Pest Management Professional, March 2011

2011 Bird Guide has been collected a control method can be selected Remember that some methods of control will require special permits equipment and training based on the situation Treatment options Monitoring only By choosing this method the PMP recognizes that a potential problem has been identified but it does not meet the established criteria to have it addressed at that time This method can also be used for conflicts where clients do not have the funds to complete the project the birds cannot be harassed or removed at this time or special permits are required and nothing can be done until they are received Once the conflict reaches the predetermined criteria for action or the client acquires the necessary funds or permits then another type of control can take place Examples of monitoring control include nesting chimney swifts and Canada geese feeding in a quarteracre yard The installation of a chimney cap is not possible to control the chimney swifts until the nesting is complete and the cost for installing a barrier or harassment program for Canada geese is too great Capture and removal This method allows for the problem birds eggs and or nests to be physically removed by using special traps or tools shooting and avicides It cannot be stressed enough that special permits may be required for this method along with an understanding of state and local laws Once captured most birds controlled by this method must be euthanized to prevent them from returning Note that while this method does eliminate the problem bird it does not address the reason why the bird is causing a problem Examples of capture and removal include starlings in bathroom vents and pigeons in warehouses In most cases it is not possible to capture the adult starlings when dealing with vent issues however the nesting material eggs and fledglings can be removed with special tools or by replacing the vent ductwork Adult pigeons on the other hand can be trapped or in the right conditions shot as well as removing their nests eggs and squabs by hand Harassment This behaviormodification technique conditions the birds to not use a specific area A benefit of harassment is that no special federal permits are required because the birds eggs or nests are not handled Typical harassment techniques include propane canons pyrotechnics distress calls visual scare devices lasers dogs effigies and more Pyrotechnics are specific products registered for use with wildlife pest control only by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearmsand Explosives and may not be legal to use based on local ordinances Where the use of pyrotechnics is not legal check to see whether audio recordings of pyrotechnics can be used instead This tends to give the same result without breaking any laws but does require a sound system of some type Today many electronic game callers allow the user to download his or her own sounds onto the device Another option is to put the sound file on a digital music player or cell phone then plug the device into a portable speaker Note that this is a case where volume tends to matter so the louder you can play the sounds the better the results will be Lasers are handheld devices that emit a visible red or green light to frighten target birds The distance and size of the laser beam is determined by the power source and weather conditions at the time of use Certain bird species seem to react differently to the lasers based on color and time of day Most bird species tend to respond best to the red lasers The key to using a laser is directly related to the power used to produce it A pointing laser for example generally is not strong enough although under certain conditions it can be effective By the same token it is not always necessary to have a big bulky laser to chase birds Generally it will take some experimentation to determine which laser works best with what situation Need to move mypmp net Pest Management Professional March 2011 BG3