Since then, Dr. Rob has answered countless email questions from customers looking to solve pest bird problems.

Recently, Dr. Rob was interviewed on a radio show called “Home Grown”. Based out of Louisville Kentucky, the show focuses on all aspects of backyard gardening and is hosted by Louisville columnist Bob Hill and garden writer and enthusiast Jeneen Wiche.

You Can Listen to the interview by Clicking Here

Dr. Rob Fergus is an ornithologist who specializes in urban ecology and human/wildlife interactions. Dr. Fergus received his Ph.D. in urban bird conservation from the University of Texas at Austin. After founding the Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory in Austin, Texas he created additional bird conservation programs in Austin as the first executive director of the 2,500 member Travis Audubon Society. In 2004 he moved to suburban Philadelphia where he was the Senior Scientist for Urban Bird Conservation at the National Audubon Society until 2009. In addition to researching and consulting on human/bird interactions in cities across the United States, Latin America, and Europe, Dr. Fergus currently teaches at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey and Rosemont College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Have a pest bird problem? Visit the “Ask the Bird Expert” today at http://absolutebirdcontrol.com/ask-the-ornithologist/blog

E List Mania, a website dedicated to – you guessed it – “E” Lists – has just published a new list entitled “25 Most Ingenious Solar Powered Devices”.  Our Solar Bird Repeller came in at #21.

#21 Bird-B-Gone

photo credit: treehugger.com

Got a bird problem? The Solar Powered Bird-B-Gone Bird Repeller will do some helicopter action and scare them away.

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The Solar Bird Repeller is a visual bird deterrent designed to humanely dissuade birds from landing in concentrated areas. Many customers use Solar Bird Repellers to protect boats and boat canvases, air conditioning units, balconies, patio furniture, pool areas and more.  To learn more about the Solar Bird Repeller click here

Pest birds have been wreaking havoc with private and public property owners for thousands of years. Statues have been rained on with unsightly and destructive bird droppings. Building facades and food crops have been destroyed. And sailors of old have slipped off masts and been seriously injured or killed due to slippery bird droppings. Getting the bird off and away from these areas has been a constant source of frustration.

Today, the problems persist. Building owners have had to spend thousands trying to get birds off of signs, windowsills and rooftops. They’ve watched helplessly as pest birds have stained and ruined their property, discouraged customers, and generally caused a maintenance nightmare with air conditioning units, ceiling vents, and a variety of electrical equipment.

Health departments have long warned most of us that bird droppings can be a breeding ground for disease and disease-spreading flies. Birds, especially pigeons, can carry any of 60 known diseases, some debilitating and lethal. They can also contaminate fruits, vegetables, grains and other food we eat while they’re growing or in storage. Not a good prospect for food suppliers who are forced to pay for these losses and pass them on to consumers.

Airport facilities managers also know the hazards of pest birds. Starlings and seagulls have caused several aircraft crashes–including U.S. Airways flight 1549, which had to make a forced landing in the Hudson River when geese flew into its engines.

To get a bird off your property and do it humanely, you can use a number of effective pest bird deterrents. Some of these are simple and inexpensive, capitalizing on bird psychology to scare birds away. Others use technology or chemicals to discourage birds to land or roost in a specific location.

Among the most economical ways to humanely get birds off your property is the category of “Bird Scare” products on the market–like reflective foil banners, or blow-up balloons covered with realistic looking predator eyes. They are effective because they use bird psychology to intimidate birds from landing. They’re ideal for use on overhangs, gazebos, patios, eaves, pools, and other open areas. Although, to ensure these deterrents remain effective, one should change their position and color as many birds will get used to them and ignore their threat.

Another product that scares pest birds off your property is the Bird Spider. Using wind-powered flagellating spider arms to wave birds away, spiders can be ordered with various arm lengths to discourage a wide variety of bird types and sizes. They’re perfect for flat surfaces like awnings, patio and boat covers.

Next up, the highly effective, but surprisingly simple Bird Spike. These strips of spikes have been around for quite some time and work because they keep pest birds from landing. They look threatening but they’re harmless to birds and ideal for rooftops, awnings, gutters, girders, signs and ledges. In some cases, the spikes are constructed of steel. In other versions, the spikes are formed from rigid U.V.-resistant unbreakable polycarbonate. One installation note: Install the spike strips so that they fully enclose corners and any open sides or you’ll have the clever little birds sneaking past the spikes.

If you’ve ever gotten stuck in the mud and lost a shoe in getting out, you know how birds feel about the next deterrent–Bird Gel. You apply this stuff with an easy-to-use caulking gun and when it dries, it leaves a sticky, tacky surface that birds hate. The gel is ideal for flat or curved surfaces, including parapet walls, conduit, pipes, ledges, and I-beams.

Still another way to keep a bird off your property is the Bird Slope. With almost comical efficiency, the steep-angled PVC panels simply won’t allow pest birds to get a solid footing. They slip and slide off this stuff like butter off a hot corncob. The panels come in various colors to match a building’s décor. They install easily on virtually any surface with glue or screws. Opt for the UV- stabilized polycarbonate panels, as they will last longer.

Many property owners swear by our next category of pest bird deterrent–Bird Netting. It has kept many a bird off of atriums, orchards, vineyards and other open areas. The netting, available in 3/4″, 1-1/8″ and 2″ mesh sizes, block most pest birds without harming them. You can get agricultural netting to keep birds away from fruit trees and crops. There’s also heavy-duty bird netting for buildings and other structures. Opt for U.V. stabilized netting and products that are flame resistant as well as rot and waterproof. Choose non-conductive webbing if you have signal interference concerns.

Moving into the higher tech area of pest bird deterrents, the Electric-Track bird repeller is almost legendary in keeping birds off ledges and rooftops. The minute a bird’s toe touches these electrified tracks, it’s ZAPO. Their little birdbrains will remember the experience and will loathe to return. It’s no wonder you see them on so many ledges and rooftops. They install easily on flat or curved surfaces. The low-profile track systems conform to most architectural configurations and they’re almost invisible to those looking up from the ground. Some tracks have a flow-thru design that will keep water from damming up on rooftops.

Another high-tech bird off solution uses solar power to do the trick. Often referred to as the Solar Powered Bird Repeller, it utilizes arms that rotate at 30 RPM to scare pest birds away. Ideal for pigeons, seagulls and larger birds, they’ve been quite successful on signs, billboards, roofs, or any even surface, especially restaurant tables before opening time when birds tend to poop on tables.

A high-tech deterrent of a different type–the Sonic Pest Bird Repeller–scares birds away with sounds of distress and predator calls. These are ideal for gazebos, rooftops backyards, pools, patios, and other open spaces.

Last and certainly not least are the Bird Misting Systems. These bird off hazing systems spray a fine mist of methyl anthranilate, a harmless but irritating grape extract that naturally occurs in concord grapes. These systems deter sparrows, pigeons, starlings, crows, blackbirds and geese. Perfect for commercial garages, warehouse areas, airline hangars, courtyards, landfills, parking lots and the like.

Across the country, thousands of birds will often surround an area for months at a time. The noise, smell and contamination of parks, fields and structures can create a huge problem. Clean-up efforts can be costly, not to mention repairing the damage pest birds can create. Unlike some cities in Europe where birds are tolerated as part of the urban landscape, USA bird control strategies seek to limit bird invasions. In fact, many on this side of the pond have sought to enforce bird control using BB guns, poisons or other lethal culling methods. These methods are frowned upon by professional bird control experts who say that they only offer temporary relief. For the minute these measures are put aside, birds will start to return en mass to wreak havoc once again.

Experts in USA bird control insist there are much more effective bird deterrent measures one can use to keep pest birds away from parks and property. Some of these devices and methods are discussed below.

Visual Bird Deterrents

These bird scare deterrents include reflective foil banners, reflective strips and blow-up balloons that make pest birds feel threatened and uncomfortable. Strips and banners will crackle in the wind and sparkle in the sunlight, which makes birds feel very nervous. Balloons emblazoned with large predator eyes are intimidating as well, convincing pest birds that predators are lurking and just waiting to attack. These devices are widely used by USA bird control experts because they are easy to install on gazebos, overhangs, patios, eaves, and other open areas where birds often nest and roost.

Bird Spiders

Creating alarm and distraction with flagellating arms that whip around in the breeze is the Bird Spider. These devices come with various length spider arms to deter birds of different sizes. Spiders are easy to set up and virtually maintenance free. They can be used on tabletops, awnings, patio covers, and canvas boat covers–just about any flat surface where pest birds like to land.

Bird Spikes

The ubiquitous Bird Spike, while appearing lethal at first glance, is actually quite humane and surprisingly effective as a bird deterrent. Bird spikes simply won’t allow pest birds to land anywhere near them, which is why they have been widely used on rooftops, awnings, gutters, girders, signs and ledges–the list goes on and on. The bird spike is one of the most effective devices used by USA bird control professionals. The spiked strips come with steel or rigid U.V.-resistant unbreakable polycarbonate spikes. You can also get the Mega Spike (with long 7-inch spikes) to deter big birds like gulls, cormorants, vultures and raptors. Finally, there’s the Gutter Spike, which is specially designed to keep birds out of rain gutters.

Bird Slope

Once they land, even birds can’t defy gravity. Which is what makes Bird Slopes so effective as a bird deterrent. The steep-angled PVC panels keep pest birds from getting a solid footing, so any attempt to land is an almost comic act of “squirrel cage” antics that eventually forces birds to give up and leave. The panels are easily installed on most any surface using screws or glue. Widely used as a USA bird control measure, the best bird slopes are made of UV- stabilized polycarbonate to last longer. Some panels even come in various colors to match the exterior color palette of their surroundings.

Bird Gels

This sticky goo bugs the heck out of birds. The reason is, Bird Gels tug at birds’ feet with every step they take, making them feel really uneasy. Gels are easily applied with a standard caulking gun and when the goo sets, it never quite dries, leaving an icky, tacky surface that lasts for about six months. Ideal for flat or curved surfaces like parapet walls, conduit, pipes, ledges, and I-beams, Bird Gels are almost invisible as a bird deterrent.

Bird Netting

Often used to exclude pest birds from specific areas, Bird Netting is ideal for deterring pest birds from atriums, orchards, vineyards, warehouses, airport hangers and similar areas. Bird Netting comes in various mesh sizes–like 3/4-, 1-1/8- and 2-inch–to control specific bird sizes. Netting is harmless to birds and there are various types that are suitable for specific applications. There’s agricultural netting to keep birds off fruit trees and crops, and heavy-duty netting to deny pest birds access to buildings and other structures. USA bird control experts advise getting Premium Bird Netting, which is U.V. stabilized, flame resistant and rot- and water-proof.

Electric Tracks

These devices impart a harmless, mild electric jolt to birds the second they land on them. Ideal for ledges, rooflines, parapet walls, I-beams, eaves and signs, Electric Tracks are easy to install on any flat or curved surface. They present an ideal deterrent for pigeons, sparrows, gulls, starlings and similar pest birds. One manufacturer makes a low-profile, electrical track system that it measures just 1/4-inch at its highest point, and comes in four colors–grey, stone, black and terracotta. It’s almost invisible to anyone looking up from the ground. USA bird control experts prefer tracks that feature a flow-thru design to prevent water from damming up on rooftops.

Solar Bird Repellers

Using the power of the sun to deter pest birds is quite the novel idea. Now it’s more than a concept with the Solar Powered Bird Repeller. These clever devices have spinning arms that whip birds away and convince others that the area they protect is a no-fly zone. Ideal for pigeons, seagulls and larger birds, Solar Bird Repellers prevent birds from landing on signs, billboards, roofs, and similar surfaces.

The Scarecrow

Ideal for yards, parks, pools, ponds and virtually any outdoor areas, Scarecrows

deliver a stunning blast of water the second a bird approaches its active radius of detection. The devices cover approximately 1,200 square feet with a stream that reaches out 35 feet and 45 feet wide. USA bird control pros like these because they deliver over 1,000 “firings”–on one 9-volt battery. For added versatility, Scarecrows can be easily fine tuned to adjust both their sensitivity and coverage distance.

Kings of Leon Concert Shut Down by Pigeon Poop

By Stephen M. Silverman

Sunday July 25, 2010 09:50 AM EDT

Three songs into their St. Louis concert Friday night, the Kings of Leon had to shut down the show on account of some unexpected accompaniment that CNN pins on “pooping pigeons.”

“Jared [Followill, the band's bassist] was hit several times during the first two songs,” said Andy Mendelsohn of Vector Management. “It’s not only disgusting – it’s a toxic health hazard. They really tried to hang in there.”

The dirty birds were reported to have been lurking in the rafters of the Missouri city’s Verizon Amphitheater and launching their aerial attack during the band’s opening number, “Closer.” Followill, 23, got it in the face.

Read the Complete Article Here

From Bird-B-Gone:

Amphitheater’s can be very inviting for pigeons and other birds as lighting and sound equipment in rafter areas provide plenty of high perches to sit or roost on… and when the birds get hungry, they have concert goers to thank. Beyond being a hazard for entertainers or anyone else below rafter areas, bird droppings can corrode building materials and ruin equipment. Cleanup of bird droppings in high profile areas can run maintenance costs into the thousands.

Something as simple as bird spikes could have helped to prevent this unfortunate scenario, leaving a disgusted band, and thousands of disappointed concert goers. It’s always best to tackle a bird problem as soon as it is noticed, that way the birds won’t become territorial and will be easier to move on.  There are bird control professionals across the nation who can help with pest bird problems in commercial, residential or industrial areas. If you have a bird problem, and need help or advice, call Bird-B-Gone, Inc. Bird-B-Gone has a network of authorized installers – bird control professionals in your area that can help do everything from clean-up to installation of products to keep birds away. Bird-B-Gone has a complete line of effective and humane bird control products to choose from. Visit http://www.birdbgone.com or call us at 1-800-392-6915, our Bird Control Engineers are here to help. We even work with an Ornithologist to help tackle the toughest “bird jobs”.

-Protect Summer Harvests: Light weight bird netting.
-Keep Your Pool Area Free of Bird Droppings: Scare birds away with the Bird Chase Sonic
-Keep Birds off Your Boat: Bird Spikes are a humane way to keep gulls off masts and spreaders

Visit Absolute Bird Control today to see our summer specials!

By: Dr. Rob Fergus

Almost every inquiry I get about bird problems hides an underlying question of “why the heck is that bird doing this crazy thing?”  While the inner workings of a bird mind may be beyond the realm of this article, we can better understand birds and why they do what they do when we start to look at what is important to them.

Bird Needs

Just like humans, birds have needs.  On a regular basis they need food, water, sleep, and safety.  Seasonally they may be driven to attract or select a mate, build a nest, defend a territory, and raise their young.  While birds aren’t sitting around introspectively making wish lists, they do have hormones driving them to satisfy these basic needs.  So in some sense we can say that the birds “want” to satisfy these needs.  Whenever you are dealing with a bird, you are dealing with an animal specifically designed to fulfill certain needs.  Each species has its own set of needs and unique ways of satisfying those needs.   Each individual bird will satisfy those needs within whatever range of behavior is available to it and in response to its current circumstances.

Food

Birds have to eat.  No food, no bird.  What a bird eats and how it finds its food is species specific, and is sometimes the source of conflict with humans.  Fruit-eating birds become pests when they eat the fruit we want.  Herons become pests when they gulp down our favorite koi in our backyard pond.  But knowing what a bird eats and how it gets its food can help us thwart the hungry birds.  Nets can keep birds from reaching those blueberries in your garden.  Deep ponds can help the fish stay out of reach of a hungry heron.  Birds are very motivated by food, since it is such a basic need.  So any time you have a pest bird that is motivated by food, you probably have to create some kind of barrier that makes it physically impossible to get the food.  Other deterrents—like scary decoys or other menacing visual displays—may not actually distract a bird that is really hungry!

Safety

Birds need to sleep and rest where they are not going to be disturbed or killed by a predator.  When starlings or grackles take over a parking lot, or vultures flock to a water tower, they are just doing what their kind has done for millennia.  They have to sleep somewhere.  When they chose places that are inconvenient for us, the best thing to do is to make it impossible for the birds to be there by taking away their ability to perch or stay put for the night.  If that isn’t physically possible, we can make the area appear unsafe.  Recorded alarm calls may work to scare birds away, but it may take a lot of alarm calls to overcome the noise of all the other birds in the flock.  Since birds in a flock are usually bolder than solitary birds, it can take some serious effort to scare them away—including active harassment by a trained and licensed bird pest control expert.

Nesting

Each species has its unique nesting requirements.  Unfortunately, sometimes human structures perfectly fit the requirements some birds are looking for—like protected ledges on your porch that attract robins, or gravel driveways used by Killdeer.   The key in these cases is usually to alter the configuration of whatever is attracting the birds so that it no longer suits their needs.  Holes birds are nesting in can be blocked and ledges can be made to not hold a nest.  Just figure out what opportunity the bird is taking advantage of, and take that opportunity away.  Problem solved!

Making a Mess

Birds do not need to make messes.  But like all animals, they have to get rid of their bodily wastes.  Out in nature, they just do this whenever they have the need, no matter where they are.  If birds are hanging around, eventually they are going to leave droppings.  It’s unavoidable.  So if they are making a mess, that just means they are hanging around because they have found a safe place to loaf, or a food source or something else is attracting them.  In these cases the best way to avoid the problem is to take away their ability to hang out, by putting up a physical barrier like bird spikes or a bird spider (http://www.absolutebirdcontrol.com/products/bird-deterrents).  If that isn’t an option, making the area appear less safe with some kind of visually threatening or distracting deterrent (http://www.absolutebirdcontrol.com/products/visual-deterrents) may encourage the birds to go elsewhere.  But birds are smart enough to figure out eventually if something really is or isn’t a threat.  So if you can’t get rid of whatever it is that is attracting them, then it can take constant and shifting efforts to keep the birds uneasy and out of the way.

All bird pest problems are really miscommunications–we’ve created a perfect opportunity for a bird, but we didn’t get the message until the bird shows up.  We built it (or planted it), and they came.   To really fix the problem we have to take away the invitation.  Figure out what the bird wants, how you’ve created the perfect opportunity for it, and then pull back that invitation by changing the configuration of whatever it is that the bird wants.  Anything else is going to take a lot more effort over time, and result in continued miscommunications with the birds that are just showing up because no matter what else we do, we’re still giving them an open invitation to come and get whatever it is that they want in order to satisfy their need.

There is an ever increasing demand for eco friendly products. The growing awareness on the impact of using green products to healing the environment gave birth to a bandwagon of preference for chemical-free products that protect the environment as well as the people’s health and well-being. Whether in owned homes of rented homes, more and more families are convinced of benefits of preferring energy efficient home appliances like those powered by wind or solar generated energy. There are actually a number of eco friendly products available in the market today. Instead of the usual means of scaring large flying birds away from your outdoor home amenities like air conditioning units or chimneys, you can try using the bird-B-Gone solar bird repeller. Without absolutely no need to fuss on connections to your home electrical system, the product’s convenient and easy installation features works on any flat or slanted outdoor surfaces. Its lightweight construction and compact 5-inch wingspan makes it compact and portable enough to place and install anywhere. It can also be used to protect your neighborhood’s street lights and top signs, and even your glass door or window panels and swimming platforms. At its $70 value, this product can give you the peace of mind thinking that all your home’s outdoor amenities are protected.

Read the Complete Article Here

To learn more about The Solar Bird Repeller, Click Here

“Ask the Bird Expert” will be a helpful new tool in the bird control industry. Having the insight of an ornithologist will close the gap between the science of nature, and the nature of bird control. Customers posting questions will receive answers from a PHD in Ornithology on a variety of topics including bird control, bird behavior and more. The new page will have a “Meet the Ornithologist” section with a bio, list of qualifications and an archive of previously asked questions and answers.

Visit the “Ask the Bird Expert” today at http://absolutebirdcontrol.com/ask-the-ornithologist/blog

No Pest Vent is a special vent cover designed to prevent birds  from nesting or entering open vents. The vent cover has a dual-door design. The inner door is deep enough to prevent even the most tenacious birds from entering, the outer door serves as an extra line of defense and hides mounting screws for a clean finish. No Pest Vent does not have a screen – meaning lint will not get trapped – reducing fire hazards due to lint build up and allowing for more air flow.

For additional details click here