Birds

Damage to vineyards, kiwifruit growers and other topfruit crops, field and vegetable crops can result in significant economic losses. Damage to wine grapes by blackbirds, starlings, wax eyes, or sparrow damage to kiwifruit buds before emergence, commonly result in significant crop losses.

The presence of mostly exotic birds in urban and rural areas can result in damage to property and food processing areas through faecal accumulation on structures, tree limbs, branches, restaurant tables and chairs, benches, car roofs and bonnets.

Birds are carriers of a range of diseases, protozoa, mycoplasmas and viruses that can be transferred to humans by infected faeces, inhalation or ingestion of aerosols, and direct contact with birds or feather dust. When people become sick, there is an associated economic cost as well as the stress of dealing with illness.

Many introduced birds will also drive out or kill native birds to establish their territorial range, impacting on our unique environment.

In many cases professional help is required, especially for bird control in public areas. It is important to take control of bird levels before they begin to impact on your business. You need to make sure the particular bird species feels unwelcome and does not want to return to such as hostile environment.

Bird control may require a management programme designed by a specialist to ensure the target birds are successfully discouraged or eliminated from the target area. Also employing a variety of bird deterrent measures means there is less chance of bird shyness to one treatment. To deal effectively with bird pests, it is important to have knowledge of the particular bird’s life cycle and a strategy for control. If you need advice, contact our specialists at Key Industries.