A facilities first decision is to consider if pest bird population “reduction” is suitable or if complete exclusion is needed. Physical devices, electrified deterrents and bird netting offer a higher deterrence value and may may be more appropriate. In terms of reduction, the next consideration to determine is to reduce by “how much”. This expectation is critical as each scare deterrent (sound or visual) will have a different outcome due to the device chosen, the bird species, the type of facility or structure, the budget to be applied and the bird behaviour (nesting, roosting or feeding) being exhibited. The correct product choice will ultimately arrive to a predictable outcome in most cases.
At PestIT we have over thirty years of practical industrial, commercial and horticultural bird management experience. Feel free to contact us to share your issue.
Deterrents such as audio devices include bird scarers using “sound” such as sonic and ultrasonic systems, distress calls and gas gun cannons. These sonic systems can often be far more distressing to humans, than they are to birds whom have a similar audio hearing range to us. Sound deterrents have limited “peer” reviewed scientific evidence and many of the results we have witnessed seem to be very short term.
Birds are poor auditory communicators and therefore various bird scaring devices have offered limited success in most situations. In areas of high bird pressure where there is abundant food, water and shelter available, the level of commitment of birds to reclaim their territory is far too great. Limited success with scaring devices has worked in situations with waterfowl where the devices have been used over extended (6 month) periods, and in conjunction with other techniques such as physical disturbance (Whitford, 2003). Acoustic harassment devices via the use of species-specific distress calls have had some but limited success on species with higher reliance on communication for social interaction.
Those scare deterrents that have been successful have been those systems that combine physical and visual movement with noise, or those that use the same alert or distress call as the pest species to be managed. These forms of sound media can be used by bird managers in deterring birds via alert or distress calls.
As a professional and ethical supplier dedicated to bird management for nearly two decades, PestIT will only focus on systems that show a change in bird behaviour. For this reason, we do not support sound deterrents in our product range.
There are numerous simple domestic devices include scare balloons, reflective tape, hawk kites and plastic owls to name a few. Over the years we have experienced limited, mixed or no changes to bird behaviour with these simple static devices. And for this reason, PestIT does not support these products as a commercial, professional and ethical business.
Rather, more successful systems are “moving” visual deterrents include Eagle Eye, Pro-Pellar and Bird Breezer. These devices deter birds in flight whereby they are flashed and distracted with “reflective” light from these rotating objects. As birds are flashed in flight approaching a building, they are diverted away. The colour of the units (silver, gold and red) determines the spectrum of light in the reflective flash and intern, the bird species being deterred.
