“This EPA-registered, non-lethal repellent discourages birds from congregating in the field and eating the seeds. The product also has been found to possess an ultraviolet component to which birds are sensitive. The combination of the chemical ingredients in Avian Control® is creating the ultraviolet footprint that only birds can see and seem to want to avoid. The idea is that the birds are able to detect a color that would signal a response. It’s registered for sunflower, sweet corn and several fruits. Until this year, Avian Control® has been used on blueberries and cherries with much success.”
George Linz, PhD USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services National Sunflower Association Magazine
Mike Christenson, sunflower grower from Rugby, N.D., says he’s impressed with Avian Control®. He traditionally grows a couple hundred acres of oil time of Christenson’s observations, the chemical had been sprayed nine days prior, in early September. “We sprayed a little over half of this 80-acre field, and it had a lot of blackbirds,” he recounts. “It took maybe until the second day or so, and then I’d watch the flocks of birds come down toward the field — and then, instead of landing, they’d swoop off into my neighbor’s corn field. It seems to have worked in this area.”
Mike Christenson
Sunflower grower
Rugby, ND
Coleharbor, N.D., grower Tim Eslinger says the group of birds that was in his field prior to the Avian Control® spray also was gone by early October. The treated 50 acres were in what he would consider a “problem area” prone to blackbird activity. Eslinger hadn’t grown sunflower in over 20 years, but brought it back as another rotational option. “From what I’ve seen, it seems to have worked. The birds have moved out.”
Tim Eslinger Coleharbor, ND
“We are pleased to report that our recent field test of Avian Control® Bird Repellent on a bird infested 75 acre sunflower field proved completely successful. Although large numbers of birds were initially present in this field prior to treatent with Avian Control ™, actual sunflower seed loss after application was nearly zero.”
Our test results were so positive that next growing season we plan to include Avian Control® Bird Repellent in our IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Porgram for bird control in Sunflowers and will experiment with utilizing the product in lesser quantities, less frequently…likely applying in one and two applications.
Avian Control® Bird Repellent appears to be a very effective and inexpensive repellent for birds in sunflower fields and out company looks forward to making this product available to our customers next growing season to help them win their war against birds.
Bob Beck
Owner/President
Alicel Feed & Seed