Conventional Bird ControlsPoison | Narcotic Bait | Shooting | Cage Trapping | Raptor Flying | Deterrents Historically, methods of bird control (particularly pigeon control) have been largely unsuccessful due, in the main, to a lack of understanding of the species. Towns and cities all over the world have tried to control pigeons using a wide variety of methods including the use of poisons and narcotics, shooting with air rifles, trapping and killing operations and the installation of deterrents. With the possible exception of deterrents, all of these methods of control have failed to have the desired effect (i.e. reducing bird numbers) and in most cases these methods have actually resulted in an increase in bird numbers, certainly where lethal control is concerned. Lethal bird control is a multi-billion dollar business worldwide and although we now have the benefit of scientific research* which proves that lethal control is completely ineffective, most pest control companies still advise clients that lethal control is an option that they should consider. Due to the fact that bird numbers can increase above pre-cull figures in a matter of weeks subsequent to a cull, pest control companies have a vested commercial interest in recommending this control option because it will inevitably result in an indefinite contract. Likewise, the business of selling deterrents to clients is a highly profitable one. Anti-perching devices can be most effective, but many of the commercially available products not only have a very short life span but are frequently installed inexpertly and require replacing, in some cases, after only a few months. Most of these products are also extremely expensive. PiCAS can offer the client a wide range of control options (including deterrents) that will not only be completely effective in the long-term but will cost a fraction of the commercially available equivalent. Most of these alternatives can be easily installed by a builder or a maintenance team rather than having to resort to using a pest control company. This will inevitably result in another considerable cost saving. Independent advice should always be sought before contracting a pest control company in order to ensure that the right option is chosen to deal with the problem being experienced. PiCAS will provide independent advice on any type of bird-related problem, irrespective of size, and will guide the client to choose the most effective control option or deterrent. PiCAS International does not sell deterrents nor does it provide an installation service - any product recommended will therefore be completely free from commercial bias.
A vast majority of pest control companies will recommend a mix of lethal control (culling) and the installation of deterrents in order to resolve a client’s bird-related problem. The following controls are industry standard and most pest controllers will recommend at least one or more of the following:
In many European countries the use of poison has been outlawed due to the fact that this control option is not only indiscriminate but also causes massive suffering to the target species and indeed those animals or birds that prey on the target species. In the USA and some third world countries however, poison is still used extensively as a stand alone control option and as a result these countries have one thing in common - exceptionally large populations of so-called pest species. This is because culling, using any lethal control option, will increase flock size over and above the pre-cull figure. Narcotic Bait Birds are fed grain in the same way as if poison were to be used. The grain is treated with a narcotic substance whose purpose is to induce stupor in the bird so that it is easily caught and killed. The reality of these operations is that few birds are actually caught by pest control operatives and a majority of the birds that have taken the bait fly away to die of starvation, dehydration or hypothermia. Many birds are found by members of the public flopping about on the roads and pavements in a distressed state and many are also taken by predators – many predators (cats, birds of prey etc) will also die having eaten the narcotised pigeon. Perth City Authority, in Australia, carried out a narcotising operation in 1999 that went disastrously wrong. The contractor concerned treated grain with the wrong dose of the narcotic and stupefied birds were seen crashing into cars and buses, flying into shop windows and causing mayhem in Perth City Centre. There was a public outcry as a result. Many town and city councils in the UK still regularly uses this method of pigeon control, but even this drastic measure still fails to solve the problem. The dangers inherent in the use of narcotics are considerable; to say nothing of the fact that many non-target species also take the bait and die a long and agonising death. This method of control is indiscriminate and cruel and should never be considered as a control option. Shooting Shooting as a method of control is widely used by pest control companies. Birds are usually shot at night in their roosting places and the ‘marksmen’ carrying out the task are often young and inexperienced. There is no legal requirement for operatives to undergo any formal training before using high powered and potentially lethal air rifles. As it is almost impossible to kill a bird the size of a pigeon with an air rifle pellet a majority of the birds that are shot are merely wounded. Due to the inaccessibility of roosting/nesting sites it is virtually impossible to ‘dispatch’ wounded birds and as a result these birds are left to die. Young flightless birds in nests are also left to starve to death when adults are killed. Wildlife rescue organisations are often called in to ‘mop up’ after pest control operations that have involved shooting. It is not unusual to arrive on the scene following a shooting operation to find dead and dying birds everywhere in a sea of blood and feathers, as was the case at West Sutton Railway Station (in the UK) in 1998 after a shooting operation carried out by a pest control company on behalf of the Rail Service Provider, Thames link. Shooting is a popular method of control with pest control companies because it is easy and highly profitable. We constantly have reports from members of the public of wounded birds being thrown into black sacks by pest control operatives whilst still alive, as was the case at Otford Palace, near Tunbridge in 1999 during a Rentokil shooting operation. It is also the case that most pest controllers use artificial light sources to identify and shoot the target species at night but this is illegal and it is the property owner, not the pest controller, who will be held legally responsible. Cage Trapping Trapping as a means of control is widespread. This method involves encouraging birds into a trap that is placed in their roosting or feeding area and that is either baited with a live bird or, more commonly, with grain. Once a certain number of birds have been trapped, they are removed and killed. The traps will then be re-set. Alternatively the birds may be trapped and removed for release elsewhere, but this is less common and normally only carried out at the client’s request. It should be noted that pigeons will always return to their roost and therefore, no matter how far the birds are taken from their existing roosting site to be released, they will fly directly back to the roost from which they have been removed. Although there is a legal requirement for anyone setting traps to inspect their traps every 24 hours, not all pest control companies comply with this legislation and the trapped birds are sometimes left to starve or die of exposure. It should also be pointed out that if both parents of a breeding pair of birds are lured into a trap, their young in the nest will starve to death. This means that decaying carcasses are left to decompose and become maggot infested causing a far greater problems to the property owner than the original pair of pigeons had caused by their fouling. Flying a Raptor (Hawk) as a Method of Contro l This control option is now becoming more common and is discussed on the Deterrents page of this website. Deterrents The use of deterrents is widespread and is discussed in detail on the Deterrents page of this website. Poison | Narcotic Bait | Shooting | Cage Trapping | Raptor Flying | Deterrents
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