by Alex A. Kecskes

Commercial business owners across the country face a daily and daunting dilemma: birds on their property. These feathered pests can wreak havoc in and around a commercial structure. Bird droppings, for example, can create slip-and-fall hazards on walkways and loading docks, resulting in a costly legal liability in the event workers or customers should be injured.  Signage, rooftop AC units, security cameras and lighting can also be severely damaged by the accumulation of bird droppings. Bird droppings can eat into packaging, causing products waiting on loading docks to be ruined. Pest birds can also distract forklift operators and other work crew, creating a dangerous work environment.

There is a solution. One that doesn’t rely on BB guns, avicides (bird poisons) or loud and distracting flash cannons. It’s called Bird Netting. And it’s been widely used by commercial building owners for many years. Bird netting is an effective exclusionary pest bird deterrent that blocks out a wide range of birds.

Today, there are many types of bird netting to choose from, each offers unique advantages designed for specific applications and bird types. Here are some guidelines to help you choose the right bird netting for your application:

Strong, Tough No Knot Bird Netting is Easy to Handle

Ideal for excluding pigeons, sparrows, gulls, starlings and crows from both outdoor and indoor commercial areas, No Knot Bird Netting is nearly 70 percent stronger than ordinary knotted poly netting and about 30 percent lighter. It stands up to heat better than ordinary knotted poly netting, so you can drape it in some pretty hot areas without worrying about melting problems. No Knot netting is surprisingly easy to handle, too. There’s no need to pull it into shape like other types of netting. The netting comes in various mesh sizes, including a 3/4-inch mesh to block out starlings and a 2-inch mesh to exclude big birds like gulls. The best netting is made using a multi-strand polypropylene fiber, which resists heat and many chemicals. Opt for netting that meets ISO 1806 Protocols and, choose netting that won’t rot, absorb water or mildew over time.

For Really Big Jobs, Try Heavy-Duty Polyethylene Bird Netting

Ideal for excluding pest birds from warehouses, big box stores and aircraft hangars, Heavy-Duty Poly netting blocks out pigeons, sparrows, gulls, starlings and crows. It comes in various mesh sizes, including 2-inch, 1-1/8-inch, and 3/4-inch. The best bird netting is this category is made of a U.V.-stabilized mesh designed to hold up for years in harsh weather. One manufacturer even offers a 10-year guarantee on its netting, which is ISO 1806 protocol mesh tested, flame resistant, rot-proof, and waterproof. It’s also non conductive, which means you can use it around electrical equipment and RF antenna arrays.

Save Your Plants and Vines with Ultra Net Plastic Bird Netting

If your garden areas, young trees and vines are being pestered by pigeons, sparrows, gulls, swallows or crows, it’s time you looked into Ultra Net lightweight plastic mesh netting. Made of resilient U.V.-protected polypropylene, this low-profile netting comes in 3/4-, 1/2-, and 1/4-inch mesh sizes. For commercial vegetable gardens, have your maintenance crew wrap each plant in netting. The netting can also be suspended over the entire garden. To exclude pest birds from grape vines, install the netting about 6 inches above the vine. This will prevent birds from poking their beaks through the netting and deny them access to your grapes. Ultra Net can also be suspended on poles around a tree or large area to keep birds out.

Before installing any bird netting on buildings and structures, remove any bird droppings, feathers and nesting materials. Birds will be drawn to this debris and consider it lived-in and friendly. Tell your crew to use commercial disinfecting cleaning agents to help ensure they aren’t exposed to any of the 60 known airborne diseases carried by birds. Advise the use of eye and respiratory protection if the area is heavily contaminated with bird droppings.