Insider wrote last week about problems created by birds roosting on billboards.  Insider asked Bobby Tatman to talk about the issues birds can create for digital billboards.  Tatman is a Midwest Digital Sales Rep for Formetco.

Why do birds like digital billboards? 

Birds typically love perching on billboards because of the height.  It provides them a better vantage point to see food sources and other birds of prey.  If you have a billboard structure that seems to have more activity than others, look around.  Mostly likely, you’ll find a restaurant dumpster filled with food and/or parks nearby with a food source. 

Can birds damage a digital billboard? 

Besides making a mess, they can damage the paint on your structure and digital face.  Basically, birds excrete uric acid in their feces which can quickly eat through a coat of wax and etch paint.  One customer I spoke to mentioned having to pay for several cars to be washed that were parked underneath his billboard structure.  Other ways they can damage your billboard is by eating at exposed wiring.  FYI…you shouldn’t have exposed wiring!      

What are the best ways to keep birds off billboards? 

The best way to keep birds off your billboard is a “bird deterrent”.  This can include owls, snakes, bird spikes and electronic sound repellers.  One of the most effective ways is using wire mesh or bird netting on the back side of a billboard, but it can be a pain when it comes time to do maintenance or replace a static face.   One customer suggested using a local pest control company that’s licensed in bird removal.  Once birds have left the premises, it’s recommended you do frequent site visits to insure the tenants haven’t returned. 

Insider has used netting and landing spikes as well as owls.  Every little bit helps.  If you’re looking for bird mitigation ideas try Birdstoppers.com.  They’ve got everything from plastic owls to netting to roost inhibitors to electronic sound repellers. 

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