Eagles fly at Villa Park to combat pests

Cannon Hygiene’s Bird Control Unit has expanded what it terms as its “ecological

and cruelty-free falconry method of bird control” into the West Midlands

with a bird of prey demonstration at Aston Villa Football Stadium, a site chosen

by the company as the ideal location to launch the new service.

Cannon Hygiene says that the demonstration at Aston Villa was the culmination

of more than 10 years successful development and operation of the service in

London and Manchester. Following consultations and trials with many different

techniques, the Bird Control Unit has developed the bird of prey method as a

lower cost alternative to installations of bird repellent systems that operate

over a larger area.

With a specialist team now based in Birmingham, Cannon can extend the service

to customers within a 50-mile radius of Birmingham city centre.

Mark Lawrence, Divisional Director of Cannon’s Environmental Services Division,

of which the Bird Control Unit is an integral part, commenting on the demonstration,

said: “We’ve had tremendous feedback as a result of showing just how effective

the bird of prey method is at controlling nuisance birds.” He added: “The

facilities managers who attended were very positive and most impressed at our

capabilities in this area.”

The control procedures used by Cannon are varied and are tailored specifically

to the location and the individual client’s requirements. While the use of netting

and sprung wire systems have proved to be very effective in excluding pest birds

from nesting and roosting on particular types of buildings, contemporary architectural

design and modern building fabrics do not always lend themselves to these more

traditional exclusion techniques.

By employing the ecological and cruelty-free falconry method in a planned approach,

following specific time intervals between flights, bird infestation in these

areas can be controlled efficiently and cost-effectively, the company states.

Prices for the bird control service are mainly dependent on location; a free

consultation with the specialist team will determine which method of bird control

will best provide a solution. The hawk service prices start from £600

a month, subject to a survey and recommendation.

The Bird Control Unit is part of the Environmental Services Division of Cannon

Hygiene Ltd, the UK’s leading privately owned washroom hygiene services supplier.

The four divisions – Hygiene, Disposables, Environmental Services and Throwers

– work together to provide an innovative range of services that improve the

client’s working environment.