The city of Newport Beach Fire Department has approved installation of plastic bird spikes on the main lifeguard station in Newport Beach California.  Eric Bauer, Lifeguard Battalion Chief says “we have been fighting pigeons and seagulls for years on the lifeguard station.  The poop was just pilling up on the roofs and access areas.  Each night the dew would set in and drag all of the bird feces on to the roof access creating a horrendous smell and a certain health hazard.” They had tried sonic devices and motion controlled sprinkler systems in the past to try to get rid of the birds, but to no avail. Bauer then contacted John Rabun of J.M. Rabun Company to help him come up with a solution.

Rabun suggested using a product from Bird-B-Gone, Inc., to keep the birds from landing on the roof area.  Bird-B-Gone, Inc. is the largest manufacturer and distributor of pest bird deterrents in North America.  Jeff Watts from Bird-B-Gone met Rabun at the lifeguard station to help suggest a bird control system that would work.  Watts says, “they have a large infestation of pigeons and seagulls on the roof area, the best solution is some sort of physical deterrent that keeps the birds from landing and roosting on the roof.  I suggested using the Bird Spikes on the roof peaks and edges.  This will make it difficult for the birds to land and they will choose another more suitable area.”  Battalion Chief Bauer chose to us the Plastic Bird Spikes from Bird-B-Gone, Inc..  The plastic spikes are made of a sturdy polycarbonate plastic, they are durable and virtually invisible when installed.  The plastic spikes carry a 5-year Guarantee and are the lowest cost bird spike available. 

 Rabun says “the installation of the Bird Spikes was very easy to do.  In no time we had most of the roof done!”  He used adhesive to adhere the spikes to the roof peaks and edges of the roof.  They used the clear plastic spikes on the roof as it is virtually invisible from a distance, and they used the white spikes on the parapet wall that surrounds the roof access as the white spike matches the white paint.  Along with the Bird Spikes Rabun is installing the Bird Spiders by Bird-B-Gone, Inc..  The Bird Spiders have eight stainless steel “arms” that move with the breeze discouraging birds from landing.  They are installing the Bird Spiders on the open areas of the roof to keep Gulls from landing there.  Jeff Watts of Bird-B-Gone, Inc. says “ this is what we call an integrated bird control solution.  Sometimes more than one method or product is needed to keep pest birds away.”

by Alex A. Kecskes

Several years ago, during Detroit Tigers home games at Comerica Park, 60 or so herring gulls descended on the stadium, dive bombing players and fans alike. Were they after the foot-long hot, dogs?  The ketchup-drenched French fries? The roasted peanuts?  No way. They were gobbling up the recently hatched army moths fluttering about the stadium lights. 

While in Comercia’s case, it was moths that provided the snacks, more often, our feathered friends will settle for leftovers provided by fans. It’s a scenario oft repeated in open-air facilities around the country. A stadium’s geographic location can also contribute to the problem. In Comerica's case, it was their proximity to the Detroit River and several other large bodies of fresh water that accounted for the speedy invasion of gulls.