Birds of all kinds are a common sight in BC, from the pigeon hanging out in downtown Vancouver or the seagulls looking for food around English Bay. Many of the birds we help remove safely at our pest control company are in fact protected birds according to the Environmental Law of Canada. That means you can’t go hunting for any birds that are considered to be endangered species or protected by the law.
However, it’s when birds of a feather flock together to the point of ridiculousness that they can technically become a pest problem. Several of the birds we see in BC can actually become very aggressive if you get too close to their nests! If that nest has been built on the roof of your apartment building or on top of your restaurant, it spells trouble for everyone who lives or works near the premises.
The best way to practice safe and proper bird control is not only by calling your local Pest Boss (if the number of birds seems out of hand), but also by knowing when making the call is necessary. Here are our tips on how you can restore your status as king or queen of the roost.
Signs of bird pest situations
Like with insects and wildlife, there are ways to tell if a bird problem is spiraling out of control:
- The nest has been built right on your construction site, or on the roof of your home or building
- The number of birds roosting around the place rivals that of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds
- The amount of bird poop on site, which can corrode paint and carry diseases
- The amount of noise being made! This can vary from seagulls calling out to a woodpecker knock-knock-knocking on your door
- Excessive damages to your home, building, or construction site, specifically in the gutters and on the roof
All of these things qualify as big red flags that your birds have become a genuine pest problem!
Identify which bird it is
Unless there are a lot of birds hanging out nearby (hence the Alfred Hitchcock reference), it will help make the bird removal process go more smoothly if you can identify which bird is in fact your current pest problem. Here are a few feathery friends worth knowing about:
- Crow
- Seagull
- Woodpecker
- Flicker
- Starling
- Sparrow
- Pigeon
Pretty much all of these birds are both native to BC as well as protected by the Environmental Act of Canada, as their traits fall under categories such as migratory species. That means all of the birds we listed cannot be hunted or killed, not unless you have the money to pay for the fines…or a get out of jail free card.
(Fun fact: the Starling is the only bird on this list that is not originally native to North America. It was introduced as a species in the 1890s by the American Acclimatization Society, a group located in England.)
Try to find the nest safely
It helps to identify the location of these birds’ nests as well in order to ensure the bird removal process goes smoothly.This is where calling your local Pest Boss can come in handy, because we have the tools and skills needed to safely climb onto and down from roofs come inspection time. This will help you from trying anything dangerous, such as climbing on to the roof yourself!
Sometimes all it takes to get help faster is to take pictures of the damage done to your property by the birds in question. If the nest is in a tree near your property, taking a photo of the nest in question can help too (try and get it from far away, if possible; Mama Bird can get pretty cranky if you go near her and her babies).
Call your local wildlife pest boss
Once you know which bird is your pest in question, that’s when you should call your local bird control company. There are a few good reasons why we insist you should call us especially. One reason is that we are licensed to remove wildlife safely and we know how to remove pests without using chemicals or harmful pesticides on the premises. We even go so far as to move the birds to a whole other location that’s more based in the wilder landscapes of BC and less closer to urban neighbourhoods or the city. Following these steps is basically why we’ve become such a trustworthy pest control company in Burnaby, Vancouver, and varying cities in BC’s Lower Mainland.
What not to do
We feel this bears repeating: do not try to remove the nest yourself! Not only will this anger Mama Bird, but also you could be putting your life and baby birds’ lives at risk. DIY bird control could result in some disasters such as falling off the roof, or out of a tall tree, or off a ladder. You could also accidentally crush the bird’s eggs, if any (both Mama and the government of Canada would not be happy to hear of this). Please don’t your life on the line!
Hopefully our advice here can help you stay pest-free. If your bird situation is getting out of hand, let us know. We’ll get you, feathery varmints!
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