Grain Storage and Milling Bird Control: Proven Solutions
Written by Erick Wolf
Milling bird control is critical to ensure birds stay away from storage areas and ventilation ducts. Without effective bird control for milling, pest birds and their droppings can pose a threat to product contamination and unsafe working conditions.
In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at milling bird control, including discussing why it’s crucial and identifying some of the most popular methods of bird control in the milling industry available today.
Why is Milling Bird Control Important?
Pest birds can be a real nuisance, which is why milling bird control is crucial to the industry. Birds can build nests that block ventilation ducts or find their way into your grain storage areas, contaminating your product.
Here are a few reasons to prioritize grain storage bird control and keep your employees and the community you serve safe.
Health Hazards
It’s no secret that birds can pose health and safety hazards to humans. The feces of pest birds can contaminate products and create harmful spores that workers can inhale. These droppings can be the transmission source of over 60 diseases, including Salmonella, E. Coli, and West Nile virus.
Safety Risks
Promoting safety should always be front of mind for anyone in the milling industry. That’s why grain facilities bird control is pivotal in increasing your employees' health and safety. Employees of your facilities risk slip and fall hazards due to pest bird droppings.
Extreme Damage and Deterioration
Bird droppings are known for being acidic and in addition to creating a mess can cause extreme damage. From buildings, machinery, and vehicle damage, keep areas clean by eliminating the source with effective milling industry bird control.
Birds Block Ventilation Ducks
In addition to contamination, birds tend to nest and roost in ventilation ducts of milling facilities. Spores from the fecal matter of birds can contaminate the air, posing a threat to employees as well as to your product.
High Fines and Penalties
Since most birds are protected by state and federal laws, lethal methods are often not best for milling bird control. High fines come from violations of these laws, which local officials regularly enforce.
Proven Milling Bird Control Methods
Here are the most popular options for milling bird control available today.
Birth Control
The most humane option for bird control for milling currently on the market comes in the form of bird birth control. Birth control limits the flocks' capability to multiply at rapid, uncontrollable rates rather than attacking the live population of pest birds.
Bird Netting
Bird netting is one of the oldest forms of milling bird control. This mesh creates a physical barrier to prevent birds from landing or making nests in otherwise desirable areas. While bird netting can effectively keep birds away from specific areas, it does not work for more extensive facilities.
Bird Spikes
Another popular milling bird control is bird spikes, which come in various splay widths. These spikes range in size from one to ten inches in width and act as a physical deterrent to help keep birds away from specific raised areas throughout milling facilities. Unfortunately, whenever possible, birds will undoubtedly find a way to rest in other locations not covered in spikes.
Bird Hazers
Bird hazers are a more practical option for bird control as they protect large open areas in milling facilities. Offering a more environmentally friendly alternative, hazers work by emitting a light haze and scent irritating to birds. While bird hazers are a better alternative for large-scale milling bird control methods, they can be limited during inclement weather conditions.
Visual Bird Deterrents
Visual bird deterrents startle birds using a strong contrast between the laser beam and the ambient light. While lasers work as a safer alternative to milling bird control methods, they are limited during conditions with lighter ambient lighting.
Why is OvoControl Effective in Milling Bird Control?
When it comes to finding effective bird control for milling, you’ll often find that it requires multiple options to get the job done. You might have to get creative, especially in larger, more extensive milling facilities. Thankfully, OvoControl is the new solution to bird control for milling.
Thinking it is food, birds thoughtlessly consume OvoControl, which strictly limits the ability of a pigeon’s egg to develop fully. OvoControl is an edible, kibble-type bird birth control used throughout the milling industry as effective bird control today.
Final Thoughts
While there are a few different milling bird control options, they often require multiple solutions and can still not be effective at minimizing damages and costs. OvoControl remains one of the most humane and practical solutions to bird control for milling facilities today. Its multiple delivery options make it customizable to any bird population size, while its non-toxic active ingredient ensures humane treatment of the birds.
