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Bird control team grows naturally with latest hatching
For feathered friends Luna and Reg it was love at fi rst fl ight. Their relationship has fl ourished and now they are proud parents to little Jimmy
Since Mum Luna joined Cleankill Pest Control in 2018, the falconry service has grown signifi cantly in response to demand for environmentally friendly ways of dealing with nuisance birds such as pigeons, gulls and parakeets. Cleankill’s first full-time, trained bird handler Alan Day has now been joined by Richard Quartley and between them they look after six adult Harris hawks – Luna, Reg, Rooster, Heidi, Elvis and H.
Alongside fl ying birds of prey as a deterrent, the bird control team is busy checking properties for damaged netting and making sure any netting is as secure as possible to cope with the blustery autumn and winter weather. October and November are the months when you should call a professional pest control company like Cleankill to check your netting and repair any damage.
Commenting on the birth of little Jimmy, Managing Director Paul Bates said: “We welcome baby Jimmy to the family. When Alan started with Luna, we knew there was a gap in the market for a green pest control solution that could deal with pigeons and gulls in and around London. What we couldn’t have imagined is how much demand there would be.
“What has really impressed us is their effectiveness. Once the hawks are regularly fl own at a site, pigeons and gulls soon learn that it’s not a safe place to roost and choose to go elsewhere. The hawks don’t attack the birds, their presence is all that is needed.” All birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, although exceptions can be made for certain listed species including feral pigeons. The fi rst consideration for control of feral pigeons should be preventing access to their roosting site or scaring them away.
Professionally fi tted nets do not detract from the aesthetics of a building and won’t restrict light from entering. Bird spikes and bird wire are also well-tried and tested techniques for repelling birds from window ledges. Other methods include a special gel that appears as flames to birds, lasers, mini-electric shock and water jetting.
A more recent problem is pigeons nesting underneath solar panels. Blocking access holes can be a very skilled process.
Now employing 50 staff, awardwinning Cleankill Pest Control offers eradication and preventative services for all public health pests, including: mice; rats; cockroaches; wasps; fl eas; squirrels and pest birds. As a registered waste carrier, Cleankill also removes pigeon debris and other waste.
With offices in Surrey, East Sussex, Bristol and Buckinghamshire, Cleankill has many customers throughout London, Surrey, Sussex, the Home Counties, Bristol, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
