How To Keep Pesky Birds Away From Your Business In Houston

There is a certain disconnect from nature that happens when you move into a big city. The remaining wildlife becomes extremely comfortable with people, sometimes to an annoying degree. This is best seen with pigeons and other local pest birds. Many aviary creatures call Houston home. This would not be too much of a problem if it weren’t for the many problems they cause for home and business owners. If you have lived in Houston long enough, you are fully aware of what we are talking about. If you have just moved to the area and have never lived in a city before, we have some things you need to know about urban bird pests.

Take some time today to read this article and learn about the birds in Houston. We are going to break down why they are a problem, what motivates them, and solutions to keep them away from your local business property. If information about birds and bird pest control in Houston is what you are looking for, keep reading. For help with existing bird problems on your commercial property, feel free to give our Modern Pest Control team a call. We are just as happy to provide in-person or over-the-phone advice and information about pest control as we are to write these informative articles. All we want is to make sure you are well-educated and have options for control.

Why Pest Birds Love Urban Settings

There is a reason why only certain bird species congregate inside cities. They are the ones who scavenge. You won’t see many Carolina chickadees, Carolina wrens, or house wrens flying through our city streets. These birds require cavities in trees and a diet of nuts, seeds, and fruit to survive. More aggressive birds, like house sparrows, usually dominate the few trees we do have in Houston. Nuts, seeds, and fruits are limited and usually taken by other local wildlife. The bird species that thrive are the ones that have no trouble making nests on the sides of buildings and can eat things that people do. Pigeons and house sparrows are two great examples of this. Both of these local birds are more than happy to snag snacks from open trash cans, littered sidewalks, and vacant outdoor tables with left-out food.

Pigeons are especially prevalent because of the variety of locations they can utilize for their nests. A few places these pest birds might find shelter on or around your property include window ledges, rooftops, under bridges, and in the corners of warehouses. Anywhere there is a natural ledge or cliff side is also an adequate place for pigeons to shelter. One common misconception about pigeons is that they are unintelligent. This is far from the case. When they walk under people's legs to find food, this is not without caution. They understand that people leave them alone and choose to take this calculated risk. There are even some cases where pigeons have been seen triggering automatic doors to enter buildings and steal bags of chips or other tasty treats.

The question is, what does this mean for you? It means that some traditional bird control methods will be less effective. This is just one of the reasons why professional pest bird removal and control methods are vital for business owners. We will talk more about your options for bird control services in just a bit.

The Many Problems Roosting Birds Can Create On Your Property

There is a good reason that pigeons, starlings, and sparrows are considered pest birds. The most obvious reason is that they are annoying. Having pigeons crawling under your feet or house sparrows nesting on your business property is simply frustrating. What you might not know is that these pests are also dangerous and can cause property damage. Before we talk more about the problems these aviary pests cause, here is how to identify each local bird threat.

Pigeons are plump, small, gentle birds most commonly found in urban environments. They come in a variety of colors, including blue-bar, red-bar, red, black, and white. They also have a skin saddle (cere) that falls from their forehead to their bill. One thing that is unique about pigeons is their odd strut that involves bobbing their head while they waddle around. Despite being seen walking around regularly here in Houston, these birds do have the ability to fly and are adept at doing so. 

Starlings are stocky black birds with relatively short tails, long, pointed bills, and triangular wings. Some species have a bright-colored chest and more vibrant plumage overall, while most local species are more muted in tone. Where most birds are relatively passive, the European starling, the most common species in our area, tends to be more aggressive. They are still wonderful to look at; they just have a habit of bullying other local fowl. They are also prolific breeders, which allows them to remain one of the most common birds in our area.

Sparrows are generally bright-colored birds with gray heads, white cheeks, a rufous neck, and a black bib. Females are a bit more muted in color and come in two types buffy-brown and dingy-brown. The house sparrow is the most common species here in Houston. These local birds have no problem taking handouts from humans or stealing little snacks when they can find them. This is the biggest reason they are able to thrive here in the city.

Pest birds threaten locals with their contaminated fecal droppings. Some of the most common diseases you might contract from interacting with droppings include cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, and psittacosis. Although hard to say, the effects of these harmful illnesses are easy to understand. Here are just a few common symptoms of bird disease:

• Fever
• Cough
• Chills
• Headache
• Body aches
• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Confusion or changes in behavior
• Light sensitivity

It is important that you understand that people will get sick from interacting with or accidentally consuming bird droppings. If your run a restaurant or have a place outside for employees or customers to sit and eat, this could be a serious threat to them. There is much more than this, but we will save you some time today. What you need to know is that bird droppings are bad and can threaten your health and the health of your employees and customers. 

Another big problem with bird droppings comes with their corrosive nature. As sparrows, pigeons, and starlings defecate on pavement, railings, ledges, and other stone or metal surfaces, they increase the chances of corrosion. Bird droppings also speed up the process of rust build-up. Although this is not a quick process, it is one you should be aware of and a good reason to schedule your business property for regular cleanings and advanced commercial bird control. 

One big thing to think about with birds and your business is how they can affect your reputation. Even if your customers do not understand that having pest birds around is completely out of your control, they will have no problem understanding how they feel when they pay you a visit and are greeted by these pests. This is the nature of pest problems in general. If you are not careful and do not find bird control near you that will deter these nasty fowl creatures, you will have to face the wrath of your clients. We understand how this will affect your business and are here if you need us to provide answers to the birds that want to live, eat, and cause problems on your Houston property.

We wish we were done talking about why birds are bad, but we have a few more things to share. Specifically, we want to talk about those unique circumstances that happen every day but might not be a direct threat to your commercial property. These include bird nests blocking ventilation systems, ceilings collapsing because of increased bird activity and weak paneling, damage to automobile finishing, fires started by bird nests and bad wiring, and birds flying into machinery, causing catastrophic malfunctions. In short, there are a lot of serious problems birds can cause when they are allowed to live near the hustle and bustle of city life.

Our goal at Modern Pest Control is to help locals avoid these serious issues and find permanent solutions to all the problems pests birds pose. One way we do this is by using advanced bird control methods. Here is what you need to know about one of our most popular deterrent strategies, bird netting, and how it can benefit your Houston property. 

Using Bird Netting For Pigeon Control

Although sometimes intelligent, birds are simple creatures. Some have trouble understanding the concept of windows and regularly run into them while flying around. What is most important with local bird control in Houston is that birds understand where they belong and where they do not belong. This cannot be done with methods like visual deterrents, smell deterrents, and other annoying but non-effective strategies. What is often required is some form of prevention that stops birds like pigeons, starlings, and sparrows from taking shelter on and inside buildings.

One method we use at Modern Pest Control for this is bird netting. Bird netting is a process that involves installing durable, thin netting over areas where pigeons and other local pest birds roost. It creates a semi-transparent barrier that blocks a bird’s ability to create nests or enter structures. Depending on the commercial property, this method may look different. What we do to make sure we provide the absolute best protection is to first inspect local properties. This helps us understand what pests birds are around, areas where they might establish nests and assess what methods will work best to address them. We might decide that netting is not right for you and find another strategy that better meets your need.

The only way to find out what you need and how we can assist you is to get in touch with our team. If you are still on the fence about Modern Pest Control as your bird and pest control provider, here are some things you should know about us and why we are your best option for the job at hand.

The Safe And Effective Bird Control Solution For Your Property

There are more pests than just birds here in Houston. There are many different creepy crawlies, critters, and wildlife threats that could cause trouble for you and your local business. 

To make your life easier, Modern Pest Control is ready to be your personal pest control provider. We are committed to providing a customized approach for pest detection, elimination, and prevention for all residents and business owners in the Houston area. Why should you choose us? For one, we have been in business for over 70 years. During this time, we have mastered IPM (Integrated Pest Management) strategies, improved our customer service and relations, and asserted ourselves as a trusted powerhouse in the pest control industry. 

If you don’t know what IPM is, it is a more natural and personalized approach to pest control. In short, we base our approach to pest problems with the intent of using the least amount of chemicals and spray-and-pray methods as possible. This might include exclusion tactics like sealing gaps and cracks, addressing environmental factors that attract pests, and utilizing natural deterrents, like bird netting, to prevent infestation. We do all this because we believe that hard work and attention to detail pay off. Join our community today by starting a dialog with our team about our bird control and other commercial pest control offerings. We would love to come alongside you and your team to provide a fully customized approach to pest protection. 

Call us now or reach out through our website to learn more or to schedule your Houston business property for a service visit.