Marines do battle with birds

[thedrifter]

Marines do battle with birds
January 16,2007
MADISON TAYLOR
DAILY NEWS STAFF

BY MICAH MASSEI

Since the MV-22 arrived at New River Air Station in 1999, the Ospreys have become a celebrated sight in the hangars there.

The pigeons, however, are not welcomed quite so warmly.



Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines do battle with birds
January 16,2007
MICAH MASSEI
DAILY NEWS STAFF

Since the MV-22 arrived at New River Air Station in 1999, the Ospreys have become a celebrated sight in the hangars there.

The pigeons, however, are not welcomed quite so warmly.

The aircraft hangers — as well as big-box retail stores with their open, warehouse-style settings — are popular nesting spots for birds. More than 100 pigeons currently consider New River Air Station home.

“Hangars and other large buildings provide shelter, places to roost, nest and loaf that are out of the elements and protected from predators,” New River Air Station environmental affairs representative Kirk Kropinack said.

The birds, which have remained a fairly constant presence year to year, trigger numerous problems, he said.

“Pigeons roosting in the hangars produce droppings that fall on the equipment and the aircraft, which must be kept clean,” Kropinack said. “Also, there are potential health concerns with personnel exposure to excessive quantities of bird droppings.

Additionly, large numbers around the airfield could be what the military terms a bird/ animal aircraft strike hazard.

“Potentially, a pigeon or flock of pigeons could cause damage to an aircraft, leading to a costly mishap and potentially do harm to the pilots,” said Kropinack, adding that no such mishap has occurred at the air station.

New River officials have tried putting up netting that prevents the birds from entering the hangars.

“The netting excluded the pigeons from the areas inside the hangars where they roost and nest,” Kropinack said. “When we restrict their access in those areas, they stop inhabiting the hangars.”

Kronpinack said a project is currently in the works to install netting in the remaining five hangars, which he thinks will eventually solve the problem.

“We continue to have issues with pigeons, but we are hoping the netting in the hangars will alleviate the issue,” Kropinack said. “We expect there will be fewer pigeon issues once we have netting in all of the hangars.”

The bird problem isn’t exclusive to the air station. Many big-box stores are experiencing problems with birds crowding outside departments and entrance areas — causing problems for both customers and store employees alike.

So what do they do to stop the problem?

“Get the net,” said Jim Hodges, store manager of Lowe’s Home Improvement in Jacksonville.

Though Lowe’s is no longer experiencing a problem with birds, Hodges said, at one point the store did; using bird netting changed everything.

“It was an aggravation more than anything,” Hodges said. “They were roosting up in the canopy near the lumber/building material entrance. … We contacted sanitation and pest control supplier ECOLab. They put up netting where they normally nest. It doesn’t allow them to get in, but it doesn’t harm the birds.

“With people walking there and parking there, you no longer have the problems that (the bird presence) creates.”

Still, some local business owners who’ve dealt with the problem in the past say no matter how you go about solving the problem, sometimes “cohabitation” is just a part of the game.

“I’ve been here for 10 years and there’s always been pigeons out here,” New River Pottery owner Rick Mitchell said. “They seem to love shopping centers.”

Though pigeons have flanked the shopping center and much of Hargett Street for years, Mitchell said he’s only had one major situation with birds at his store.

“About three years ago, we had some ceiling tiles out due to a gust of wind,” Mitchell said. “Some pigeons got up in the overhang of the building (but) we got them out. We had to hire someone to go up there and put wire up to keep them out.”

Mitchell said it’s the one thing that’s worked.

“Ten years ago, one of the other owners at the time put up owl (statues) to (scare) them away,” Mitchell said. “Maybe it was an old wives’ tale — it didn’t work. Still, it’s fine. The only time we’ve actually had a problem is when some got in the overhang. Aside from that, we’ve cohabitated quite well together.”

Contact Micah Massei at mmassei@freedomenc.com or 353-1171, Ext. 237

Ellie