As many have learned in the past, and many more will in the future … the Oklahoma Wildlife Control® Limited Liability Company of Tulsa, Oklahoma is unrivaled in excellence and professionalism when their services are required to stop nuisance birds from loitering on structures.
Along with the many control and deterrent options we have to offer, we also offer a monthly maintenance program for each deterrent system. We provide this service in order to ensure that the deterrent system will remain in good condition and quality working order.
Pigeons and Risks
The Problem
Pigeons cause defacement and accelerated building deterioration, fouling and soiling, noise and nuisance, poor public appearance & image, health hazards, transmission of disease, contamination of water / food supplies, public / employee safety and equipment damage. Cost of bird strikes and delays / cancellations to the commercial and military aviation industry is estimated to be $1.0 billion to $1.5 billion dollars a year. Monetary losses and damages caused by pigeon and bird feces to businesses, transportation entities, utilities and the general public goes largely unreported costing
consumers untold multi-millions of dollars each year.
Do pigeons pose a health risk? YES. Aside from the parasites & mites, they will provide you with …
Histoplasmosis
Histoplasmosis is a disease caused by a fungus, which grows in pigeon droppings. It also grows in soils and is found throughout the world. When cleaning droppings a person may breathe in some of the fungus, which in cases of high exposure can cause infection. Common activities, such as cleaning off windowsills, will not result in high exposures.
Symptoms of histoplasmosis begin to appear about 10 days after initial infection and include fatigue, fever, and chest pains. Most people, however, do not show any symptoms. Those with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients or people living with HIV/AIDS are generally more at risk of developing histoplasmosis. The disease cannot be transmitted from person to person.
Cryptococcosis
Cryptococcosis is another fungal disease associated with pigeon droppings and also grows in soils throughout the world. It is very unlikely that healthy people will become infected even at high levels of exposure. A major risk factor for infection is a compromised immune system. According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), nearly 85 percent of cryptococcosis patients are HIV-positive.
Starlings and Risk
Like the house sparrow, the starling was introduced from Europe in the 19th century. It did not spread as fast and only reached the western coast within the last few decades. Starlings are well adapted to urban life which offer it an abundance of food and nesting sites. It is a muscular bird about eight inches long with long wings and a short squared tail. Starlings are very aggressive and will drive native birds out of its territory, much to the dismay of local bird watchers. Starlings are well noted for their flocking habits. They often gather in the tens of thousands, creating a huge nuisance when roosting in populated areas. Starlings are a major nuisance in urban areas due to their nesting, eating and living habits. When the bird is in its flocking phase, thousands of starlings often overwhelm urban buildings. Large scale buildup of feces from these flocks will lead to structural damage. The uric acid in the feces will corrode stone, metal and masonry. Gutters and drainage pipes clogged with starling nests often backup, causing extensive water damage. The bacteria, fungal agents and parasites in the feces also pose a serious health risk.
House Sparrows and Risk
If you want to attract bluebirds, you will have to deal with House Sparrows if they are common in your area. House Sparrows are probably the number one enemy of bluebirds and purple martins. Unlike starlings, they are capable of entering the 1.5″ round hole of a nest box. House Sparrows have been observed threatening and attacking 70 species of birds that have come into their nesting territory.
You might think they’re cute (some blue-birders refer to them as “rats with wings”), but they attack and kill adult bluebirds (warning: graphic photos), sometimes trapping and decapitating them in the nest box and building their own nest on top of the corpse. They destroy eggs and young. At a minimum, they often harass native birds (especially more timid species like chickadees) into abandoning nest boxes. A HOSP flock near a nest box can also cause premature fledgling. They will also overwhelm bird feeders, driving other species away. (Ben Lincoln reported that 16 House Sparrows went through 3 lbs. of birdseed over a two day period.)
Damage and Risk
House Sparrows cause other damage: to crops (esp. grains) and gardens (eating seed, seedlings, buds, flowers, young vegetables [such as peas and lettuce], maturing fruit [such as cherries, pears and peaches but not grapes], and stored grain, and consuming and spoiling livestock food and water. They may spread other agricultural pests (such as nematodes and weed seeds). In exceptional cases (e.g., consumption of alfalfa weevil and cutworms) House Sparrows have been useful as a destroyer of insect pests, however under normal circumstances its choice of insects is often unfavorable (Birds of
America, 1917).
House Sparrows droppings and feathers create janitorial problems as well as hazardous, unsanitary, and odoriferous situations inside and outside of buildings and sidewalks under roosting areas. They can contaminate and deface buildings with their nests and acidic droppings, which can damage the finish on automobiles, block gutters (with nests), and create fire hazards (e.g., when nesting around power lines, lighted signs or electrical substations, in dryer vents.)
Last, but not least, they are also a factor in dissemination of about 29 human and livestock diseases and internal parasites (Weber 1979) such as equine encephalitis, West Nile (they are carriers, but it usually does not kill them as it has killed crows in the past), vibriosis, and yersinosis, chlamydiosis, coccidiosis, erysipeloid, Newcastle’s, parathypoid, pullorum, salmonellosis, transmissible gastroenteritis, tuberculosis, acariasis, schistosomiasis,
taeniasis, toxoplasmosis, and trichomoniasis; and household pests like bed bugs, carpet beetles, clothes moths, fleas, lice, mites, and ticks. Note that other wild birds may also have these diseases and parasites, but because of numbers and typical nesting locations, HOSP may be more likely to transmit them to humans and livestock.
Residential Canada Geese
The term waterfowl is properly applied only to Ducks, Geese and Swans. Goose problems in urban and suburban areas are primarily caused by giant Canada geese, which are probably the most adaptable of all waterfowl. If left undisturbed, these geese will readily establish nesting territories on ponds in residential yards, golf courses, condominium complexes, city parks, or on farms. Most people will readily welcome a pair of geese on a pond. They can soon turn from pet to pest, however. A pair of geese can, in 5 to 7 years, easily become 50 to 100 birds that are fouling ponds and surrounding yards and damaging landscaping, gardens, and golf courses. Defense of nests or young by geese and swans can result in injuries to people who come too close.
Migrant waterfowl damage agricultural crops in northern and central North American. In the spring, waterfowl graze and trample crops such as soybeans, sunflowers, and cereal grains. In autumn, swathed grains are vulnerable to damage by ducks, coots, geese, and cranes through feeding, trampling, and fouling. Young alfalfa is susceptible to damage by grazing waterfowl. Geese sometimes damage standing crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat. In southern agricultural areas, overwintering waterfowl can cause problems in rice, lettuce, and winter wheat.
Legal Status
In the United States, migratory birds, including most waterfowl, as well as their nests and eggs, are federally protected (50 CFR 10.12) by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) (16 USC. 703-711). A complete list of all migratory birds protected by the MBTA can be found in 50 CFR 10.13. Also, all states protect most waterfowl. Exotic and feral waterfowl species including mute swans, greylag geese, muscovy ducks, and Pekin ducks are not protected by the MBTA, but may be protected by state law or local ordinance.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation has enlisted us as designated agents, under ODWC’s Special Canada goose Permit (SCGP), issued by the US Fish and Wildlife Services. As agents we are authorized to conduct resident Canada goose management and control activities through egg and nest manipulation, trapping, and relocation, of Canada geese in order to contribute to human health and safety, protection of personal property, and prevention of injury to people or property. We are pre-authorized to trap and relocate and carry out egg and nest control only from within the incorporated city limits of a municipality. At this time lethal control of resident Canada geese by SCGP Agents operating under the ODWC federal permit is not permitted. Control activities under the ODWC’s federal Special Canada Goose Permit may only be conducted between March 11 and August 31. Activities involving the harassment of resident Canada geese, that do not result in the taking or possession of resident Canada geese, their parts, nest or eggs, may be conducted year around.
The Oklahoma Wildlife Control® Limited Liability Company of Tulsa, Oklahoma … is certified under the SCGP of the US Fish & Wildlife Department, and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation to assist and resolve your residential Canada geese problems and concerns with services ranging from egg addling to physical removal and relocation. Contact us today for your Residential Canada Geese needs. Our professionals are standing by to assist you.
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