Residential & Commercial Pest Control in Ocean Gate, NJ

I was sent to a homeowner in Ocean Gate who had called Cowleys in a panic. She was in the midst of an ongoing bird infestation. Sparrows and starlings were using her roof to nest and roost. Nuisance birds, which usually involve pigeons, sparrows, starlings, and sea gulls, can become a major problem for any homeowner unfortunate enough to find themselves with a bird infestation. These invading birds can cause significant property damage. Their acidic droppings do far more than create unpleasant odors. They ruin vegetation, painted surfaces, gutters and awnings, and cause electrical equipment to malfunction. House sparrows can damage rigid foam insulation, and their nests can become fire hazards.Birds also carry a host of pathogens, including serious respiratory fungal diseases like histoplasmosis.

When I arrived on the scene, I immediately noticed the homeowner had Spanish-style roofing. These clay roof tiles, with pattern of distinctive ripples, are aesthetically beautiful. However, when it comes to bird control, this type of roof poses quite a challenge. Spanish style roof tiles are very fragile, and there is always the risk of roof damage if the technician does not know what he is doing. Also, because of their design, these tiles have many gaps and openings where pest and wildlife can find easy access for nesting sites. At Cowleys, we don’t shy away from difficult projects, and our philosophy is that if others can’t or won’t do it, we will. After meeting with this distraught homeowner, I was not about to let her continue suffering for another day because of this worsening bird infestation.

It was time to “take care of business.”  First, I first carefully removed any nesting material and debris left behind from the birds making sure to not damage any of the tiles in the process. I then cleaned and sanitized the problem roof areas of pathogens and bird mites. Next,  I installed copper mesh in all the openings and backed it with an exclusion foam.

Bird control is all about behavior modification. The objective is to create a inhospitable environment, so they move their activities elsewhere. Every job is different depending on the structure and the type of bird, but in this case, I used a Bird Barrier Optical Gel, a type of multi-sensory bird repellent. I placed this amazing gel in plastic pucks, and glued them to each of the roof bump-outs with a silicone adhesive. 

This completely safe product helps deter birds from landing in the treated areas. When we look at this product, we see only a small disk full of a bland white gel. However, birds have far better color vision that us. They have cones in their retinas that give them ultraviolet vision, a much broader spectrum of colors. As a result, under a bird’s Ultraviolet Light Spectrum, this gel actually looks like a giant fireball — a hazard that they instinctively want to avoid!  Of course, there is no actual flame. It’s all one big illusion that prevents future bird issues.

Needless to say, this Ocean Gate homeowner was quite relieved that I had taken care of her bird problem that she had been dealing with. As a general matter, bird infestations do not self-resolve, and the longer they have taken over a roof, the more likely it is that they are not going anywhere without giving them a few “incentives” to leave.