Big Industrial Storage Facility, Big Bird Problem

Semi-enclosed industrial facilities are some of the hardest areas to protect against pest birds because they often make the perfect bird habitat. The partial shade they offer and big wide openings in all directions that birds can use to take off at the slightest hint of danger makes some industrial facilities a preferred spot for roosting and nesting.

Case in point: this facility in California had wine storage tanks which were covered from the elements under a steel-supported canopy. Inevitably, birds were nesting above the tanks, dropping fecal matter below. Not only was it extremely unsanitary for workers, acidic droppings eat through paint and metal. In cases when the fecal matter is allowed to sit for a long period, it reduces the lifetime of the paint and equipment, and can even lead to dangerous equipment failure.

The facility owner contacted Hot Foot to find out what solutions might be available. Full netting was the proposed option however it had to accommodate staff and workers constantly coming in and out of the facility. In one area there was a ramp used by fork trucks for occasional access.

To tackle the problem, Hot Foot designed a custom hybrid system. Hot Foot still used its own InvisiNet exclusion netting to keep birds out. Additionally, Hot Foot designed a special set of sliding nets to allow fork truck access, and strip doors that would allow workers to freely move in and out at certain access points of the enclosure.

The result: the facility is now completely bird-free, which means no more health hazards or equipment damage, while staff moves in and out pretty much as usual.