Pest Management Professional, September 2017

For THe BIrds H ave you noticed an increase of turkey vultures Cathartes aura around your neck of the woods Of course you have Thats because their global population is more than 45 million and growing daily They can be found throughout the United States Canada the Caribbean and down to the southernmost tip of South America Also known as turkey buzzards john crows and carrion crows turkey vultures can look quite intimidating Clients want them off their homes and commercial buildings immediately These birds can damage homes by tearing up the shingles on the rooftop and pecking and ripping through the protective roof membrane of commercial buildings On top of that they regurgitate and defecate all over the rooftops too TreaTmenT meTHods Turkey vulture management strategy options depend on where they are roosting and nesting on the structure The best way to eliminate turkey vultures nesting on commercial or residential rooftops is with an electrified shock system weve found To manage vultures nesting on a cell or water tower we install bird netting on the entire structure so they can no longer roost or nest there One unusual but effective method is to hang a dead effigy by its legs in the area in which the vultures have been frequenting This often scares them away You must have a permit from the U S Fish and Wildlife Services to use an effigy however We recommend always checking with your local state and federal agencies to make sure youre in compliance with the law We also recommend contacting your local distributor or bird control supply company with any questions regarding control methods One last tip When disturbed these predators can project rotting maggot infested vomit as far as 10 ft away The smell of their vomit is so horrendous that it has caused humans to gag and vomit themselves Try to stay upwind Turkey vultures are here to stay especially now that their populations are growing So gear up These birds offer our industry great opportunities for humane removal PMP You can reach Donna and Stuart auSt owners of Paramus N J based Bird Doctor at stuart@ bugdoctorinc com 94 September 2017 Pest Management Professional mypmp net Photo istock com tunart By Stuart Donna Aust Contributors Talking turkey vultures The size and behavior of turkey vultures can make them a formidable pest for your customers 12 turkey vulture facts 1Turkey vultures are scavengers feeding primarily on carrion from small to large dead mammals They prefer dead roadkill and dead fish 2They have a tremendous sense of smell guiding them to their next meal 3They fly low to the ground so they can smell the gasses coming off of dead carcasses 4Wingspans can extend up to 6 ft wide they stand 25 ft tall and weigh up to 4 lbs 5They typically live to about 15 years in the wild but have lived up to 40 years in captivity 6In the United States turkey vultures are a protected species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 7They like to nest on dead trees the tops of telephone poles on rooftops cliffs and billboards and in forests caves and open areas They always appear in large groups 8Both the male and female adult turkey vulture feed their young chicks with their own regurgitated food 9When adult turkey vultures feel threatened they will regurgitate on or in the direction of the intruder 0They are permanent residents in the southern United States and have been known to migrate from the northern U S to the South You may see turkey vultures sitting on tree branches with their wings open wide They are drying themselves off after getting wet These vultures can fly up to 60 mph and fly travel up to 200 miles in a day D S A