starling problem

I work in a gypsum mill and there is a huge problem with starlings in a building that is attached to the board plant. They are starting to get worried because of all the bird poo around. We just had a big audit last year and were dinged because of some piegon poo around in a side building. They were piosioning them with corn but it seems like the starlings caught on. The guys that work around that area keep the floor looking good but as soon as they clean the poo up its back. The birds are nesting about 100 feet up in the rafters and there is no way to put up a deterant there. We tried to block as many holes with chicken wire and netting but they wait for a belt that takes rock up to a bin to stop and walk through the belt rollers. They also come through a small opening on the side that we can't get to. My boss said he hear of a thing that gives off a hawk screach every now and then but don't know what it was called. I have seen a lot of very good ideas come form this form and was wondering if anyone could give me any pointers that I could try.
Thanks Terry

go to WCS link at the top of this forum, then Bird Control

Motion activated sprinklers work wonders, but so do pellet rifles

I wish I could take a pellet rifle to work but no guns are allowed

no guns allowed equal limited solutions. Why are the starlings attracted to the site. Do they eat Gypsum?

I think it is because of shelter from the weather and the heat from the mill, we have to "cook" the rock before we crush it

The cherry farms here place electric nets over the trees like make a big bug zapper , it's doesnt take much a electric cattle Fence will get it done , they also fly over them and spray them with something that causes them to die when they get a chil , these birds will adapt to anything , there like rats . Having your workers work in bird poo is crazy , these birds migrate like ducks that have bird flue and there's also parasites And all kinds of nasty things in that stuff , I would guess that working in a gypsum plant would weaken your lungs as it is , you should hire a professional before your standing over one of your workers looking at his kids crying there eyes out. Hire one that handles this kinda problem not a pest control bug smasher guy . Look up his past jobs , if it was me I would trap them,I would find there food sorce , we're are they roosting maybe I could wack them at night, sounds like a fun job wish I lived closer .

good grief pesky settle down, while i agree they should hire a professional to evaluate and help them mitigate this issue, talking about things like flu and parasites is a bit premature before you see whats going on in there. Likely by the sounds this is more of a mess and slip and fall hazard etc... I try but honestly I can't sit by and not say something when I see you post these hysterical ideas that factory workers are going to drop dead due to some starlings in a warehouse without knowing anything other than what was posted by the original poster.

good grief!

Sorry guess I've cleaned out one to many bath room vents from this nasty bird .There not a very clean bird you must Amit . Most birds keep them selfs clean not this bird . Theres been more than one guy that keep pigeons that got extremely sick . Sudden weigh lose and the doctor has no idea what's wrong . I've seen that happen to a good friend of mine , I'm sure there lots of electric in that plant I would fry them . Your right might not be that bad . Just the fact they have to pay people to clean up after them should justify hiring a pro to save money in the long run . But they should shop around and find the right man for the job , sounds like there going to need a crane just to get up there . I guess I'm kinda against using poison to , doesn't solve the problem , second dairy poisoning on none target animals would happen forsure . I would love to get a job like this sounds like fun , they could get a hold of the Michigan dept of agg there at war with these birds because of the cherry farmers here . The national guard is used for the spraying

Netting the rafters is one option. Second I know I have large scale traps that we build that will catch and hold hundreds of birds. The only trick is to get a half dozen in the trap. Once they see other birds inside they all flock in. But personally I don't like the traps you buy over the counter. But I'm sure a good profetional would be able to solve your problem. I don't know Iowa's laws I'm from Illinois. But if it's anything like here. Poisoning is a BAD idea and is frowned appon.

Humans eat gypsum! Why not birds? When the ingredients on certain food products list "fillers" it very well could be gypsum. No joke. I've hauled trailer loads of food grade gypsum from a gypsum plant to bakeries.

Oh Yippee, now Shumway tells me I've been eating drywall all these years. No wonder I'm back on the treadmill.

Puts a whole new perspective on the "food" we eat doesn't it Paul

During WW2, The government authorized/ordered bakeries to add sawdust to the flour to help stretch it further. And they never went back. Read the ingrediants on a loaf of bread, and you will see "Added Celulose" on the list.

I always felt that a little sawdust with my drywall added flavor. What other kind of crap do I eat? How about a little silicone to hold it all together?

Here is silicone in some wallboard

Any food with a white fluffy filling has gypsum in it. Twinkies, candy bars

Thread is hijacked!!!! lol

Seen this done in a 2 acre cherry orchard once. The owner got 4 cheap speakers and placed them on poles equally spaces around the orchard and hooked them to his house stereo. Country worked and scaring the birds away but rock worked better. no birds in the orchard while the stereo was playing.

You should put this on a falconry site like NAFEX. If those starlings know there is a hungry raptor waiting for them, they will quickly vacate. Even a kestrel can be flown on starlings.

Once the birds get used to the noise they will ignore it.

Matt

I would look into unleaded pellets and reaproach the boss about using a pellet gun as part of the solution. There are som short distance pellets that disentegrate into what looks like paper. WCS one of the sponsors here I has a laser system that I think would solve your problem. All hazing works much better if you can kill some of them and the world will be a better place.
The only sure solution would be netting or closing it off with gypsom board. The solution may seem expensive but should they figure how much time =money they spend cleaning up bird (I'm stufid and don't no inny better) even without a workers comp claim they will realize the solution is cheap its the problem thats expensive.
I wish I worked there so I could get sick and start a wildlife business with my disability check.

That not fare I got yelled at for talking like that , there's know way I would work or let people work in starling crap, this birds migrates like wild ducks do that have the bird flue , bats migrate and now have the bat flue , coming soon starling flue to a bakery nere you , wonder if they have solved this starling problem yet , I know there back up here making me some green , got paid my service call last week to let one out of a down spout , i almost felt bad for taking her money all I had to do is move the black pipe 2" then fish the little rat out with a T bar !

Pesky, what he said about getting sick and getting disability because of starlings has some of the same aspects as what I said to you before.

But,

do you read what I just quoted you on?

do you see how you mention bird flu?

do you see how you mention bat flu?

Both of these mentions have nothing to do with human health in the United States.

Bird flu or properly termed highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) was the subject of a massive surveillance program
to monitor wild ducks/geese and other avian species in the U.S. and around the world. It never caused any human illness
or death in the United States, therefore mentioning starlings migrating and saying people will get sick because of this is
not accurate and it misleads people who read it who may take your word for it.

The "bat flu" statements your making again don't come from this country and yet by you mentioning it online in this forum
you allow people to find your statements and think bats may be carrying a flu that may harm humans, which is not accurate again.

I don't take issue with anyone raising questions that is what a forum is for.

You however are making statements and statements can be treated as fact and quoted. So please understand the difference,
you won't catch me arguing with you about where to nail up a board on a house, or even how to trap wildlife, but when it comes
to wildlife disease issues the media already goes to far in sensationalizing these issues.

Do the bats and birds a favor and stick to what you can quote from good materials like extension publications, CDC website, OSHA
and other authorities.

Just sayin

The hole in the side of the building can be fixed by renting a lift. As for the place where the belt comes through the side of the building. A high volume air blower like those used to blow the water off your car at the car wash could be placed on the building. When the belt is turned off the blower comes on automaticaly. The birds will find it to difficul to enter and will soon find other places to go.

Paul, or you could start a disability business with your wildlife check.