Maintaining high quality control and heightened biosecurity is vital for food manufacturing and processing facilities to avoid food safety violations. Unfortunately, food manufacturing facilities such as meat processing, dairy processing, commercial bakeries, vegetable preservation, and sugar refineries provide shelter and food sources, and are often conducive nesting sites for nuisance birds, including gulls, pigeons, sparrows, and starlings.
Common bird problem areas at food manufacturing properties include but are not limited to:
- Rooftops
- Assets (e.g., manufacturing equipment, HVAC)
- Warehouse (interior)
- Loading docks
The Damage Birds Cause
Property & Asset Damage
Large green spaces, retention ponds, and large, elevated surfaces are attractive to birds. The accumulation of bird droppings and nesting material can damage turf grass, roof membranes and HVAC units, clog roof drains, and increase associated cleaning and maintenance costs.
Revenue Loss
The continual presence of nuisance birds and of their droppings and nesting materials present challenges to your bottom line. Should smaller birds gain access to the interior of your property’s facilities, their presence and the accumulation of their waste can contaminate products, negatively impact productivity, result in machine and equipment downtime, and result in food safety violations.
Human Health & Safety Risks
Bird droppings and nesting materials have been documented to harbor dangerous bacteria and disease, including e. Coli and salmonella.
When left to accumulate, bird waste creates unsanitary working conditions and can increase the risk of slip hazards. In extreme circumstances, employees and contractors have even refused to work in such conditions until long-term solutions were realized. Furthermore, during their respective nesting seasons, nuisance birds can become aggressive, endangering employees, contractors and visitors.
Food Manufacturing Bird Management Solutions
Food manufacturing properties can manage their nuisance bird issues by leveraging bird management solutions, including nest and egg management, handheld or automated lasers, and structural deterrents. The most appropriate solution will be property-specific and should be based upon the specific bird species involved and the behaviors the birds exhibit.