It is a fact that all commercial facilities are susceptible to nuisance bird problems. Sparrows, starlings and pigeons have become accustomed to living in and around human-occupied structures, and most commercial buildings are not designed to deter birds from establishing nesting and roosting sites.
The biggest threat posed by birds is contamination of processed food and raw ingredients from contact with their droppings or nesting materials. Birds are highly mobile and can fly from facility to facility in search of food, water and harborage, leaving their harmful droppings behind.
Problems with birds do not occur overnight and the first step is to have the Sprague Pest Experts perform a proper risk assessment of your facility. Investment in preventive exclusion measures will yield better results and cost less in the long run.
As food safety regulations become ever more prescriptive, successfully passing a third-party or government inspection is critical for food processing and agriculture clients.
Birds – like all pests – enjoy it when you make their job easier and the Sprague Pest Experts are not in the business of making life easy for marauding birds that want to gain access to your facility.
Birds can access a facility through a variety of openings and target raw ingredients, processed food, food packaging and machinery. Some of the most common entry points include:
✓ Loading dock doors
✓ Customer or employee entrances
✓ Windows or skylights
✓ Patios
✓ Ventilation systems
The Sprague Pest Experts’ will eliminate the resources birds need to establish a nest and make your facility as unattractive and unwelcome to birds as possible.
The threats nuisance birds present are evident in several ways:
■ Bird droppings can transmit hazardous diseases including salmonella, E. coli, and listeria that threaten raw and processed food.
■ Droppings can contaminate and spoil unprocessed grain and processed foods. Open air tractor trailers or rail cars waiting to unload are prime targets.
■ Bird droppings can cause slips and falls on sidewalks and steps; bird droppings can also be unknowingly introduced to a facility if employees or visitors walk through them near entranceways.
■ Nuisance bird nesting sites are a potential fire hazard especially when built in and around exterior electrical signage and ventilation openings. The nesting materials – straw, twigs, feathers and other fabric materials – can dry out and catch on fire.
■ Bird droppings, especially from pigeons, contain uric acid they are highly acidic in nature. This can lessen the life expectancy and cause damage to metal equipment, painted surfaces, marble, limestone and other building materials.
■ Flat roof buildings are susceptible to damage when bird droppings and nesting materials clog drain openings and can allow water to back up and that can lead to a roof collapse.