Crop Protection

Damage caused by birds on fruit, grapes, and grain causes enormous financial losses each year in the agricultural sector. Eagle Eye Bird Control (EEBC) is the biggest company in Africa that works directly with the management of bird numbers and bird-activity to minimize the impact that the birds have on buildings, crops, orchards, and vineyards.

EEBC has a wide variety of products that can be used in different combinations according to the situation. Most of the products we use in agriculture work with the same principle: it irritates the eyes of the birds by reflecting sunlight. It also reflects the light in a colour spectrum that the birds associate with danger (colours like orange, red and gold). It is important to understand that it is not the unit that chases the bird away, but the flashes that the unit create. Therefore it is crucial to keep the units clean so that the flashes will stay sharp and the birds will not be able to get used to the flashes.

EEBC uses primarily two products in agriculture. The first one is our Pro-Peller (PP). This unit is wind-driven and has an effective radius of approximately 15m. The second product is our Bird Tape. EEBC is the only distributors of this gold and silver tape in South Africa. The tape reflects the sunlight and moves easily in the wind, and both the flashes and the movement help to deter the birds.

Pro-Peller unit

PPSG1small

 

 

 

Bird Tape

Bird Tape Roll small

 

 

 

 

 

                Bird Tape installationFlashtape small
These two products are installed in different combinations and configurations. The more units that are installed, the better the coverage. The idea is to pull a blanket of flashes over the whole area. This means that when the birds are approaching the area, they will change their flight path because of the flashes that will irritate and scare them.

These products can cause a reduction of bird activity of between 60% and 80% if the area is kept free from water, food, and nests. In the case of agriculture, the reality is that the birds are actually drawn to the area because of the food that is easily available in the orchards, fields or vineyards.  EEBC can never chase away 100% of the wild birds in an area, but even with the food that is readily available, these products can cause a reduction of around 50% in bird activity (with the right product and placement).

Here is a representation of the placement of the products on one hectare (on areas or farms less than 50ha). It is the most economical, but still very effective, installation. It requires 6 PP units on the first hectare, and then 4 units per hectare after that (two units on the edge of the hectare are shared between two hectares). The number of units can be reduced further to 4 units per hectare, all along the sides of the fields or vineyards. The rest of the area is covered by the Bird Tape.
 
Agri Placement 1 small
 
   Agri Placement 2 small  Agri Placement 3 small
In areas larger than 50ha, there is a different approach necessary. In such a case we will install one PP unit for every hectare. The units are then placed all along the edge of the area, while we use Bird Tape inside the areas.

The more flashes that can be generated, the better the result will be. (It is possible to install more PP units per hectare.) It is, however, very important to evaluate each orchard, field or vineyard on its own merit, and therefore one of our consultants will visit the site to make a full assessment. Should the site be too far to make the trip, it is possible to use Google Earth to help with the placement.

Please take note of the following:

The units reflect the light of the sun, so it will always reflect towards the sun (North East, North and North West). This means that there will always be a “shadow” behind the unit – usually in a southern direction. That is why we always place more than one unit in an area so that they can cover each other’s shadow spot.

The units work with line of sight, so the birds must be able to see the unit for the reflections to work. That is the reason why it is important to install the units as high as possible above the vineyard, field or orchard, in direct sunlight. The installation should preferably be done at least 3-4 weeks before the birds will want to start to feed. As soon as the birds start to feed, it will be very difficult to change their feeding pattern.

The units must be kept clean to work well. It is very important to service the units regularly and keep them clean.

Eagle Eye Bird Control can never guarantee that we will chase away all the birds in any given area. We are, however, convinced that our products and installations will reduce the bird activity drastically, and therefore also reduce the risk of damage and financial loss. 

For any queries, please contact us on 087 237 9600, or send an e-mail to danie@eagleeye.co.za.

 

 

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