Published: April 15, 2008 06:24 pm            

For the birds

Sometimes they can be a problem

FAIRMONT — Birds can create a variety of irritating problems for homeowners or business owners. When birds are being bothersome, individuals need to examine the best way to deal with the particular bird that’s causing problems.

Standard Exterminating Co. provides pest control against termites, rodents, bats and birds. The business offers real estate inspections for closings on homes and also does insulation and integrated pest management services. The company does work in West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Maryland. It has four branches across the state, including one in Clarksburg.

Mac Lamont, branch manager of the Clarksburg office, said customers often call the business and say, “I have birds everywhere.” These persons notice “pesky birds” and bird droppings all around their home or business and contact Standard Exterminating Co. for help.

Most of the business’ bird complaints are about pigeons, Lamont said.

“Pigeons — they’re full of diseases,” he said.

Although poisoning the birds is an option, Lamont prefers to just keep the pigeons away from the property rather than killing them. Spikes can be put on the edge of a building so birds can’t land there, and netting can keep pigeons away from certain areas. Also, a product called “hot foot” makes it uncomfortable for birds to stand on surfaces.

“There’s all types of things you can do,” he said. “There’s products out there. There’s all types of different variations.”

While bird control products are available to consumers, Lamont doesn’t think these products are as effective as the tools that fully licensed companies like Standard Exterminating Company use. He encouraged persons to call a professional.

“It’s knowing what to do and how to do it,” he said.

The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources office in Farmington works with some licensed animal control agents who are in business. The DNR accredits businesses that have received the appropriate training.

Sue Olcott, district wildlife diversity biologist for the office, said colonial nesting species like the European starling and house (or English) sparrow often live around human habitations. Starlings and house sparrows, which are not native to North America, look for cavities where they can house. They like to bring in vegetation to make a nest in the eaves and openings of houses or commercial buildings.

“It’s usually related to courtship and breeding behavior for pretty much all species,” Olcott said.

She said the DNR gets a lot of phone calls about robins and cardinals fluttering at windows and attacking windows.

“They see their reflection,” Olcott said. “They will attack that image, and that is again because of their breeding and courtship behavior.”

This time of year, woodpeckers start pounding on homes and businesses as part of their courtship, she said. Woodpeckers tend to investigate things that look like logs, which makes log cabin houses a target.

“They’ll test out various structures in their environment, whether it be trees or houses,” Olcott said. “They want to make as much noise as possible.”

Federal and state laws protect woodpeckers, she said. The West Virginia DNR Web site, www.wvdnr.gov, stated that woodpeckers can drill holes in house siding and damage property. The DNR suggests several techniques to try to scare drumming woodpeckers away.

Because woodpeckers are drawn to structures filled with insects, persons should try to get rid of the potential insects in the source and use a patching compound for the holes, the Web site said. In addition, people can put tin can tops or hardware cloth over the holes. Pie pans, Mylar tape and balloons, and garden netting can also be effective in protecting a wall.

The law also offers protection for all other wild birds, except for pigeons, English sparrows and starlings. According to the “Backyard Bird Problems” publication that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Migratory Bird Management released, it is illegal for people to trap, kill, or possess protected species without proper permits. The nests and eggs of these birds are also under protection.

To fix a wild bird problem, people need “to identify the bird and what’s attracting it. Your goal is to remove what attracts the bird, or build a barrier between the bird and what it finds so attractive,” the publication stated.

Roosting birds — such as starlings, grackles, blackbirds and crows — that gather in large numbers in trees can be dangerous to a person’s health. People can put porcupine wire, monofilament, or sheet metal on ledges to try to discourage birds from roosting. Pruning trees or eliminating some cover may also help, and scare tactics can establish a temporary fix.

E-mail Jessica Legge at jlegge@timeswv.com.

        

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