Squirrel & Bird Control

SQUIRREL CONTROL

In the case of vineyards, squirrels can kill young vines by stripping the bark and damage older vines by burrowing through root systems.

They consume shoots and fruit, and their gnawing to condition their teeth causes significant losses in drip irrigation lines and emitters. Their burrowing interferes with ditches and levee banks and can damage the foundations of buildings.

Even if you live in a house in the suburbs rather than a vineyard, squirrels can be obnoxious, terrorizing your pets and potentially sneaking into your home to cause untold damage to your attic, the walls, or anywhere else they can access.

What type of damage can a squirrel inflict upon your home? Squirrels can:

• Tear up insulation, fabrics, paper products, and more to make nests
• Gnaw on wires and cables, causing electrical damage or worse – electrical fires
• Cause all manner of structural damage to your home

BIRD CONTROL

You probably wouldn’t imagine birds causing property damage and bringing a host of health risks to your home. People enjoy listening to birdsong and watching birds, but the fact is that birds can bring serious problems.

The birds you are most likely to experience in your home are pigeons, seagulls, starlings, and house sparrows. Each differs in behavior and appearance and poses different hazards to your home.

Pigeons are perhaps the most common bird pests. Pigeon waste often dries and becomes dust that can be sucked into air vents. Inhalation of air contaminated by dust from pigeon droppings can be particularly harmful to those with respiratory sensitivities and immune deficiencies—particularly children and the elderly.

In general, birds roost on ledges and rooftops or alcoves. They build nests in just about any area large enough to perch in. Their nests can clog vents and gutters, pose a fire hazard near lights or electrical equipment, or dam water and cause potential flooding problems. Additionally, birds can transmit disease-causing pathogens like the ones that cause histoplasmosis, avian flu, salmonella, and more. Bird parasites (such as fleas, mosquitoes, and mites) can transmit even more pathogens, like those that cause West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis.