Mr. Meek

Security & Safety

Birds are Unwelcome Guests

By Frank Meek, International Technical & Training Director, Orkin, LLC

However beautiful they may look from afar, birds quickly turn to pests when they invade your lodging establishment.

Birds can pester and infuriate guests and threaten your hotel's reputation as a clean and safe place to dine and lodge. Over time the corrosive acid in their droppings can compromise a building's structural integrity, resulting in expensive damage, while debris from nests can clog drains and gutters. Even more alarming, birds have been known to return to their nests with lit cigarettes, which can set the nest - and subsequently the building - on fire. Guests' and employees health is also of concern as birds can carry more than 60 diseases, including Histoplasmosis, a sometimes fatal acute respiratory disease. In addition, birds' molted feathers can result in human respiratory problems and bird droppings can cause serious infections.

There's no doubt that birds can't be tolerated by hotels, but controlling them can be challenging, especially when your establishment is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Many hoteliers turn to an approach called Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which takes a close look at pest biology and behavior as well as the specific problems they pose to a property. By stressing proactive prevention, IPM focuses on the reasons why pests infest properties in the first place so that hoteliers can select the most effective treatment method possible.

Let's first take a look at the three "pest birds" - pigeons, sparrows and starlings - and their identifying characteristics and behaviors:

• Pigeons - Since wild pigeons can be found in virtually every city and in most rural areas in North America, there's a good chance you're familiar with these nuisance birds. What you may not know is that more than 50 diseases have been associated with pigeons, their nests and their droppings. Varying in color from white to black, adult pigeons are stocky, with short, rounded fan-like tails. They prefer to feed on seeds, grain and fruit, but they will readily consume human food, garbage and animal matter when their favorite foods are scarce. Pigeons tend to congregate in flocks that can reach large numbers, leaving behind significant amounts of droppings that can be carried into hotels via foot traffic.
• Sparrows - Common throughout the United States, sparrows are pests for several reasons. They displace songbirds, replacing the desirable sound of songs with a noisy, monotonous chirping. What's more, their droppings can deface buildings and they are known to carry more than 30 diseases. These small birds range in color from black to brown, depending on their sex, and they prefer to nest in protected areas in, on or near buildings. Sparrows are the most prolific breeders among all bird species.
• Starlings- Gathering in large roosting flocks, starlings are nuisance pests in both urban and rural settings. The current starling population is estimated to exceed 140 million. They carry more than 25 diseases and love to take up residence in building nooks and crannies. Starlings will eat almost anything and adjust quickly to city sounds and lights. All birds with the exception of these three are protected under one or more laws in North America. There can be sever penalties associated with harming birds or in some cases disturbing their nest sites. Proper identification and knowledge of the local laws and ordinances is critical before any type of control effort can be started.

Pest birds tend to congregate around hotel roofs, ledges, pools or outdoor dining patios for the following reasons:

• Socializing/Loafing - Birds often check into a hotel for the sole purpose of socializing with each other. If you act quickly, you can relocate or repel them before they take up permanent residence.
• Feeding - Hotels appeal to birds looking for easy access to food and water, especially if the establishment contains outdoor dining areas. It's important to make sure that all food debris and standing water is promptly removed from restaurant and guest room patios. Pay extra attention to HVAC units on the roof, which can leak or perspire and leave additional standing water.
• Sleeping/Roosting - Birds tend to roost on flat surfaces, which is why they are often found on roof ledges. Unlike loafing birds, roosting birds aren't easily discouraged with minor repellants and relocation techniques.
• Breeding/Nesting - Finally, birds can build nests on your property to raise their young. It's trickier to eliminate breeding birds as their nests must be removed or destroyed.
• To be most effective, bird control methods must be tailored to the specific bird species and situation. The three most common techniques are repellants, relocation methods and exclusion.

Repellants - Repellants, which discourage birds from perching on ledges, can be effective in deterring socializing or breeding birds. Though physical repellants, such as bird spikes or tacky gels, are the most common in lodging establishments, some hoteliers also turn to scare devices or electronic noisemakers to frighten birds away.

Relocation - Relocation methods are necessary for ridding your property of nesting birds. After trapping them, a licensed professional with the proper protective equipment can physically remove birds and their nests. Remember to uphold ethical treatment and handling of birds at all times.

Exclusion - Whether a hotel currently has a bird infestation or not, making the building less accessible to them is always a smart prevention step. Most effective for controlling breeding birds, exclusion keeps birds out of areas where they don't belong. Many birds will make nests under HVAC units, where they receive shelter from the elements. In this case, netting can be used to block off the entire area around the HVAC unit, making penetration impossible. Depending on the structure and the severity of the infestation, an even larger area must be netted off. Another exclusion method is to seal all openings in exterior walls to prevent birds like starlings, which can squeeze through an opening as small as one inch in diameter.

For an IPM program to be effective, stringent sanitation must be at its foundation. This method targets and eliminates a hotel's "hot spots," or areas most likely to attract pests. Pest birds will be drawn to areas where they can easily carry out their tendencies to socialize, feed, sleep and breed. Make your establishment less appealing with the following sanitation steps:

• Instruct employees to remove food debris and waste regularly, and frequently clean outdoor dining areas.
• Don't allow trash to sit unattended next to the building or around the dumpster. All waste should be secured inside a dumpster or similar disposal device.
• Remove waste regularly to tightly-covered outdoor disposal zones.
• Position dumpsters as far away from the building as possible, and rotate and clean them on a set schedule. Consider sanitizing dumpsters with an organic cleaner, similar to the one used in floor drains, to eliminate grease and grime.
• Check the floor under outdoor ice or vending machines and around plumbing for leaking water, especially on your hotel's roof. Don't forget to remove stagnant water that collects around the pool deck after rainstorms.

Your bird control efforts will only be successful with the full cooperation of your staff. Educate them on bird identification, your IPM program and the steps they can take to keep birds out. Although we have only discussed exterior bird treatment methods, birds can occasionally invade the interior of hotels. Your pest management professionals can counsel you on the best method to remove the bird, usually by trapping and relocating it to the outdoors.

If you haven't yet taken steps to prevent birds from invading your hotel, there's no time like the present. Work with your pest management professional to identify the types of birds frequenting your establishment and take the proper steps to control them. Your IPM diligence will keep pests away from your establishment and in the natural environment where they belong.

An industry veteran, Frank Meek has been with Orkin since 1986. In 2003, he was named among the future leaders of the pest management industry in Pest Control Technology magazine’s “40 Under 40” ranking. Currently, as the International Technical and Training Director, Mr. Meek provides technical support and training in both sales and service to Orkin's international franchises, helping them grow and develop in their specific markets. As a board-certified entomologist, Mr. Meek teaches Integrated Pest Management principles and can explain how to use all available methodologies to prevent pest infestations in various commercial settings. Mr. Meek can be contacted at 404-888-2898 or fmeek@rollinscorp.com Extended Bio...

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