Starlings, Pigeons and Sparrows....Oh My!

Did you know that all birds are federally protected in the US except for three? Starlings, pigeons and sparrows are not protected and may be removed of eradicated by a pest management professional when they are causing problems. For all other nuisance birds, pest management professionals must obtain a special permit or licence from the state's fish and wildlife department for any removal.

Did you also know that pest bird droppings can create a health hazards? A roost of nuisance birds can create a large pile of droppings resulting in hazardous walking areas and the acids in the droppings may corrode a car's finish.

But, more importantly, over time a roost full of dried droppings becomes a breathing hazard. Fungal spores may grow rapidly in such droppings, and if the pile of droppings is disturbed, the spores ca become airborne and aerosolized and when breathed in, this can lead to a lung disease called histoplasmosis.

Horizon Pest Control has the breathing equipment and experience to safely remove these roots with dried droppings. If you suspect an old bird roost full of droppings in your attic space or living areas, let us safely remove it for you.

The Importance of Pest Management...

Happy Monday everyone! I'd like to share a quick (and unfortunate) story with you guys from my weekend. It really hit home just how important pest management is. I hope none of you ever experience this...

I went out to dinner to a favorite spot with some friends. It was the kind of place where the owner knows your face. Dinner was off to an amazing start! Drinks and appetizers were all delicious as usual. I ordered the seared yellow fin tuna. My first bite - amazing. The second...even better...when all of a sudden, a roach crawled out from under my tuna steak and flipped itself over on my plate. My face went white as I watched the roach's legs squirm on my plate in a struggle to flip itself over. I get the chills just writing about it. I was totally paralyzed. One of my friends saw my face and came over to pick up my plate and deliver it to the waiter. Mortified - the waiter came over...then the owner. I had to excuse myself because I was pretty upset. While I was gone, the owner sat at our table and apologized and tried to assure us that this has never happened before and would never happen again. Of course, no one finished their dinner and the offer for a new set of entrees was refused. As was desert. We still had bottles of wine on the table so we sat around for a few minutes. Our entire check was comped...but there is nothing that that restaurant owner can do to erase that image from our minds. Nor can he stop us from telling the story over and over again to everyone we know.

So, needless to say, while I have always appreciated what the pest management industry does to ensure the success of the many other industries that rely on it, it was certainly renewed on this evening.

PS - When I went looking for the above image of a roach using google images, a plethora of stories similar to my own came up. SCARY! Do you dare to find out what some other people have experienced...? Is there a story about your favorite restaurant?