: The most effective, safe, economical, and humane way
is to disable nesting and roosting sites. This is known as habitat modification.
Contact your local Urban Wildlife Society for detailed information, including
simple do-it-yourself ideas.
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Q: Can’t I just get rid of the birds?
A: Wherever birds are removed, new birds from the surrounding
area quickly move in to take their place. That is why bird removal schemes,
such as trapping or poisoning, are temporary, at best. Use of poisons can
be extremely dangerous to people – especially children – as well as to
pets and other wildlife -- and often violates a number of federal, state,
and local laws. |
Q: Why does my exterminator recommend removal, including poisoning,
instead of habitat modification? |
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A: Simple – MONEY! Habitat modification solves the problem
once and for all – permanently, which means they don’t get to come back
over and over again, forever, to kill for profit, at your risk and expense.
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 Q:
What about fake owls, cats, and snakes?
A: Harvard University and others have proven that pigeons are
as smart as whales, monkeys, or most any other animal on the planet and,
in some ways, are even smarter than humans. That goes for other birds,
as well. So, unless the phony predators move around like the real thing,
they quickly catch on.
Q: What about using sticky chemical repellents?
A: Sticky repellents can be very hazardous. They kill animals
by getting into their nose and throat and suffocating them. Or, the goo
sticks to feathers or fur causing the poor creature to chill or overheat
to death. The messy stuff also damages buildings and is rendered ineffective
by dust and debris – again, costing more money without solving the problem.
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| Q: What if I have no places for birds to live but
they still come around? |
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A: Birds congregate NEAR where they LIVE and EAT. Pet
food, many plants, and neighbors can attract birds. Feeding pets inside
or from bird-proof feeders, cutting or treating plants so they don’t produce
fruit, seeds, or berries, and/or working with neighbors can solve that
problem. Also, many harmless and effective anti-roosting products are available
to keep birds away.
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| Q: Speaking of neighbors, won’t pushing the birds off
of my property make them simply move nearby?
A: The number of birds and other animals is limited by
the places where they can make a home and successfully raise their young.
Disabling those places is like birth control: it actually lowers the population
throughout the whole area. Think about it. The reason most of the threatened
and endangered species have dwindled in numbers is because man has removed
or ruined their habitat.
| Q: What happens to the birds I kick out?
A: Because other birds have already found the other choice spots,
those looking for a new place either push out the old birds, temporarily
further overcrowd surrounding areas, or die. If neighbors also modify their
habitat, most of the birds are eventually pushed right out of the area
– permanently. |
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| Q: I want the birds gone NOW!
A: REMEMBER, QUICK FIXES USUALLY MAKE THE PROBLEM WORSE, cost
more than you can imagine, and cause irreparable damage and death. Be smart.
Save yourself the grief, money, and liability, and do the job right.
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THE URBAN WILDLIFE SOCIETY
HAS LOTS OF FREE INFORMATION TO HELP YOU SOLVE YOUR BIRD CONTROL PROBLEMS.
CALL 602.ANIMALS
(602.264.6257) |
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© D.L. Roth, 3/9/97-11/8/01 |
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