By Alex A. Kecskes
Pest birds can be a huge problem when they congregate and nest in airport hangars.
Without effective pest bird barriers to exclude them, hangar operators spend millions of dollars every year in maintenance and cleanup costs.
Once pest birds invade a hangar, they settle in, make themselves at home, and seldom leave on their own. These birds can create considerable damage to aircraft and exposed aircraft engines and assemblies with their nesting materials and droppings. The acidic chemicals in droppings can eat into metal, plastic and rubber surfaces, causing long-term damage that may cause engines and hydraulic systems to fail--even in flight.
Bird nests and droppings can also clog gutters and down pipes. Fecal matter sucked into grilles, ducts and vents can damage expensive AC systems. Bird droppings left to gather on hangar floors, entrances and ladders could create dangerous slip-and-fall hazards and result in a costly legal liability. The right kind of bird barriers can reduce or prevent these problems.
Pest bird droppings and nesting materials also pose a considerable health hazard, carrying and transmitting any of 60 known diseases--including Salmonellosis and Ornithosis, which is similar to viral pneumonia. In addition, bird droppings and nesting materials contain insects and mites, which can also damage aircraft and delicate assemblies.
Fortunately, there are effective and humane bird barrier products one can install to keep pest birds out of aircraft hangars.
Pest birds can be a huge problem when they congregate and nest in airport hangars.
Without effective pest bird barriers to exclude them, hangar operators spend millions of dollars every year in maintenance and cleanup costs.
Once pest birds invade a hangar, they settle in, make themselves at home, and seldom leave on their own. These birds can create considerable damage to aircraft and exposed aircraft engines and assemblies with their nesting materials and droppings. The acidic chemicals in droppings can eat into metal, plastic and rubber surfaces, causing long-term damage that may cause engines and hydraulic systems to fail--even in flight.
Bird nests and droppings can also clog gutters and down pipes. Fecal matter sucked into grilles, ducts and vents can damage expensive AC systems. Bird droppings left to gather on hangar floors, entrances and ladders could create dangerous slip-and-fall hazards and result in a costly legal liability. The right kind of bird barriers can reduce or prevent these problems.
Pest bird droppings and nesting materials also pose a considerable health hazard, carrying and transmitting any of 60 known diseases--including Salmonellosis and Ornithosis, which is similar to viral pneumonia. In addition, bird droppings and nesting materials contain insects and mites, which can also damage aircraft and delicate assemblies.
Fortunately, there are effective and humane bird barrier products one can install to keep pest birds out of aircraft hangars.
First off, there's Mist Capture Bird Netting. This bird barrier allows you to capture and release trapped birds. You can use this type of netting on birds that have made their way into hangars, but simply refuse to leave. When birds fly around to gather food, they will fly into the net and become quickly immobilized. At that point, you simply remove the birds and release them outside.
Also quite effective for larger areas and high stress applications is Heavy-Duty Netting. Constructed of high-strength polyethylene, some manufacturers offer this netting with a burst strength of up to 40 pounds.
Another durable bird barrier is Mist Capture Netting. Constructed of strong, UV-stabilized lightweight fiber, this netting is almost invisible to birds and is available in four different sizes-- 7’x10’, 10’x20’, 10’x30’ and 10’x40’--to accommodate a wide range of bird species. You can use this netting to capture pigeons, grackles, starlings, swallows, gulls or sparrows. In fact, this specially designed bird barrier can even capture multiple birds in a single net.
Mist Capture Netting is easy to handle and install. Just hang the netting in the flight path of the pest birds in your hangar. You can install the netting in rafter and beam areas or support the netting with poles. For best results, remember to place the netting directly in the birds' flight path to ensure they will fly into the net at their normal flight speed. Avoid installing the netting near landing areas, as birds often slow down for a landing and may therefore not become ensnared in the net. Sometimes, you may even need to "herd" the birds into the netting using devices like laser lights or sound.
Consider also No Knot Bird Netting. Made of flame resistant polypropylene, this heavy-duty professional grade netting is chemically inert and highly resistant to a wide range of chemicals at ordinary temperatures. An ideal bird barrier against pigeons, sparrows, starlings, crows and gulls, the netting will not rot, absorb water, or mildew. No Knot netting is ISO 1806 Protocol Mesh Tested, U.V. stabilized, and is available in various stock sizes and custom cuts--including 2- and 3/4-inch mesh. The netting is easy to handle and install, and very light.
Some manufacturers even offer netting in several different colors--including white, stone and black to blend in with its surroundings.
If some of the darker, deeper recesses of your hangar have been invaded by bats, you should consider getting some bat netting. This bird barrier is ideal for keeping bats out of secluded or semi-secluded areas. Look for polyethylene Bat Netting that is U.V.-protected with a 3/8-inch mesh. This type of netting is practically invisible when installed and is available in different sizes--typically 10’x10’, 25’x25’, 50’x50’, and 50'x100'. One manufacturer even offers a 10-year guarantee.
Installing Bat Net is pretty simple and straightforward, first set up a perimeter in the hangar area you need to create a bird barrier. Then secure the net to this cable, making sure that the net is pulled tight around all edges. The goal here is to properly seal off any openings around the edges. Bats are smart and will eventually discover a way around the net if you give them the slightest opening.
One increasingly popular bird barrier that basically keeps pest birds from landing is the Plastic Bird Spike. Ideal for deterring large birds--like pigeons, crows, gulls, vultures and raptors from elevated areas in a hangar--the blunted spikes are safe for birds and maintenance crews.
Plastic spikes have a number of advantages that make them ideal for use in hangars. For one thing, they are non-conductive, which means that they can be used near electrical equipment and RF antenna arrays without worries about interference or "RF reflections." The best plastic bird spikes are also extremely durable and able to survive the punishment of sweltering hot days and frigid nights. Better plastic spikes are U.V. protected to stay strong in long periods in the sun. One well-known brand of plastic bird spike is said to be able to withstand temperature extremes form +310 degrees F to -200 degrees F.
To accommodate various species of birds, Plastic Bird Spikes come in 3-, 5- and 7-inch widths and two-foot sections. One row of plastic bird spikes usually covers a 7-inch wide area. The best plastic spikes feature a flexible base that easily conforms to any flat or curved surface.
Finally, keep in mind that the best bird prevention strategy is to plan ahead. That means installing bird barriers in areas you anticipate birds might nest and roost. If you do this before birds invade your hangar, you'll save yourself considerable expense and trouble.
Also quite effective for larger areas and high stress applications is Heavy-Duty Netting. Constructed of high-strength polyethylene, some manufacturers offer this netting with a burst strength of up to 40 pounds.
Another durable bird barrier is Mist Capture Netting. Constructed of strong, UV-stabilized lightweight fiber, this netting is almost invisible to birds and is available in four different sizes-- 7’x10’, 10’x20’, 10’x30’ and 10’x40’--to accommodate a wide range of bird species. You can use this netting to capture pigeons, grackles, starlings, swallows, gulls or sparrows. In fact, this specially designed bird barrier can even capture multiple birds in a single net.
Mist Capture Netting is easy to handle and install. Just hang the netting in the flight path of the pest birds in your hangar. You can install the netting in rafter and beam areas or support the netting with poles. For best results, remember to place the netting directly in the birds' flight path to ensure they will fly into the net at their normal flight speed. Avoid installing the netting near landing areas, as birds often slow down for a landing and may therefore not become ensnared in the net. Sometimes, you may even need to "herd" the birds into the netting using devices like laser lights or sound.
Consider also No Knot Bird Netting. Made of flame resistant polypropylene, this heavy-duty professional grade netting is chemically inert and highly resistant to a wide range of chemicals at ordinary temperatures. An ideal bird barrier against pigeons, sparrows, starlings, crows and gulls, the netting will not rot, absorb water, or mildew. No Knot netting is ISO 1806 Protocol Mesh Tested, U.V. stabilized, and is available in various stock sizes and custom cuts--including 2- and 3/4-inch mesh. The netting is easy to handle and install, and very light.
Some manufacturers even offer netting in several different colors--including white, stone and black to blend in with its surroundings.
If some of the darker, deeper recesses of your hangar have been invaded by bats, you should consider getting some bat netting. This bird barrier is ideal for keeping bats out of secluded or semi-secluded areas. Look for polyethylene Bat Netting that is U.V.-protected with a 3/8-inch mesh. This type of netting is practically invisible when installed and is available in different sizes--typically 10’x10’, 25’x25’, 50’x50’, and 50'x100'. One manufacturer even offers a 10-year guarantee.
Installing Bat Net is pretty simple and straightforward, first set up a perimeter in the hangar area you need to create a bird barrier. Then secure the net to this cable, making sure that the net is pulled tight around all edges. The goal here is to properly seal off any openings around the edges. Bats are smart and will eventually discover a way around the net if you give them the slightest opening.
One increasingly popular bird barrier that basically keeps pest birds from landing is the Plastic Bird Spike. Ideal for deterring large birds--like pigeons, crows, gulls, vultures and raptors from elevated areas in a hangar--the blunted spikes are safe for birds and maintenance crews.
Plastic spikes have a number of advantages that make them ideal for use in hangars. For one thing, they are non-conductive, which means that they can be used near electrical equipment and RF antenna arrays without worries about interference or "RF reflections." The best plastic bird spikes are also extremely durable and able to survive the punishment of sweltering hot days and frigid nights. Better plastic spikes are U.V. protected to stay strong in long periods in the sun. One well-known brand of plastic bird spike is said to be able to withstand temperature extremes form +310 degrees F to -200 degrees F.
To accommodate various species of birds, Plastic Bird Spikes come in 3-, 5- and 7-inch widths and two-foot sections. One row of plastic bird spikes usually covers a 7-inch wide area. The best plastic spikes feature a flexible base that easily conforms to any flat or curved surface.
Finally, keep in mind that the best bird prevention strategy is to plan ahead. That means installing bird barriers in areas you anticipate birds might nest and roost. If you do this before birds invade your hangar, you'll save yourself considerable expense and trouble.
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