I have a bird problem and would like your help

More information about Our Services to Control Birds:

Bird Control generally involves some form of proofing and also the sterilisation and removal of fouling.  The main reasons for bird control are:

• To prevent the spread of disease: Birds can spread diseases, which affect man and other animals.  They are capable of transmitting food poisoning organisms; either by direct contact between food and their contaminated bodies or by faecal deposits.

• To prevent wastage of food: Considerable financial loss is incurred by pest infestations in food and packaging materials.  The presence of insects, droppings or bird feathers in food results in loss of production, recall of contaminated foods and the destruction of large quantities of food.  Furthermore, birds eat food in fields, warehouses, commercial and domestic premises causing loss and contamination.

• To prevent damage: Their droppings not only foul any objects that they fall on but also harbour many insects, which can contaminate or spoil nearby goods.  In addition, the acidic nature of pigeon droppings means it has the potential to cause irreparable damage to buildings.

• To comply with the law: Relevant legislation includes; The Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995, The Food Safety Act 1990, The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, Health and Safety At Work Act 1974, etc.

Bird control services fall into four main groups: Anti-perching devices (spikes and wires), Anti-entry devices (netting), Scaring devices and Approved Culling Methods.  Microbee sees culling as the last resort and actively promotes habitat manipulation measures to discourage pest birds.

Pest Birds

The UK Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 was produced to protect native wildlife.

The Act listed certain wild British birds as pests.

This list, known as: Schedule 2, Part 2; contains the following species:

	Solutions
Species	Netting	Anti Perch Spikes	Anti Perch Wires	Culling
Crow   Corvus corone				Ö
Collared Dove  Stretopelia decaocto
Canada Goose Branta canadensis	Ö			Ö
Greater Black-backed Gull  Larus marinus	Ö	Ö	Ö
Lesser Black-backed Gull   Larus fuscus	Ö	Ö	Ö
Herring Gull   Larus argentatus	Ö	Ö	Ö
Jackdaw  Corvus menedula				Ö
Jay   Garrulus glandarius				Ö
Magpie   Pica pica				Ö
Feral Pigeon   Columba livea	Ö	Ö	Ö	Ö
Rook   Corvus frugilegus				Ö
House Sparrow *  Passer domesticus	Ö
Starling*   Sturnus vulgaris	Ö
Woodpigeon   Columba palumbus				Ö
* Note that as from 01/03/05 these species are no longer on the list but exclusion netting can still be used

The reasons for inclusion were, variously, that these birds helped spread disease or caused agricultural damage of one sort or another. 

These birds are the subject of a general license from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) which allows them to be killed or taken by any authorised person using guns, traps or nets. Further, their nests and eggs can be taken or destroyed.

These measures effectively remove them from the protection offered to all other wild bird species by the 1981 Act. The schedule is subject to annual review and could, in theory, be extended or reduced to include or exclude other species. In practice, this has not happened.

Besides Schedule 2, the government, through DEFRA can issue general licences under the terms contained in section 16 of The Act which legalise what would otherwise constitute criminal offences (under the Act) with regard to other birds causing problems like Canada Geese for instance.

Section 27 interprets the meaning of words and expressions within the Act.  The Act protects “wild birds”, which are defined as “any bird of a kind which is ordinarily resident in or a visitor to Great Britain in a wild state….”

Futher Information about pest birds

Home    About Us  Service Levels  Services for:- Property Managers Catering Construction Architects Householders Research Pest Information- Birds Insects Rodents  Published Research    Contact Us    Jobs