Your Local Gas Station May Be Hazardous To Your Health!
By John Honjiyo (aka The Bird Guy)
According to the National Association of Convenience Stores,
the estimated number of retail gas stations
and convenience stores in the United States is around 146,000 or so.
While each of these locations no doubt varies in size and design; many of these units are home to the feral pigeon.
Believe it or not, gas station canopies can amazingly host thousands of roosting pigeons at a time.
This often overlooked problem can cost property owners thousands of dollars in maintenance & damage problems.
A flock of pigeons living in a gas station canopy can generate several tons of guano over a short
period of time.
Need more proof? A gas station canopy in Yuma, Arizona recently crashed to the ground after a heavy rain.
A Hummer and a BMW were smashed in the process.
A build up of pigeon fecal matter resulting in clogged up drains was reportedly to blame.
Roosting and nesting pigeon-infested sites are not only aesthetically disgusting;
they are also breeding grounds for potential disease. An active busy pigeon site poses health hazards.
Accumulated fecal droppings in pigeon infested canopies can provide an environment for bacteria and fungi spores
to grow and multiply.
This can in turn attract mites, black widows, rats, mice and a whole host of other undesirables.
Since c-stores usually sell food and in many cases have full-service food preparation kitchens; having an infested site where
pigeon dander, spores, and viruses get sucked into the ventilation system probably does not sit well with the local Health
Departments or the employees.
The cleaning of roofs, parapets, HVAC, ventilation systems and other roosting sites pose risks of exposure to disease,
through release of spores not to mention the staggering foul aroma of baked pigeon poo.
C-Stores and gas stations provide the perfect storm for roosting pigeons. Lots of food & garbage,
safe roosting areas away from predators and well built pigeon condos that protect the young.
No matter the location rural, beach side or urban; the pigeon population can be seen in almost every city.
Big oil companies that own their sites tend to take an active interest in making sure the pigeon problem is addressed or
at least seem willing to acknowledge the problem of pigeons and do something about it.
Single store owners or smaller oil companies are less inclined to address the issue.
My company; John Commercial Services has done many pigeon abatement and remediation jobs at sites throughout California and
Nevada over the years.
We once removed nine tons of pigeon guano at sixteen feet over gas pumps and cars at one site— the cost was a more than you want to know but the notion of doing nothing had much more monetary risk.
I can tell you from personal experience that it is a very labor intensive process that requires knowing how to read bird
pressure and also knowing the right safety protocols in light of the risk exposure.
So what is the cost of an average pigeon abatement and remediation problem?
Well, if the gas station canopy drops (and they have);
it could cost you millions if someone is injured or dies.
But typically the cost can be as little as several hundred dollars to well over $100,000 to repair a canopy.
This doesn't include lost sales, city or health violations fees or full canopy replacement.
(Editor's Note:
There is also an alternate solution -
Chef Paul Prudhomme!
The USA is one of the few cultures that does not
eat pigeons as a delicacy!)
Recipe for famous French culinary delicacy "Squab Under Glass"
Clearly the cost of pigeon abatement and remediation is not cheap and depending on how much pigeon fecal material is on the
canopy deck and much bird pressure the site is experiencing; the cost can be staggering.
One thing is for sure, proactive pigeon pest management is less costly than overlooking the problem.
In this case, an ounce of prevention is literally worth a pound of cure.
As the major oil companies shed their company owned sites and sell them to independent gas station owners;
the problem becomes more apparent.
Independent gas station owners and brokers are less likely to address the pigeon issues at their stations until there is a
major clean up problem.
Maintenance costs, first time ownership, education and a sagging economy are all cited as reasons to be reactive
rather than proactive.
General maintenance at the independent owner level is not a culture that is overly embraced.
So the pigeon problem goes over looked until a major clean-up or disaster occurs.
Some stations being purchased today have pigeon problems and are taken over unknowingly with the pigeon issues
that some day will require a major investment on the part of the new owner.
There are a variety of options and programs available to "pigeon proof" your site and get rid of pigeons that are within the
confines of the city, state and federal laws related to the treatment of animals.
The most common methods are to use spikes (which makes your site look "medieval"),
install bird netting or electrical wires, introduce bird spiders, use poison (not recommended),
install trapping or scare devices or by using a pigeon repellent like Bird-OFF Gel.
Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet and most pigeon abatement programs require a professional bird installer to handle t
he problem expertly using a combination of several different techniques. This is not a job for the local handyman.
It is important to reduce the available food sources, close off the nesting opportunities and use preventive measures
like bird hardware to complete the job and end the pigeon living cycle.
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John Honjiyo is president of John Commercial Services, LLC a master distributor for Bird-OFF Gel USA;
the first organic pigeon/bird repellent sold world wide.
Honjiyo is a certified bird hardware installer and contractor who specializes in marketing non-avian toxicants to repel birds
and non-mammal toxicants-using recurring organic compounds to the pest control industry for commercial use and application.
JCS provides pigeon abatement and remediation services to fuel station industry and other commercial properties while
supporting the green environmental movement—Visit him on the web at: http://www.birdxpert.com/.
