×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Bird control

Bird control

Bird control

(OP)
I have a project where I have to prevent birds from entering a settling pond in an industrial facility.  I am planning on designing a 1.5" sq. netting system supported by a 3/8" stainless steel wire grid fastened to posts installed around the perimeter of the pond.  Besides potential ice buildup are there other things to be considered?  Has anyone been involved in a project like this before?  This is an unusual one for me.

RE: Bird control

What species of bird?

Many birds, like pigeons, don't like hawks and owls. I think sea gulls don't like them either. You could put fake owls all over the place, seems to work.

Here's a company right up your alley: http://www.nixalite.com/wcp.htm.

RE: Bird control

The fake owls may work on pigeons, honest I've see a sea gull siting on a owl decoy!  In northern Wisconsin many of the lake residents try the fake owl trick to keep the sea gulls of their swimming rafts, after a few days the sea gulls get use to them.  Remington has a solution, but in this day and age, PETA would have a fit!

I have seen some national advertising for bird control products for buildings, but not for ponds.  For a number of years the Wisconsin DNR used propane canons to create noise to disperse large goose flocks from some of the marsh areas.
But, these were not in urban areas where the firing of the canons would be a problem.

RE: Bird control

Human shaped scare-crows are more successful, with all kind of birds. Perhaps we are most dislikes species amoungst the birds...

RE: Bird control

(OP)
All of those techniques have been installed.  However, according to a governmental agency they are not adequate.  The problem began when geese landed in one of the ponds and they did not survive.  The system has to prevent ALL migratory birds from entering.

RE: Bird control

Ronald Reagan National Airport uses random fireing air canons to keep the geese from the air field.  perhaps you should contact the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) to find out how effective they are.

RE: Bird control

(OP)
My client has already installed the cannons,the owls, the spikes and the scarey eyes.  Apparently they are not adequate for the government agency involved.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommends this netting system as the most effective.  I have contacted some netting suppliers but so far have not gotten too much response.  Those that have responded can't seem to help me on the technical aspects.

RE: Bird control

try Rap music at 100 decibels - works to keep the woodpeckers out of our attic!

RE: Bird control

Netting such as this has been used at many military facilities. A good source of information and products is at www.birdbarrier.com

RE: Bird control

(OP)
Thanks for all of the great suggestions.  I tried all of the various vendor websites and I have found www.westcoastnetting.com to be extremely helpful.  So, if any of you run into a similar problem you'll know where to look.

RE: Bird control

This might sound funny but if the problem is severe and the netting doesn't help. If the pudget allows, why don't you consider laser dispersal? It’s effective, safe, humane and environment-friendly.  Take a look at the following sites:

http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=lazer&sp-a=sp100206e0&sp-f=iso-8859-1

http://www.reedjoseph.com/

http://www.wastewarehouse.com/biz_indiv/reed_joseph.htm

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/tnlasers.html


          Drop By !!
www.geocities.com/concretesite

RE: Bird control

I have seen dogs used in Wash.D.C. at the Dulles Airport.

RE: Bird control

This may not be an option for you, but floating covers can work well and does not require any kind of structure other than a few anchors.

RE: Bird control

I have also heard of using floating balls. The balls will have to be too heavy to blow away but light enough to float. The birds cannot land on them and move on. This was investigated on one airport job but was not cost effective. Flight safety had some FOD concerns as well.

Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng

Construction Project Management
From conception to completion
www.kitsonengineering.com

RE: Bird control

The Port Authority of NY & NJ uses a trained falconer at JFK, not to kill or hurt the birds, but just to scare them off. The airport is in or adjacent to a wildlife ptreserve.
TrafficPro

RE: Bird control

Seems to me that the netting will result in quite a few stuck and in need of rescue, maimed, or dead birds hanging suspended in the netting for all to see.  A couple (or even just one) border collie may be a cheaper alternative.  Many places are using these or other dog breeds with similar characteristics to control birds.

If I had to guess, I would bet that the cost of the dog approach would look something like this:

Initial setup and deployment = $1,000.00

Annual Costs = $700.00

How much is the net system going to cost?

RE: Bird control

(OP)
I understand the dog approach is more affordable.  Unfortunately it is not practical in this application.  Also, the government agency that is involved is basically insisting that a net system be installed.  They say it is used elsewhere and is the most effective.

RE: Bird control

Gotta love the government.  They hire you as a consultant based upon your experience and then THEY TELL YOU HOW to do the job!

RE: Bird control

That's so you can bill them for extra work. the job of proving their method will work better than the real right way.

RE: Bird control

(OP)
Actually, the government agency didn't hire me.  My client has been directed (ordered) by the government to install this and therefore hired me.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources