Pesticides are chemical substances used to control pests, including insects, weeds, and fungi. While they serve an essential purpose in agriculture and pest management, their widespread use has raised serious concerns about the unintended consequences on wildlife, particularly birds. In this article, we delve into the relationship between pesticides and bird deaths, highlighting the importance of incorporating sustainable solutions for a healthier environment.
Pesticides can have detrimental effects on birds, leading to their deaths in several ways:
- Direct toxicity: Many pesticides, such as organophosphates and carbamates, are highly toxic to birds. Birds may consume contaminated seeds, insects, or vegetation treated with pesticides, leading to acute poisoning and death.
- Secondary poisoning: Birds that feed on insects, rodents, or other small animals affected by pesticides can be exposed to these chemicals indirectly. If the prey animals have ingested pesticides, they become toxic themselves, and when birds consume them, they can suffer from poisoning.
- Reduced food availability: Pesticides can harm the populations of insects, seeds, or other food sources that birds rely on. For example, the use of broad-spectrum insecticides can kill off beneficial insects, leading to a decline in the bird’s food supply. This reduction in food availability can weaken birds and make them more susceptible to diseases and predation.
- Habitat destruction: Certain pesticides, like herbicides, can have unintended impacts on bird habitats. Herbicides are often used to eliminate weeds or unwanted vegetation, but in doing so, they can remove essential nesting sites, cover, or food sources for birds. This disruption in their habitat can lead to a decline in bird populations or even local extinctions.
- Behavioral changes: Pesticide exposure can cause neurological effects in birds, altering their behavior and impairing their ability to forage, navigate, or reproduce effectively. Disorientation, decreased reproductive success, and reduced ability to find food and shelter can all contribute to increased bird mortality.
Let’s have a look at some alarming statistics that have been reported;
Global bird populations have plummeted 30% and pesticides are one of the culprits.
By Brian Moench | Special to The Tribune | May 2, 2023
Spring is finally arriving in Utah, and with it the smell of blossoms, cut grass and, unfortunately … chemicals. I was 12 years old when my father handed me the only book he ever gave me — “Silent Spring,” Rachael Carson’s chilling indictment of pesticides, widely regarded as the most important environmental book of the 20th century. The book turned environmental consciousness in America into a political force, leading to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and our bedrock environmental laws.
Sixty years later, the message of “Silent Spring” is falling on deaf ears. Global bird populations have plummeted 30% and pesticides are one of the culprits. Humans are now exposed to about 100 times more toxic chemicals than when the book was published. Air currents carry pesticides across state lines and across continents. From the top of Mt. Everest to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, pesticides are now detectable in just about every square inch of Earth, and every square inch of every human body on Earth. The average person now excretes over 4,000 industrial chemicals in their urine, and many of the most toxic are pesticide ingredients.
Insecticide blamed for the deaths of 200 native birds, including wedge-tailed eagles
An insecticide is likely to be behind the deaths of almost 200 native birds in northeast Victoria, environment officials believe.
After dead wedge-tailed eagles were found near Violet Town in August the state’s environment department found more – along with hawks and falcons – on a nearby property.
They have since found up to 200 dead native birds in the area, including 25 wedge-tailed eagles.
Tests on six eagles have detected an insecticide used to control mites.
The same agricultural chemical has been found in the carcasses of animals suspected of being used as bait. The department believes it may have caused all the bird deaths.
To mitigate the harmful effects of pesticides on birds, proper pesticide management practices, such as targeted application, alternative pest control methods, and protecting bird habitats, are crucial.
The unique products, Rodrepel™, Termirepel™, and CombirepelTM manufactured by C Tech Corporation are an excellent alternative and need of the hour for reducing pesticide and rodenticide usage.
Rodrepel™ is a rodent aversive; Termirepel™ is a termite and insect aversive; and Combirepel™ is a combination of both.
Rodrepel™ triggers a fear response in rodents thus protecting the application. It causes severe temporary distress to the mucous membrane of the rodents due to which the pest stays away from the application. The product triggers an unpleasant reaction in case if the pest tries to gnaw away the application. After encountering the above-mentioned emotions, the animal instinctively perceives it as something it should stay away from and stores this information for future reference. The fact that certain rodents are repelled is mimicked by other rodents as well. Thus, the other rodents too stay away from the applications. The unpleasant experience is imprinted within the animal’s memory and passed on to its progeny.
TermirepelTM is made with a mechanism such that, the product temporarily blocks the mating cycle of these insects and causes feeding disruption by creating discomfort within the insects. The product weakens the ability of insects to reproduce which means, female insects will not lay eggs and laid eggs will be infertile. The product disturbs the release of vital hormones which are essential for insects to grow.
All these products are extremely low concern, low toxic, low hazard, non-carcinogenic, and non-mutagenic pest aversives. They do not kill or cause harm to the pests as well as to the environment which indirectly helps to maintain the ecological balance.
The products are available in the form of the masterbatch, which can be incorporated into polymeric applications like pipes, agriculture mulch films, floating row covers, greenhouse films, etc. to make the end application pest repellent.
The product available in the form of liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints in a predetermined ratio and be applied to the walls, indoors, as well as outdoors to keep the pests away from these places.
Our product in the lacquer form can be applied topically on the applications. The lacquer is compatible with most surfaces like wood, concrete, metal, polymer, ceramic, etc. The lacquer can be applied on the already installed pipes in the fields or garden, fences around farms and gardens, and walls of warehouses and other properties, thus protecting it from damage.
Our easy-to-use spray products are RodrepelTM rodent repellent spray , TermirepelTM insect repellent spray, CombirepelTM pest repellent spray which can be sprayed on areas susceptible to infestation.
Another issue that can be addressed is the perching and roosting of birds near our properties. We have Bye-Bye Birdy bird repellent spray that is very user-friendly and convenient for application. You just have to spray it on bird perching and roosting areas like the beams, trusses, structures, AC outdoor units, etc. to keep the birds away.
Our products provide a safe and environmentally friendly solution to prevent pest infestations.
As the detrimental effects of pesticides on bird populations become increasingly apparent, it is crucial to prioritize sustainable pest management practices. By raising awareness, promoting research, and implementing effective policies and products, we can work towards a future where birds thrive alongside agricultural practices. Contact us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com to get solutions to your pest problems.