-Chrissy Hansen, Bird-X Blogger

Bird Control Poem

One bird on a lamp post,
Two birds build a nest.
Three birds on the rooftop,
Just wait for all the rest.

Four birds scavenging for food,
Five birds swoop for more.
Six birds keeping watch above,
Now there’s poop galore.

Seven birds to start the spring,
They quickly multiply.
Now thirty birds are squawking,
And many more drop by.

One bird was a welcome sight,
One hundred overwhelm.
When pest bird infestation strikes,
Let Bird-X take the helm!

Deer mice don’t look that dangerous – you might even think them cute. As wild animals, deer mice are attracted into human environments where there is food and shelter. They are common wherever nature and people intersect. Cute, maybe – but also, unfortunately, vectors for deadly hantavirus.

Deer Mice and Hantavirus in Yosemite

Hantavirus is contracted by breathing in air that is contaminated by the urine, droppings and/or saliva of infected rodents, such as deer mice. It affects the lungs and may kill up to one person in three who contracts it. Hantavirus occurs naturally throughout most of North and South America. Responsible for 10 illnesses and 3 deaths, the Hantavirus made an unexpected arrival in Yosemite National Park late last year – a result of an unusually high count of deer mice. The majority of the visitors infected stayed in cabins in Curry Village, the likely center of the outbreak.

Deer mice are everywhere, found in over forty states and most of Canada. Because they are known carriers of human illnesses and an overall nuisance in general, controlling deer mice is a must – especially in crowded tourist attractions like Yosemite National Park. With a constant rotation of the public, large numbers of people are potentially exposed to any hazardous conditions. Previous fatal Hantavirus cases occurred in the Four Corners area and in several other states. “Rodent infestation in and around the home remains the primary risk for Hantavirus exposure.” (www.nps.gov)

Scientific Studies and Solutions!

In addition to this serious health threat, deer mice and their domestic cousins, house mice, are also responsible for excessive damage, unsanitary droppings and exasperating clean-up throughout their habitats, a.k.a. your home and/or other residential or commercial property.

But there’s no need to panic just yet. A clean, simple, humane solution is available to keep rodents away from your space and out in the wild where they belong. Bird-X’s sonic/ultrasonic rodent and insect pest repellers proved highly effective against deer mice in scientific studies conducted in the real-world conditions of an old Wisconsin farmhouse.

A 2-year study in Marquette County confirmed the effectiveness of both the Transonic Pro and Yard Gard. Performed by biologist Dr. Philip Whitford of Capital University, in Columbus, Ohio, the test results proved significant: “In both indoor settings and outdoors there was a complete absence of evidence of mice or other small mammals during the times the sound units were on.” (Test Results of Studies of TRANSONIC PRO and YARDGARD sonic and Ultrasonic sound producing Units for Reduction of Mouse damage in natural settings in the home and garden, Dr. Philip Whitford)

Experts in humane and non-toxic pest deterrents, Bird-X offers the Transonic Pro and Yard Gard, both low-profile electronic pest repellers that use sound waves to repel pests. Emitting a sound at a frequency intolerable to mice drives them away humanely and effectively. These units also control other small and larger rodents, and the Transonic PRO is effective against many household bugs also.

The Transonic Pro and Yard Gard eliminate the need for traps and poisons, and are ideal for garages, attics, basements, crawlspaces and cabins (like those of Yosemite National Park). With such an affordable solution, preventing rodent damage and the spread of illness is more than possible – it’s easy. Bird-X’s effective electronic devices offer a quick fix to a big problem.

Work Cited:

• Page. National Parks Service. National Parks Service, 07 Feb. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2013.
• Whitford, Philip. Test Results of Studies of TRANSONIC PRO and YARDGARD sonic and Ultrasonic sound producing Units for Reduction of Mouse damage in natural settings in the home and garden.. Diss. Capital University, 2009. Print. <http://www.bird-x.com/filebin/pdf/research/Test_Results-MOUSE-TRANSONIC-PRO-and-YARDGARD.pdf>.

Taylar Ramsey, Bird-X Blogger

The Bird-X green office environment makes an “eco-friendly” statement:

Community Garden.  Right outside our front door is a vegetable and flower garden for the benefit of all Bird-X employees. Honey Locust, Silver Maple and Kentucky Coffee shade trees line the sidewalk outside the building. Landscaping and modifying the environment to make it more attractive is an important part of green company planning.

Smart Printer Strategy.  Instead of having a small, inefficient printer at every desk, we have three large printers that save toner and energy. Staff members are encouraged to e-file and save paper as much as possible.  But when printing is absolutely necessary, we stand up, stretch our legs and walk over to the centralized printers.

Office Recycling.  We keep recycling bins at every workstation. We also audit the material flow to ensure our recycling is going to the proper recycling facility.

Recycled Paper Products.  Our paper towels and toilet paper are made from 100% post-consumer recycled material.

Energy Efficient Lighting.  We use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs and as those die out, we are switching to LED bulbs, which last much longer and use less energy.

Green Products.  Bird-X Plastic Bird Spikes are made from recycled plastic – how cool is that?!

Low-Wattage Green Space Heaters.  Employees use Cozy Products low-wattage personal space heaters at workstations to manage individual climate preferences. This allows us to keep the thermostat turned down.

Responsible Computing.  We purchase machines that are refurbished to help reduce landfill computer waste. Retired computers are scrapped for useable parts and then donated to FreeGeek Chicago, a non-profit that responsibly recycles computers.

Being a green company is all about creating the right environment. Just as our products change the environment to deter pest birds; our business environment deters unnecessary waste and pollution.

Mark Brouwer, Guest Bird-X Blogger
Mark Brouwer is an environmentalist and developer of technology for environmentally friendly companies.

Bed bugs have been around for centuries – a pest problem most often associated with developing countries.  However, the international community has recently seen a resurgence of bed bugs plaguing homes and businesses in every country regardless of affluence or living conditions.  Experts suggest that our society’s increase in travel combined with an overall lack of bed bug prevention awareness has led to the growth of this costly pest problem.

The biggest myth surrounding bed bug infestation is that bed bugs only inhabit dirty or unhygienic locations. In reality, bed bugs are not attracted to dirt or filth – they are attracted to warmth, blood, and carbon dioxide.  Even the cleanliest of places can still be affected by a bed bug infestation, including five star hotels and luxury cruise ships.

Initial Bed Bug Reactions and Research

In college, I (unfortunately) got to experience a bed bug infestation firsthand.  Being a senior, I had roommates.  About a month and half after moving in, I started to notice that my roommate was no longer sleeping in his room, but out on the couch.  When asked why, he said he had noticed some small brown bugs on his wall and around his bed and thought it better to stay out until he could call maintenance to come and spray.  I peeked in and saw one small, flat, reddish-brown bug on the wall.  I watched from afar as it crawled down the wall and disappeared behind the mattress.

I began to research fervently and found that indeed it was the dreaded bed bug.  The more I researched the more my skin began to crawl.  Bed bugs feed by biting and drinking a person’s blood, which usually takes five minutes per bite. They are very small and feed at night, which is why they are typically found near a person’s bed.  They usually bite in patterns of three and are attracted by carbon dioxide emitted when a person exhales.  This leads to bites being predominantly on a person’s face, neck, arms, and chest. Bed bugs are very good hiders during the day – usually between floor boards and mattresses – but they are even small enough to hide behind wallpaper.

Bed bugs also love to travel and will latch on to various items or crawl through holes and walls to find additional food sources.  They can live for months without actually feeding and the female bed bug can lay over 500 eggs in a lifetime!

Bed Bug Detection and Elimination

We immediately went to work doing all the recommended procedures to get rid of bed bugs. We had to throw away my roommate’s mattress because the bed bug infestation was so severe; we bagged all of his dryer-safe items and dried them on high heat.  And we, of course, called an exterminator.

Our management company refused to pay for any pest control because there had been no previous history of bed bug infestation.  In all likelihood the bed bugs came in by hiding in the nooks and crannies of the used bed frame my roommate had purchased from a local thrift store.  Bed bugs often arrive via used furniture from a location that had bed bugs.

My roommate decided to choose the cheapest pest control company.  They used a spray pesticide only in the infected room and then we waited…

Bed Bugs…Back Again

For two months our bed bug problem seemed fixed.  Then one morning I woke up with large, red, itchy welts on my arms in a pattern of three.  Because the first exterminator did not properly treat the problem, the bed bugs had managed to travel to my bedroom.  Not everyone experiences a reaction to bed bug bites – but for those who do, reactions can range from small welts to a severe allergic reaction.  My roommate had no bed bug reaction (which I believe is how the infestation got as bad as it did).  I, on the other hand, had multiple welts on my arms and neck that even cortisone cream couldn’t relieve.  We immediately bagged all of our items and called the exterminator again.

After a handful of calls, I found a pest control professional who was very knowledgeable about bed bugs and he helped us take a multifaceted approach to ridding the apartment of them for good.  The exterminator used a pesticide around the base boards in all rooms and even in the staircases outside our apartment door; he also used a non-toxic freeze spray on my bed frame and other surfaces I came into contact with regularly.  Finally, he suggested we purchase special fabric mattress covers that would not only keep bed bugs out, but seal them in as well (so they would not continue to spread, if by chance there were still any bugs or eggs remaining in the mattress).  After his visit, we had finally rid our apartment of bed bugs for good.

Bed Bug Monitors – A Before and After Solution

Bird-X offers a product to detect whether or not bed bugs are present – Bed Bug ALERT Monitors.  These bed bug detection monitors are extremely helpful in early identification and elimination of the pest before a full blown bed bug infestation occurs.  If I had used Bed Bug ALERT Monitors after the first exterminator came, it would have let us know that the problem still existed before I got all of those itchy bites.  We also could have had a bit more peace of mind after the second exterminator if the traps found no evidence of any more bed bugs instead of us worrying for months if they might make an appearance again.

-Elizabeth Price, Bird-X Blogger

*Bed Bug ALERT Monitors are recommended for early identification of bed bug infestations, as well as post-treatment bed bug resurgence monitoring.

Anyone in Chicago has seen the signs: “Don’t Feed the Pigeons.”  And there is always that disregarding individual who walks right past the sign with a handful (or more) of seed ready to feed the pigeons anyways.

These signs are not there for decoration; they serve an important purpose.

Currently, Chicago’s Municipal Code provides for a possible fine for feeding pigeons.  However, earlier this month, a local alderman proposed a stronger law that would make feeding pigeons actually illegal. 

Alderman James Cappleman proposed an ordinance that will necessitate up to 6 months in jail and a $1,000 fine should someone choose to violate by feeding pigeons in the city of Chicago.  Specifically, the Wilson and Lawrence CTA stations were recognized for their severe coverage of bird droppings, and unfortunately, regardless of the CTA’s strong efforts to keep their stations clean, the bird mess continues to ‘pile up’ due to the ongoing pigeon feeding.

Legal or not, Bird-X, based in Chicago, understands the importance of pest bird control – especially in highly populated areas.

Pigeon droppings can be very hazardous to our health.  They are responsible for many human diseases, including Histoplasmosis, Cryptococcosis and Psittacosis.  Disease organisms thrive in nutrient-rich bird droppings.  An individual may inhale the fungus from the droppings, thus becoming infected.  Though most people who become infected typically already have a weakened immune system, these health hazards should not be overlooked.

Bird-X offers many bird control units that are both beneficial and humane for deterring pest birds.  A combination of sonic/ultrasonic bird repellers and visual scares is a great synergistic solution for serious bird problem areas like CTA stations.  It would also help if everyone obeyed those signs to Stop Feeding the Pigeons!

Bird-X has already provided numerous bird deterrent products to multiple transit systems throughout the country, helping to manage costly city pigeon problems.

With the combined efforts of humane pigeon control products and a general public who understands the consequences of feeding pigeons, Chicago (especially the CTA) will be better equip to tackle this ongoing pigeon problem.

-Taylar Ramsey, Bird-X Blogger

While there are numerous bird species that make their presence known with mess and destruction on our property, there are also many rare and unusual bird species that go unseen by the everyday person.  Even common birds show significant changes in population and distribution over time.

Bird enthusiasts will brave the harsh weather December 14^th through January 5^th, as this month marks the 113^th Annual Christmas Bird Count, sponsored by the National Audubon Society.

Every year, thousands of volunteers gather from dusk to dawn for one calendar day to both count birds and identify bird species.  “Count Circles” are created with at least 10 people per group. Within that bird count group, each volunteer helps to collect data within a 15 mile diameter.  Volunteers visit parks, wooded areas, bay sides, etc. – trying to see as many different bird species as possible.

The Christmas Bird Count began just prior to the 19^th century as the Christmas “Side Hunt.”  It was a pivotal time in history for the bird population, as conservation was just beginning.  Originally an annual hunting competition, all participants would split into two teams and compete to collect and bring back as many birds (and/or other animals) as possible.  Neither rarity nor beauty was considered.  The team with the highest collection was the winner.

Ornithologist Frank Chapman of the newly assembled Audubon Society proposed the idea of counting the birds rather than killing them, changing the name to “The Christmas Count.”  On Christmas Day in 1900, the original count consisted of 27 birders and approximately 90 bird species were counted.  Today, thousands of bird counters participate and roughly 60 million birds are counted each year throughout the United States and Canada.

The Christmas Bird Count is the longest running wildlife census. The information collected is used to evaluate the bird population and ultimately indicate what steps must be taken next for conservation.

Wild birds give enjoyment to millions of people.  Bird-X wishes all the Christmas Bird Count volunteers good luck, Happy Holidays and Happy Counting!

-Taylar Ramsey, Bird-X Blogger

• Stop birds from perching.  Fall bird season is peak migration time and pest bird numbers have grown due to the addition of this year’s young.   Stop birds – large flocks and passersby – from resting on rooftops by installing bird spikes on the most convenient ledges.  To protect signs, light posts and other higher-profile perches from larger pest bird species such as starlings and pigeons, apply the discreet-yet-highly-effective Bird Proof Gel.

• Stop birds from feeding.  Cold weather during fall bird season can deplete many bird food sources – fewer bugs, berries, and seeds – even the grass stops growing.  Pest birds will become more aggressive to reach these remaining sources of food.  Keep birds away and stop birds from decimating fall foliage with exclusion netting – pest bird netting is 100% effective everywhere it is installed.  To protect lawns and fields from foraging geese and other migrating waterbirds, apply a liquid taste aversion like Bird Stop to grass, turf, etc.

• Deter geese from settling.  Fall bird season is actually the BEST time to remove stubborn resident geese from property.  During other seasons it can be extremely difficult to deter geese.  Use the one-of-a-kind GooseBuster sonic repellent system to remove current geese and to discourage any transient geese from settling for the winter.

• Stop nests from attracting birds next year.  Because it is illegal to remove nests while birds are still using them, fall is the best time to do a little pest bird cleaning.  Nests and other bird debris can become a source of attraction for more pest birds next year.  Make sure nests have been vacated before carefully removing them.  If bird droppings are present on the premises (particularly in large quantities), be aware that these messes pose extreme health risks and should be removed by pest control professionals.

Just because birds are flying south for the winter doesn’t mean bird season is over.  And if you are located in the South…well, then you already know that bird season and effective bird control is a year-round commitment!  Stop birds from causing problems all year long with safe, humane, eco-friendly bird control products from Bird-X.