bird netting

The Lloyds Bank in South Shields, the UK, had a terrible experience with its bird control method: bird netting. Two seagulls have been found dead on the rooftop of the building next to a seriously injured pigeon. This story gave us the input to write about bird control netting and its pros and cons.

What Happened with Netting a Lloyd Bank

Let’s first address what happened at the bank. Lisa Waugh spotted the bodies of the seagulls and a pigeon that seemed to be trapped in the bird nets placed on the rooftop.

She immediately notified the RSPCA, an association that specialized in animal rescue, along with the fire brigades. Unfortunately, the pigeon’s condition was too critical to save: the nets had damaged its wing to the point that recovery seemed impossible.

“The bird nets are killing our wildlife. There needs to be an alternative. It was horrible to see the bodies of two dead birds on the roof, and the pigeon distressed.” – said Lisa when being interviewed. The issue has been raised at the bank, which is now looking for other, less harmful bird control solutions.

That’s great news!

What is Bird Netting

Netting is one of the most common and utilized bird control methods. It is proven to be effective by  physically blocking pest birds from the desired areas.

Bird control netting is highly versatile and can be successful in many different settings such as buildings, rooftops, fisheries, agriculture areas, and many more.

Choosing the Right Bird Net

Netting is effective only if you choose the proper nets.

When evaluating the different sizes and materials, you need to consider two critical factors:

1: Pest bird species:

start with the kind of pest birds you are dealing with. Pigeon nets can have a bigger mesh size than sparrow ones. However, opting for the smallest size isn’t the hack because if gaps in the netting are too small, more giant birds will walk over it.

2: Location:

something else to keep in mind is the setting. Are you trying to protect an agricultural crop or a building? There is no “one size fits it all” solution, so always rely on a bird control expert to advise you on the right decision.

Why Bird Netting Can Be Dangerous

An issue with netting can occur if it is not installed correctly. In this case, the birds can still land in the area, but they get trapped inside.

Furthermore, smaller bird species like sparrows could get tangled up in the net itself and seriously damage their extremities. It is really important to consider these disadvantages when choosing netting to avoid fatal situations like at Lloyd Bank. Apart from birds, small mammals could get trapped in the nets too.

Bird Netting Alternative

Urbanized and agricultural areas inevitably attract birds seeking food and shelter. Keeping birds away is essential for different reasons:

• they can transmit several diseases;
• leave corrosive droppings that damage the property;
• cause leakage by pecking holes in roofing;
• cause fire by building nests in chimneys;
• cause severe yield losses to growers.

Green lasers provide an effective alternative to bird netting.

The AVIX Autonomic laser bird repellent automatically scans the area with the bird problem reducing bird presence by more than 70%.

This innovative technology has several benefits like:

• Long-term effectiveness: The laser movement is always different, so birds do not get accustomed to it.
• Easily adapted to different settings: a mobile application allows adjusting the laser brightness, speed, and projection.
• It works on most bird species.

A recent study has demonstrated that the automated laser bird repellent by Bird Control Groups has a 98.2 % all species efficacy for reducing the rate of wild birds at poultry farms.

This innovative solution is utilized to keep birds away from agricultural areas as well as buildings, rooftops, residential areas, and many more applications.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has awarded the bird control group’s laser technology for its innovation, effectiveness, and animal friendliness.

Differences Between the AVIX Autonomic Laser and Netting

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