More often than not, big box stores and warehouses bear the brunt of infestation by birds and a host of other pests, making big box store bird control a major priority for property owners. Once they’re inside, getting rid of the birds becomes a costly problem. For big box stores, in particular, the high ceilings provide even larger air spaces for the birds to build nests and avoid traps.
According to Fixr, it costs up to $2,000 on average to remove birds from a warehouse or big box store. Typically, this cost can be avoided by finding ways to keep the birds out of the building with proactive big box store and warehouse bird control methods. You can achieve this by using a bird-shock or employing one of these ingenious bird solutions.
What Challenges Do Birds Pose to a Big Box Store or Warehouse?
1. Fouling
Bird fouling is the number one cause of foul smell within warehouse ceilings and big box stores. This problem doesn't stop with the smell, either. Coming into contact with the bird feces can lead to infection in some instances. This occurs when the wastes from an infected bird rub into an open wound. In a few rare cases, bird feces have lead to sepsis (blood infection), which can easily lead to death if not treated. Feces from infected birds can also lead to psittacosis.
For some warehouses and big box stores, the bird droppings can foul stored products. This poses a health hazard for the intended buyers. In large grain stores, for example, bird droppings often lead to the destruction of potentially contaminated food. Moreover, it also leads to unsanitary working conditions if workers use the same surfaces with bird droppings. Sometimes, workers can even slide on the droppings when walking around the warehouse space!
Bird droppings also contain a fair amount of uric acid, which can easily corrode the building's paint. In the long-run, the bird-fouling can also lead to fire hazards within the warehouse or the big box store. Finding big box store bird control solutions is essential for stopping these problems before they develop.
2. Aggressive Behavior
Although some common birds like pigeons are considered docile and friendly on any other day, they can be alarming when they get agitated. A predator's presence, people walking near the nest, or fighting over the nesting spaces can cause such agitation. Sometimes, it might be as simple as the male birds fighting each other off.
When birds get agitated, the chances of someone getting hit on the face by a flying bird exponentially increase. Moreover, the furious motion can also lead to dislodging of roofing tiles or loosely attached insulation within the roofing spaces.
Sometimes, this aggressive behavior can extend to physical attacks on people within the area. This has often been the experience with nesting gulls in large warehouses, especially when they have young birds in the flock.
3. Sagging Ceilings and General Ceiling Damage
Sagging ceilings are among the ugliest sights in big box stores and warehouses. Nevertheless, it's a common occurrence in many commercial buildings. According to most experts, long-term habitation by birds in the ceiling spaces plays a large part in destroying the ceiling in a warehouse.
Birds create this problem by doing the following:
- • Piling feces on the ceiling floor over a long time. This added weight leads to the ceiling floor dropping.
- • Contributing to the corrosion of the ceiling trusses and other support posts.
Every year, companies spend thousands of dollars on repairing sagging ceilings in their warehouses and box stores. However, they often forget to resolve the primary bird problem while doing so. Repairing the roofs without considering big box store bird control solutions or finding ways to stop them from accessing the building certainly doesn't work as a long-term solution.
4. Damage to Drains and Rain Gutters
According to HomeAdvisor, repairing a blocked gutter will typically cost between $177 and $600, depending on the type of repair and the gutter's length. However, this price is only for homes. On average, it costs three times more to repair the same in commercial properties. Given the size of drains in big box stores and warehouses, it might cost even more to do the same.
Birds usually set their nests where they find ambient space. On many occasions, this space can be found in the rain gutters during the dry season. During the wet season, the nest material will clog the drains and lead to blockage. Furthermore, any blockage within the gutter system will also lead to flooding on the warehouse or big box store roof.
However, unblocking a short stretch of internal drainage will set you back between $200 to $500. Businesses can save this amount by finding ways to keep birds from nesting or fouling within the drainage spaces in the first place.
5. Blocked Ventilation Systems
Oftentimes, birds will nest within the ventilation vents if they find a way into them. This leads to the accumulation of nesting materials, feathers, and feces within the ventilation systems.
If they’re not dealt with through big box store bird control methods, the birds will clog the ventilation filters within a relatively short time. Once it gets to this point, unblocking the ventilation will cost you a large amount of money.
6. Damage to Stored Goods and Equipment
Grain-eating birds are the most common pests in grain storage silos and warehouses. These birds will often fly their way into the stores through open doors, uncovered ventilation vents, or the roof to have a feast on the stored grains.
However, this problem is not restricted to grain warehouses alone. In some instances, the birds will peck into packaging material to access the food beneath it. This leads to dozens of damaged product packs in the warehouse. By extension, this means more losses for the company.
Some installations will often find bird feathers clogging the equipment. This frequently occurs in grain-processing industries that have open machinery on the floor. In the long run, the bird feathers will increase the wear and tear in the movable machine parts, which leads to more repair costs.
Final Thoughts About Warehouse and Big Box Store Bird Control
Bird infestation is no small problem for a warehouse or big box store. It poses a danger not only to the workers' health but also to the property’s products. Therefore, finding ways to deal with the bird problem (if it already exists) and keeping birds out of a warehouse is crucial for managing the property. Bird Barrier is here to help with big box store bird control solutions that target specific problems impacting your property.
About Bird Barrier
Bird Barrier is a leader in innovative technology designed to prevent birds from landing, roosting or nesting. We specialize in urban bird control to remove birds humanely and effectively. Our website, birdbarrier.com, hosts a wealth of content to help people understand and identify bird control solutions for various problems with pest birds. Please contact us if you need help with a bird related problem. You may also benefit from our free guide, Bird Deterrents: The Complete Guide.
