About Us

Avian toxicants can be very harmful if administered incorrectly and can also affect non-target bird species.

Recently in Florida, a Broward County Pest Control employee took a bird control job in attempt to control boat-tailed grackles in the area. Since this species is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, techniques such as the use of toxicants are strictly prohibited. This employee will now be facing charges under this Act for the administration of Avitrol. Although Avitrol is legal to use for pest bird control, there are very strict guidelines, target species, and rules for administration. Unfortunately in this case, dozens of protected boat-tailed grackles were killed. In this article we will discuss the use of Avitrol as well as alternative bird control solutions offered by Hawkeye.

Avitrol, if given in the correct amount, will cause target birds to create alarm and distress calls and act as if they are injured to alert other birds in the flock of danger. Ultimately these toxins are used to encourage the flock to move to a new location. Although, this is only true in cases where the dose given is sub-lethal. At this level of toxicity, the birds will typically return to normal within five hours having no long term effects. Unfortunately, with bird control solutions such as toxicants, it is very difficult to target only one species and it can easily be ingested by non-target species. It is also very easy to administer an incorrect amount of toxicant leading to the death of many birds. In this particular case, the use of toxicants was illegal and a lethal dose was given. This technician did not apply for a permit to perform these activities and did not have permission from the government to do so. Typically, when dealing with protected birds, there are only certain bird control activities that the government will allow; those usually include deterrents, falconry, and nest/egg removal; all of which are techniques that Hawkeye offers.

At Hawkeye we believe in following the rules. There are activities that can and cannot be performed without a permit and Hawkeye is very well versed in these guidelines.

All protected target species require us to obtain the proper permits and follow strict regulations set out by the government. Depending on the species in question, rules such as nest and egg removal limitations and housing relocation requirements may come into play. But regardless of these limitations, there are still a variety of solutions we can offer. For example, the use of falconry. In the wild, birds of prey are predators to many nuisance bird species. Using trained birds of prey to inflict fear on these species and encouraging them to nest elsewhere is our specialty. We can also install many physical deterrents such as netting, spikes, bird slide, and bird wire to prevent nesting and perching of pest bird species. Depending on permit regulations, existing nests and eggs can also be removed. To top it off, not only does Hawkeye provide the best bird control solutions, we also provide cleaning solutions for any mess left behind from pest birds. We’ve got you covered! Regardless of what bird species you are dealing with, Hawkeye will create a customized plan to help you in an effective and legal way. Contact us today for a FREE inspection so that we can provide an effective and environmentally safe solution for you.