As any retailer will know, the UK has a combination of climate and environment which, when combined, can quickly make the most attractive business sign look distinctly dowdy. But the increasing numbers of birds in built-up areas presents a very real threat to the visual appeal of your signage too. How do you deal with pests damaging your brand, and keep your signage looking fresh and clean?

While It’s rare indeed to see a town centre without pigeons. They’re opportunistic creatures, able to survive and thrive by picking out food dropped by people. And for the most part they may seem rather harmless. But they are growing in numbers. And gulls (A far more aggressive creature) are now becoming a more common sight in urban areas. Combined, they present a far more serious problem to your signage. And indeed, to the condition of your premises along with the health and wellbeing of staff and customers.

The Problem With Birds

Put simply, birds are not shy about where they go to the loo. And if they can rest on a ledge at height somewhere they will quickly cover the floor below with a reminder of where they like to sit. The same is true for your signage; if birds can sit on your signs they will quickly defecate on it too.

You may think of this as a minor inconvenience. In fact it can be far more serious. As Guano (to give bid poo a slightly nicer term) is acidic it can be corrosive to materials it rests on. You will have seen the effect of guano on a car – if left for a while it will eat into the paint, leaving an uneven mark that can be difficult to remove. The same goes for signs. Dried bird poop is very difficult to shift off plastics, and is capable of leaving marks on vinyls which are very hard to remove.

Birds Can Be A Health Hazard

To make matters worse, guano is a significant health hazard. There are over 60 different diseases which can be attributed to bird droppings – and that’s not including avian flu. When bacteria within guano gets in the air it can result in a wide range of illnesses, some of which are potentially fatal.

But back to the minor inconvenience bit mentioned above. Bird droppings look incredibly unsightly and are an excellent way to push people away from your store. No-on is going to look favourably as a sign covered in bird guano. Your visual branding will be hit hard by a perception that your store is not welcoming at all. And people will stay away.

Putting Birds To Flight

It’s very important that you look to protect your signage – and your premises – and deter birds from congregating.

There is an easy solution. You can deploy a mix of measures that make it impossible for birds to rest on your frontage. Spikes are both unobtrusive and very effective, forcing away birds to land elsewhere. And don’t worry you have ledges or areas where birds can move to. These can be fitted with netting to again push them away.

Stop Pests Damaging Your Brand

If pests are damaging your brand, both solutions are available for you from Cygnia Maintenance. Our engineers can advise you on the most suitable for of protection to keep birds away and extend the life and health of your signage.