BirdBloc – A Bird Repellant Solution to a Country Club Nuisance

Background – A Bird Problem

A test of the Bird Management Solution BD-135, now marketed as BirdBloc from Critter Guard, was conducted at Grand Forks Country Club in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Grand Forks is located on the North Dakota/Minnesota border, approximately 60 miles south of the northern US border with Canada. Grand Forks is classified as both a staging zone and nesting zone for migrating geese as it is located in the Canada Geese migration route which runs north/south through the upper Midwest of the US.

The country club and nearby area is the summer home for several migrating species of waterfowl, including Canada Geese and Mallard Ducks.

At the time of this test, there were too many birds in the area to count. These birds typically arrive in the spring to breed and nest through the summer months. The birds graze and nest in areas around the ponds, lakes, and streams, raise their young, and then leave in late summer. Due to the volume and frequency of birds coming and going, both golfers and maintenance personnel would have to deal with various nuisance issues, such as bird scat on the greens, and in some cases, aggressive geese, to both golfers and workers alike.

Solution – Installing Critter Guard’s Bird Deterrent

BirdBloc Bulk Granules were applied to the 8th green and the 14th fairway in a direct ground application. These areas were chosen by the course superintendent as being problem areas for bird scat and overcrowding. Other surrounding areas were not treated, even though similar behavior could be seen there. This was done so that a baseline, or control group, could be observed.

The product was uniformly applied with a typical broadcast spreader over the two test areas totaling approximately 7,000 square feet. Once the product was applied, maintenance personnel observed the control areas and the treated areas daily. Observations were done at least daily, and then less frequently as time passed. It made sense to not watch as closely as time went on because the geese seemed to have moved to other areas, at least for the summer season.

The birds moved to other nearby water and left golfers and workers alone. Various golf course personnel believe the birds have permanently moved. Subsequent observation over a period of 3 months has shown no further bird activity in these two areas.

The granular version of BirdBloc was successful in repelling birds of various species for the entire test period of three months. Only one application was made in this area and the product retained its effectiveness over the entire time.

Learn More About BirdBloc

To learn more about BirdBloc or request an estimate, visit our BirdBloc page.

Content Written by John Sims