March 2, 2018

Bird Nuisance in a Carpark of Victoria Shopping Centre

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Situation before:

Victoria Shopping Centre’s management was faced with the significant challenge of deterring gulls from their parking lot. They tried various tools to disperse the gulls, including noisemakers and bird repellent tapes, but no method seemed truly effective.

Situation after:

Management initiated the use of the Autonomic in April 2016, a time when bird activity is typically at its peak at Victoria Shopping Centre. Within weeks the staff noticed that all the birds were gone. The labor hours staff previously spent removing bird waste and cleaning the facility were reallocated to other tasks, and the public’s perception of the shopping mall’s parking area was improved.

Location:Llandudno, United kingdom
Application context:Car Park (Industry & Utility buildings)
Problem definition:Financial loss and personal safety issues as a result of bird nuisance
Pest bird species:Gulls (Laridae)
Time of year bird presence:April – October
Time of day bird presence:From 8:30 PM to 6 AM
No. of birds before installation:Over 100
No. of birds after installation:0
Birds reduction after the Autonomic has been installed:100%
Laser projection area:0.51 ha
In use since:April 2016
No. of systems:1 x Autonomic
Bird behavior:Perching
Consequences:Damage to facility, client vehicles, and company’s image due to wild bird presence
Financial burden:Labor expense: 3 hours of cleaning every day
Yearly probability of bird nuisance happening without Autonomic:(between 0-100%) – 100%
Yearly probability of bird nuisance happening with Autonomic:(between 0-100%) – 0%

The Autonomic proved to be the most effective bird deterrent for Victoria Shopping Centre

Victoria Shopping Centre is the premier shopping centre for North Wales, located 45 miles West of Chester. An integrated multi-story car park with 366 spaces provides shoppers with direct access into the centre and onto Llandudno’s main street and promenade where even more shopping, food and entertainment can be found.

The shopping mall’s parking lot is a busy spot that hosts thousands of visitors every day. At one point, gulls occupied the entire top floor of the car park, virtually preventing its use, and created sanitation issues that could only be mitigated by a daily three-hour cleaning operation. In addition to creating added labor costs, the bird presence had a negative effect on the public’s perception of Victoria Shopping Centre. Some mall customers were reluctant to park their cars there, or even walk through the lot due to the bird nuisance and their droppings. Some customers even reported being attacked by the gulls.

Time for changes

Victoria Shopping Centre’s management searched for a way to protect customers and their facility from this seagull ”scourge”. They tried various ways to deter the birds from perching on the parking lot’s top level such as noisemakers and bird repellent tapes, but soon found the methods to be impractical, inefficient, or both. Property Maintenance Manager Mark Groom stated that management determined the “time for changes” had come. An internet search for bird control methods was undertaken, and Bird Control Group’s products received immediate attention.

Management saw that the laser concept was safe, clean and quiet. They concluded that the technology was promising enough to warrant a trial.

Achieved bird repelling results

After a few months of using the Autonomic, Victoria Shopping Centre staff noticed that the number of birds perched at the facility was completely reduced – from over 100 to 0. The gulls didn’t become accustomed to the bird repelling laser, so the Autonomic’s effectiveness was long term. The staff was happy as they found the bird repellent system easy to use. Cleaning costs related to bird waste were eliminated and, when visitors realized the birds and their odiferous mess were gone, they returned to using the top level of the parking lot. Bird nuisance was no longer a problem!

Safety comes first

Victoria Shopping Centre made sure that the laser repellent is used safe. The Autonomic was programmed to run overnight only, when the car park was closed to access. Coverage was for the top deck of the car park and the power was controlled at the security desk.


Bird Control Group’s automated laser bird repellent provides 24/7 protection from wild birds by shining a green laser light in the area affected by the problem. Get in touch via the form below if you are interested in learning more.

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