The High Cost of Ignoring Your Bird Issues
Feb 28, 2020Last year, it was critical that a bridge in Canada lighten its load as the weight equivalent of 356 medium-size vehicles could have compromised the structure of the Sid Buckwold Bridge.
The cause was 1,365,609 lbs. of bird droppings – the result of a nuisance pigeon problem that had gone unabated for five decades.
The cost of the cleanup and bird removal was $800,000, according to the City of Saskatoon. In 2011, the city spent $100,000 to remove bird feces from the structure during another project, bringing the total cost of bird-related bridge rehabilitation to $900,000.
When bird droppings accumulate in large quantities, cleanup means hiring costly professional help. Bird waste contains numerous forms of disease and pathogens that pose a risk to human health, including bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi.
While it doesn’t get as much attention as new threats like novel coronavirus, aerosolized bird droppings can transmit histoplasmosis, a potentially fatal respiratory disease caused by a fungus that can be found across large swaths of the United States.
The Cost to Businesses When Birds Make Habitats in Urban Settings
Property managers, retail businesses, hospitals, schools, municipalities and food processing facilities can face numerous problems – and mounting costs – when bird issues go unresolved. If not managed, bird colonies can grow quickly. In the case of the Sid Buckwold Bridge, the population had grown to more than 2,300 pigeons.
Don’t underestimate your bird conflicts. Birds are smart and quick to adapt to inadequate preventative measures. When your boss, customers or tenants start to complain, listen to them. Proactive strategies save time and money by approaching the problems that come with nuisance birds before they build into an avalanche of difficulties – and poop. An ounce of prevention from Wild Goose Chase could be worth up to 1.4 million pounds of cure…
Bird conflicts come in many varieties, some more expensive than others. And you can’t always judge the risk by the size of the original problem. A single aggressive Canada goose has been known to lead to costly slip and falls. Here are just a few examples of bird conflicts that can quickly turn expensive:
- Bird attacks
- Slip and falls as the result of aggressive birds or slippery bird droppings
- Destruction of roofing material
- Bird debris, such as feathers and nesting materials, that can clog drains and cause flooding
- Birds that knock out electricity, ruin manufacturing equipment or even cause a shutdown
- Diseases that are spread through bird feces
- Foul odors that drive away tenants or customers
Early Intervention by Experts Saves Time & Money
Bird Control is not a one-size-fits-all process. Different species, different landscapes and different times of year must all be taken into consideration for a truly effective result. Expert biologists who understand bird behavior and are educated in the species-specific methods provide the most effective – and humane – results.
At Wild Goose Chase, we are bird specialists with expertise and training for even your most complex bird issues. Our biologists are experts at evaluating bird conflicts, site by site, species by species, and in full regulatory compliance.
Get Started Today
Address your bird troubles before they become a financial crisis. Contact us to request a site evaluation. We’ll interview you and your team to gain a thorough understanding of your bird conflicts, then we’ll assess your property and identify the right combination of solutions to make your bird problems take flight, once and for all:
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