New Product Innovations

If the remarkable recent growth in the number of companies marketing bird control products to the pest control industry is a reliable indicator and the smart money here says that it is then it would appear that pest control companies are beginning to flock toward this specialized market segment in droves. The secret is getting out, as more and more pest control professionals across the country learn that bird control work is an intriguing, challenging, wide-open new field that is ripe for innovation, trend-setting and profit-making.

To help PCOs choose wisely from among the dizzying array of bird control products available to them, PCT presents the following sampling of some of the more recent bird product offerings available to pest control operators in the United States for 1996.

A disclaimer: The following product descriptions are based on information available at press time. If we've overlooked any new bird control products, we hereby invite manufacturers to send us a press release and photograph (black-and-white print or color slide) of their product, and we'll present it to our readers in a future issue.

Without further adieu, let's get rolling with PCT's 1996 Bird Control Product Guide.

Bird-B-Gone is a patented plastic bird deterrent system made from an unbreakable polycarbonate blend of plastic with UV inhibitors, making it sunproof and weatherproof. The product is fast, easy and safe to install, according to the manufacturer.

Bird-B-Gone can be installed on ledges, parapets, beams, sills, pipes, flat or round objects, roof peaks, chimneys, posts, pilings, patio covers, boat covers, trees, and any other structure on which birds are likely to land. It is readily attachable to wood, metal, masonry, brick, canvas, and most other surfaces on which birds perch. The product will cause no harm to birds, according to the manufacturer. With pricing at $1.95 per foot, it offers a low-cost, long-term method of eliminating unsightly bird droppings and health-related problems.

Bird-B-Gone is nonconductive and comes in five basic colors: white, gray, stucco tan, dark brown, and crystal clear.

Cat Claw is an effective, humane "porcupine wire" bird control product. The cost-effective stainless steel "claws" may be installed on ledges, ridges, gutters, beams and pipes, and the product eliminates unsightly and annoying problems caused by roosting and nesting birds. It is also flexible enough for special applications on such trouble spots as statues, mounted letters on signs, and clocks.

Cat Claw presents an inhospitable environment for birds by interfering with their basic needs for food and cover. The product is a nickel-bearing one-piece stainless steel construction with no welded components, and is available in a wide variety of lengths and shapes. Its durability translates into lower costs because of its long life and the fact that almost no maintenance is required after installation. Maintenance costs associated with cleaning bird droppings are eliminated.

Only the birds know when Cat Claw is in place, due to the wide variety of powder-coated PhantomKote colors, which enable the product to blend in with the hue of any building. PCOs may choose from the company's line of standard colors or specify any custom color. It is also available in an unpainted "2B" stainless finish.

Cat Claw, approved by the U.S. Humane Society, installs easily to any exposed structure by way of a polyurethane adhesive sealant and/or mechanical fasteners. Each shipment contains a detailed installation manual which illustrates the best ways to utilize the product. The company also offers free estimates, detailed planning, on-site consultation, and evaluation of PCOs' bird control needs and installation requirements.

Ecopic Corporation offers a solution for those smaller areas that require bird population management: the Ecopic Starter Kit. The kit provides an effective and economical way to get rid of pesky birds in unwanted areas in a safe and environmentally "friendly" way, according to the manufacturer.

Each kit comes with 30 feet of either standard or premium Ecopic and a tube of 100% silicone for installation. The device is installed by applying the silicone to the plastic base and then simply pressing into place.

Often there are as many smaller bird-deterrent jobs to do as there are larger ones. Ecopic has recognized this, and has introduced this starter kit to provide the necessary materials to effectively birdproof up to 30 feet of ledge space. It offers PCOs an opportunity to see how the product works without having to make a large investment.

InterNet Inc. has produced a video on its popular Birdnet product line to better inform PCOs of the benefits of using netting for bird control. Featured in the production are helpful application hints for the products as well as a variety of finished installations.

Bird netting has long been a preferred, safe method of bird control offered by InterNet. Now its application and use has been brought to light in this educational seven-minute film, which is available to PCOs free of charge.

Bird Barrier America has introduced a new Coil Clip. Made from high-grade stainless steel, this new clip greatly simplifies installation of Bird Barrier's patented Coil.

The Clip can be glued or screwed to any surface, eliminates the need for the Velcro system, and ensures a more secure installation. The PCO simply glues or screws one clip every 12 to 18 inches along the length of the ledge and snaps the Coil into place. Self-tapping metal screws and wood screws are available.

For building surfaces on which holes are not desired (steel, stone, concrete, marble, etc.), the PCO can use Bird Barrier Bond (six-hour cure) or Bird Barrier Super Bond (45-minute cure). Bird Barrier's Coil is available in 25-foot lengths and in both 4-inch and 5-inch diameters.

Bird Barrier also offers a wide line of bird netting and installation hardware, Birdwire, BirdPoint, Daddi Long Legs, safety equipment, tools, how-to videos, and a certified two-day training program. A new 28-page catalog is also available from the company.

Birdfence, an electrical alternative utilizing the components of the Birdwire system, is now available from Birdbusters. Utilizing a solar-powered, low-impedance transformer, the system will activate up to three miles of Birdfencing and maintain a current flow, even on cloudy days.

Birds instinctively fly to "landing strips" such as window sills, air conditioners, roof ledges, cornices, rafters and beams. Bird-X's Spikes Needle Strips block birds from these areas easily, inexpensively and permanently. These all-plastic barrier strips project upward and outward at varying angles to both sides of a base strip. "Branches" protrude from vertical spiked shafts to offer full, dense coverage. Birds avoid treated surfaces just as people avoid walking on nails; the product is not lethal, just extremely uncomfortable.

Special construction of tough polycarbonate lends durability, weather resistance, and unobtrusiveness. (The product is transparent.) Its flexibility enables hassle-free installation on straightaways, curves, corners or irregular surfaces. Modules are one foot long and "nest" together for easy carrying and setting in place. They affix to any surface using Spikes Special Adhesive, screws, nails, wire ties, or other fasteners. And once the product is installed, it is maintenance-free, the manufacturer asserts.

Spikes Needle Strips are useful for roofs, ledges, gutters, window sills, beams, trees, air conditioners, boat covers, awnings, signs, cables, architectural details virtually everywhere that pest birds are likely to alight or roost.

Spikes is the latest in a line of 15 Bird-X products designed to solve a wide array of bird problems. All of the products are safe and ecologically sound, according to the manufacturer.

Nixalite of America now offers its Nixalite bird control devices in a wide variety of standard and customer colors to blend visually with building exteriors. The company's new powder coating technology adds permanent color that enables the product to merge with practically any background color. The use of Nixalite products, which offer pest control professionals a long-term, humane solution to the problem of unsightly, unhealthy defacement of buildings by birds, greatly reduces exterior maintenance costs. And because the stainless steel product lasts indefinitely, users also save on replacement costs. Nixalite is environmentally safe and is recommended by bird and humane societies, according to the manufacturer.

Kness Manufacturing introduces a Bird Trap for pigeons and similar-sized birds. This 36 × 18 × 8 inch trap features sturdy galvanized welded wire construction, a funnel entrance, and a hinged door on top for easy removal of birds.

RAD Engineering Ltd. has introduced the Jumpo BirdTrainer, a new tool for keeping birds out of places that humans alternately use and vacate, such as porches, decks, outdoor furniture, boats, and exterior control stations in industrial complexes. The product is useful in areas in which, for aesthetic or safety reasons, it is difficult or impossible to use other bird products such as netting, spikes, electrified wires or gels.

Jumpo, which has two plastic parts energized by a bun gee cord, leaps up and startles birds when they step on it. There are no hinges to trap or ensnare the birds. Habitat modification occurs without injuring the birds.

When a layout of one Jumpo every 10 square feet is deployed, it is not necessary to immediately reset each sprung device, because birds do not know whether it may leap up again. When a Jumpo goes off, the entire flock takes off. "Word" soon gets around, and the birds seek out a new place to roost. At this point, the number of Jumpos in the layout can usually be reduced. PCT