Throughout time man has confronted bird problems. Bird pests have varied from a minor nuisance to outright destructive and harmful. People have tried everything from modern scarecrows (such as plastic owls, rubber snakes, and big-eyed balloons) to nets, chemicals and trained dogs as bird deterrents without much success. About a decade ago, an unfortunate event led to the development of a new easy to use, effective bird repellent. Here’s our story.
Working in airport security, Bob Baker was acutely aware of bird issues. Never more than on January 15, 2009, when US Airways Flight 1549 flew into a flock of geese causing the loss of both engines just minutes after taking off from New York’s La Guardia Airport. Thanks to the heroic actions of Captain “Sully” Sullenberger and his crew, the “Miracle on the Hudson,” saved all 155 lives aboard. With renewed importance, airport authorities worldwide focused on how to prevent such a catastrophic bird strike from happening again. Baker recounted, “During our meetings with airport safety directors, I asked if there was an effective bird repellent that would help keep airports safer.” Sadly, the response was that there were some effective deterrents, but none that lasted long enough to be cost effective.
Frustrated, Baker turned to Dr. Bud Harmon for help. Dr. Harmon is a distinguished expert in animal science, having worked as a both a research specialist and an academic. Dr. Harmon took up the challenge, and after years of research, he developed a product that’s effective, long lasting, and best of all, won’t harm birds; it simply induces them to fly away. Fly Away BMS Bird Management Solution was born. Fly Away BMS incorporates natural ingredients that are well-known bird repellents, and shapes them into a safe, effective, time-released delivery system that prompts birds to get out and stay out of any space you want to keep clean and protected.
Throughout his research, Dr. Harmon insisted that the product be environmentally responsible. All Fly Away ingredients are approved by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) or listed as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) by the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials). In addition, Fly Away is completely biodegradable and nontoxic when used as directed.
“With 35+ years of growing/managing over 150 acres of cherries, I’ve battled bird issues for sure. I consider Early Robin/Rainier, Chelan, and Santina to be like bird magnetsas these varieties are the first fruit to begin ripening in the entire region. After 4 years of working with Flyaway BMS as a tool, I no longer consider birds as a major pest. Once we place the product to keep the birds away from our earliest varieties, they don’t seem to return during our normal 3 weeks of harvest. Because of the products’ longevity, we’ve also been successful in removing product pouches and placing them into Honey Crisp & Gala blocks to increase the return on investment, truly a great product!”
- Jim Kelley, grower & consultant, Kennewick, WA