If you’re a homeowner in any area where there are trees, you’ve probably had problems with woodpeckers. They often drill nasty, gaping holes in your siding, fascia boards, EIFS, and those beautiful architectural elements created with foam.
The problem is compounded by the fact that woodpeckers are classified as migratory, non-game birds and are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. So forget about poisons or pellet guns. Lethal controls or nest destruction can only be implemented with a special permit issued by the Law Enforcement Division of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and after recommendation of USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Service’s personnel.
So what can you do to protect your home from woodpecker damage? Fortunately, there’s a humane and highly effective woodpecker deterrent that’s recently been developed. It’s Called BeakGuard.
BeakGuard Works
BeakGuard is a paint-on Woodpecker Deterrent that quickly conveys a warning signal to any woodpecker that may be tempted to start pecking on your home. The results are startling and virtually immediate. After two years of field testing in the most prolific woodpecker areas of the country including Montana, Colorado, South Dakota and Washington, BeakGuard scored a success rate that exceeded 90% in deterring further building damage.
BeakGuard was tested on building structures experiencing ongoing woodpecker problems. In one test, a remodeled office building outside of Seattle, Washington with large EIFS cornices (coated foam insulation) was assaulted by woodpeckers every season. Some years the drumming resulted in more than 10 holes around the building—holes that eventually became nesting sites for smaller birds. The holes had to be filled with spray foam, sanded and refinished every year. After coating the building with BeakGuard, not a single woodpecker has damaged the building.
BeakGuard is Easy to Apply
Easily applied to latex painted surfaces, wood, fiber-cement, stucco, aluminum or vinyl, BeakGuard is an elastomeric acrylic. You can apply it with a brush, roller, paint pad or appropriate spray equipment. One gallon covers about 180 square feet. Thinning of the product is not recommended. BeakGuard should be screened prior to spray application, and the manufacturer recommends that you don’t thin the product. Back-roll BeakGuard when applying over acrylic finishes or other textured substrates. Depending on your climate, BeakGuard usually dries in just 24 hours.
BeakGuard Won’t Harm Birds
BeakGuard uses a common compound that will not harm woodpeckers or any other bird species. In fact, the ingredients in BeakGuard are used in many consumer products on the market today. Products like nail biting and thumb sucking deterrents used to break children of these habits use this technology.
BeakGuard Lasts and is Color Fast
Beakguard is specially engineered to leave a durable, long lasting finish. It resists dirt pick up and holds up to season after season of rough weather. It leaves a vapor permeable, flexible membrane that ensures the color won’t fade or change in tone.
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by Alex A. Kecskes Many homes in the South and mid west are graced with beautiful wraparound front porches. They serve to draw friends and neighbors for long hours of conversation and relaxation. They’re also ideal for parties and other informal get-togethers. Bird Slope by Alex A. Kecskes
by Alex A. Kecskes If you’ve been invaded by crows, you know the damage they can do to your garden. When they’re looking for worms or nightcrawlers, they can dig dozens of holes in your lawn in just a few minutes. Crows can also damage your prized flowers. And they can be extremely noisy, even in small flocks. New research has shown that crows are among the most intelligent animals on the planet. They can recognize individual human faces and pick them out of a crowd. They will also work together to defend their territories and use “spotters” as lookouts to warn the flock of impending danger. Without effective bird control, they’ll quickly ruin your garden. If your thinking of shooting or poisoning them, crows are protected by federal law. While they can be hunted in certain states during specific times of the year, it’s best to check with your local fish and game department before attempting to shoot crows, or you could be in violation of the law. Of course, unless you live in the wide open country, with no kids or pets around, these draconian measures are too dangerous and impractical. The best way to keep crows out of your garden is to use the bird control devices today's professionals use. Here are three suggestions: Sonic Bird Deterrents If you have a large garden, Sonic Bird Deterrents will deter crows from a wide area. They work on a bird’s psyche by emitting pre-recorded distress and predator calls. Crows will react to these sounds and avoid your garden. If your garden is also being attacked by other birds, you might want to invest in the system that emits distress and predator calls for 22 different species of birds. This system will cover an entire acre and you can program it to turn on or off at night. Bird Spiders Ideal for protecting specific areas of your garden, Bird Spiders have long spindly legs that whip about threateningly in the breeze to discourage crows from landing. Place one or two on a pedestal in your garden, and crows will avoid landing anywhere near them. Bird spiders come in several arm lengths to offer wider and wider areas of protection. Scarecrows Using a motion-activated sensor to detect any bird’s approach, Scarecrows deliver a harmless but quite convincing blast of water to keep crows out of your garden. The devices connect easily to any standard garden hose and will protect a 1,200 square feet area (or a 35-foot by 45-foot wide swath). You can also adjust the sensitivity and blast radius to you specific needs. Scare Balloons These balloons are covered with a large eye, and will bob and weave in the breeze to appear lifelike and intimidate crows. The balloons can be attached just about anywhere, but should be moved around often—remember, crows are extremely intelligent. by Alex A. Kecskes Imagine the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard and you'll get an idea of what our next category of bird scare products sounds like--at least to a bird. Known as Audio Bird Deterrents, they produce ultrasonic sounds that annoy birds. Ideal for walled-off or enclosed areas like sheds, parking garages, and overhangs, these audio devices will scare most birds away--birds like pigeons, sparrows, starlings or seagulls. Finally, there's the family of motorized products that work quite effectively to discourage pest birds from landing. These bird repellers utilize rotating arms to scare birds away. Ideal for parapet walls, roofs, signs, billboards, or any flat surface, some are battery powered, others use a plug-in power source. And some are even solar powered.
by Fran Prisco
Pigeons can be found in just about every city and suburb in North America. They were first introduced to the United States as domesticated birds that soon escaped and formed wild pigeon populations. Ancestors of the Rock Dove, city pigeons like to roost and nest high atop buildings where there is safety from predators. They cause thousands of dollars every year to buildings and homes across the country. The droppings of pigeons are acidic and will accelerate the deterioration of building materials. Pigeon droppings also can carry any of 60 plus transmitted diseases. The best way to keep pest pigeons off of buildings is to install some sort of bird barrier . Sanitation It is important that all debris and droppings left behind by the pigeons is removed before installing any type of bird barrier . Inhaling the dust from pigeon droppings has been known to cause histoplasmosis, cryptococcus and psittaicosis. If you use some simple protective methods while cleaning up pigeon droppings, you can eliminate the danger of catching any of the above-mentioned diseases. Be sure to wear some sort of protective gear such as a facemask and rubber gloves. Wet pigeon droppings with water so that they do not emit any dry dust, use a scraper to scrape the wet droppings into a dustpan and dispose of them in trash bags. Types of Bird Barriers Electric Bird Barriers are electrified track that give pigeons a small “jolt” when they touch the track. They are easily installed on parapet walls, roof edges and peaks, ledges and even channel letters. Install the track with an outdoor adhesive and connect to a solar or direct charger. When the pigeons are “Zapped” by the electrical current running through the track, they will change their landing and roosting habits and find another more comfortable area. Electric bird repellents are low profile, usually no more than ¼” high, which does not take away from the buildings aesthetics. These bird control electric tracks are one of the most specified systems by architects, government offices and contractors. Bird Netting is used on and in commercial buildings with severe bird problems. Bird net is an exclusionary bird deterrent; it excludes birds from areas that they are unwanted. Bird netting is ideal to use in large warehouses, airplane hangars, “Big Box” stores and food processing plants. It can also be used on building facades to protect signs, channel letters and architectural features. It is best to hire a professional to install bird netting , if not done properly, the netting may sag and allow birds to get underneath it. Bird Spikes are an ideal way to keep larger birds such as pigeons and gulls from landing on commercial buildings. They are easily installed using adhesive, screws or tie downs. Use bird spikes to keep birds from landing on ledges, roof edges and peaks, parapet walls, windowsills and other flat surfaces. Be sure to cover the entire surface with bird spikes so the birds cannot land around them. Often times, if birds can land around the spikes, they will use them as a nesting area. Made from stainless steel or polycarbonate plastic, bird spikes are rugged and long lasting bird barriers . Once installed there is little maintenance; periodic cleaning of debris buildup from nearby trees or shrubs is all it takes. |
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