Low-Profile Bird Repellents on High-Profile Courthouse

Birds roosting at this building in Northern California may have been above the courthouse, but they weren't above the reach of Hot Foot and our patented bird repellents.

This brand new federal courthouse building, located in a somewhat rural setting, was almost finished when various species of birds decided it was the perfect location for them to roost and nest. It was extremely discouraging for the Powers That Be to say the least - here, their new symbol of liberty and justice was literally going to the birds.

Until, that is, Hot Foot was on the case. The building's maintenance company called Hot Foot in late 2015 for some ideas on how to get rid of the birds - humanely, of course. There is lots of wide open land in this part of the state, so it wasn't as if space was an issue. All they needed was some gentle encouragement to go elsewhere. Hot Foot had exactly the right bird deterrents to do the trick.

First things first: Hot Foot arranged a site visit to survey the building. The management company was extremely cautious about installing any repellents that would be visible from the ground and detract from the building's appearance. Additionally, any products used to repel birds had to have minimal penetration of the building itself. Finally, all work had to be done on the weekends when court was out of session.

After the site assessment, it became apparent that the birds were using three different parts of the courthouse in three very different ways - and all needed different solutions. Hot Foot came up with a plan that would fulfill all those needs by using a combination of bird deterrent products: Hot Foot Springwire, Hot Foot Knotless Netting, and Hot Foot Repellent Gel with our Crystal Coat protective coating to protect against dust and other particles.

The Front Door and the Columns

The entrance to the courthouse was a prime concern since pigeons were landing right on top of the door covers, the window ledges, and the front columns. This meant, of course, bird droppings falling onto unsuspecting attorneys, judges, and members of the public, and leaving an unruly mess on the sidewalks.

To solve the problem, our installation technicians thoroughly cleaned the area using an EPA-registered tuberculocidal disinfectant that destroys pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites that could be dangerous to humans. Then, due to the porous nature of the brickwork in the entranceway, a sealant was needed to stop the brick from absorbing the gel. Our Hot Foot Crystal Coat worked perfectly, sealing the brick within seconds so that the Hot Foot Repellent Gel could be applied immediately, saving our crew installation time.

Birds of all sizes were also nesting on the exterior columns and had found their way into the recessed area that was about 18-inches deep. To block their entry, 2" stone-colored knotless fire retardant netting was stretched across the top. However, stopping them from roosting on the parapet ledge was a little trickier.

First, to stop the bigger birds like pigeons, we installed our Hot Foot Springwire. We fabricated special two-post brackets so that we could minimize damage to the brickwork during installation. With this customized bracket (see picture), we could protect the ledge with a double-wire deterrent by drilling just one ¼" hole per bracket.

However, springwire is useless against smaller birds. Again we used the Hot Foot Repellent Gel. This patented gel is uncomfortable for birds - when they step in it, they have the sensation of sucking through mud. It's totally harmless but it's a sensation they do not like so they'll fly off to find a more comfortable roost.

You can see the results in this picture of the top of the column: the springwire system around the perimeter of the parapet ledge, the knotless netting, and the two rows of Hot Foot Repellent Gel.

The High Fliers

This is where things got really interesting. The upper "penthouse" had some almost insurmountable problems as birds were landing on the outer edge and fouling the windows and roof below. Its location was on the upper roof and there were no tie-off points up there that would safely allow access. Due to the rubber membrane roof, scaffolding was not permitted. Ladders were out of the question - it was simply too high off the ground. To complicate matters, the slope of the metal roof was so steep that workers could not step onto the surface and walk the perimeter. The only option was to reach those surfaces using a tall crane. The photo below shows the technicians actually in the basket of the crane en route to the penthouse roof.

The crew members worked with a skilled crane operator who remained in constant telephone contact, moving them inch by inch around the entire perimeter to clean and apply the repellent. (While they were there they also cleaned bird droppings off the windows, which the management company really appreciated...)

The Verdict

Was it worth the effort? Most definitely. Now that the job is complete, it's impossible to see the bird repellents unless you know where to look - they're as close to invisible as possible

Most importantly, the birds have flown off to friendlier roosts, much to the relief of everyone who goes in and out of the courthouse every day. Case closed!