Bird Shield®
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Biodegradable Bird Repellents for Agriculture, Industry and the Garden. Off The Wires, News & Views.
Vol. 2, No.1. January, 2010.
Repelling Birds from Bodies of Water
Welcome to 2010. We hope that this year is a productive and successful year for you all. As this Newsletter is now distributed internationally, the differences in climate and season make some of the discussions less applicable for some of you than for others, at least in terms of the information being provided at the most appropriate time for you. Please accept that we are aware of this but that we also hope that these Newsletters are retained and referred to as the need arises throughout the year.
This month we will discuss the use of Bird Shield ® to repel birds from bodies of water.
Bird Shield ®Repellent is registered for use on “Non-fish bearing bodies of water, temporary pools associated with airports and decorative fountains.” The application rate is 1 to 2 parts concentrate to 500 parts water.
Birds may concentrate on relatively small bodies of standing water, for instance around outdoor public recreation and picnic areas, food courts, or large decorative fountains and may create a public health hazard from contamination of the area. In these types of situations the control options available for safe and efficient displacement of the birds are limited and Bird Shield ® provides a verysuitable solution.
Similarly, temporary pools of water on or near airports, such as may occur after periods of rain or snow melt, may attract large numbers of birds which create a significant safety risk to aircraft operating in the area. The use of Bird Shield ® in these situations may substantially reduce the attractiveness of these areas and compliment other safety measures when used in combination.
Bird Shield ® was used in a refurbished fountain on Nob Hill in San Francisco. After testing it on the structure's surfaces and piping to make sure it did not discolor or corrode them a small amount of the repellent (about one cup) was mixed with water, to make it more easily dispersed, before adding it to
the circulating water in the pool. Gradually the amount of repellent
was increased until the birds, in this case pigeons and sparrows, left
the area. Small amounts of Bird Shield ® were added every 30 days to
maintain repellency. Visitors commented on how clean and fresh smelling
the park had become after the birds were gone and that they did not have
to worry about the birds’ droppings anymore.
Trials at Washington State University's Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture showed that the repellent would keep Mallard Ducks out of small ponds for up to 30 days.
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