Commercial building scares birds away with laser bird deterrent

Location:	Michigan, United States
Application context:	Commercial warehouse (Industry & Utility buildings)
Problem definition:	Seagulls nesting in the gutters of the commercial building
Bird species:	Gulls (Laridae)
Bird behavior:	Roosting and foraging
Time of the year with bird problems:	All year round
Time of the day with bird problems:	All day with additional pressure at dusk and dawn
Number of systems:	1 x AVIX Autonomic Mark II
In use since:	June 2020
Laser projection area:	47000 sqft (1 acre)
Number of birds before installation:	100s
Number of birds after installation:	10
Bird reduction after the laser deployment:	80-90%

Seagulls pose as a safety risk

Dustin Kurath, Technical Director of Northern Coatings and Chemical Co, struggled tremendously with birds nesting in their commercial building and rooftop gutters. Northern Coatings and Chemical Co is an industrial paint company located in Michigan, United States of America.

They had a bad experience with hundreds of seagulls defecating on their commercial building, nesting in the roof’s draining, and attacking the Northern Coatings’ employees. The aggressive behavior was managed by employees independently. However, the safety risk of fires and flooding was a problem that needed a more permanent solution.

Seagulls roosting in the drains can cause rainwater to accumulate on the roof or inside the building itself. The consequences could have resulted in the top of the roof collapsing which would have caused property damage internally and externally. Dustin Kurath was very concerned about the danger of a potential fire starting from the birds nesting in the building. As he explained, “when birds nest inside equipment or building vents, the blocked lint can ignite.”

It is challenging to eliminate seagulls in Michigan as they are protected birds. Northern Coatings spent around $112,000 on roof contracting to repair the property damage that had originated from the seagulls. The contractors found it challenging to be up on the top of the building with the seagulls and were unable to complete the job.

Eventually, Northern Coatings retrieved a permit to remove the nest debris as the birds were an extremely high safety risk. They attempted to use a drone to scare birds away, but this resulted in an additional $2000 cost, as seagulls decided to attack the drone. After this, the problem escalated: seagulls started ripping open garbage bags and flying towards employees.

Cost-effective solution to scare birds away

Northern Coatings could not scare birds away quickly or sufficiently with any of their techniques. That is until Dustin Kurath found out about Bird Control Group. In early 2020, Dustin Kurath got in touch with Bird Control Group and in June 2020 deployed the first AVIX Autonomic laser bird deterrent at Northern Coatings. Dustin Kurath expresses, “The customer service has been world-class.”

The AVIX Autonomic Mark II is an innovative solution to bird problems globally. The laser bird deterrent is an automated system that runs 24/7 by projecting a green laser beam in a programmed pattern across the areas that birds nest, roost, and forage. Birds perceive the green laser beam as a solid object. As the green laser sweeps the site, the system triggers their danger instincts. The seagulls perceive the laser beam as a threat and disperse within seconds. Dustin Kurath set up the laser himself and programmed his laser beam patterns to suit the specific application.

Dustin Kurath emphasizes that the laser bird deterrent was the right solution for Northern Coatings because it was safe and precise. Northern Coatings could not use any noise devices to scare birds away as the building is in a residential area. The laser was the silent solution that Northern Coatings needed to scare birds away. He states, “The laser works well in a residential neighborhood because it has an easy setup and runs silently.”

Reduced bird presence by 80%-90%

Dustin Kurath explained, “The deal-breaker for us was that we spent so much money trying to solve the issue, over $112,000 and the laser was just a one-time effective investment to scare birds away. It was so enticing because we no longer had to fight with the seagulls. We found an extremely effective solution that reduced our maintenance costs greatly.”

Northern Coatings and Chemical Co had an 80%-90% reduction in the bird population on their roof and surrounding areas. The laser ran during the evenings most effectively. Dustin Kurath would recognize that their location was much cleaner in the morning, and the laser was less disruptive for employees and required limited maintenance.

Dustin Kurath “The AVIX Autonomic is the best tool that exists for solving your bird problems. It is an investment but worth its weight in gold.”