The bird deterrent scares birds away from crops by shooting a green laser beam. (Image Credit: Bird Control Group)
Seems birds are living in a dystopian future. At least it's harmless.
Many farmers grow frustrated with birds inflicting damage to their crops. Usually, bird nettings are installed, which is costly --- $800/acre --- and labor intensive. This technique also requires the nets to be installed and removed every year, adding to those expenses. To help combat this issue, crop growers have deployed AVIX Autonomic, a bird deterrent developed by Bird Control Group. It beams out a green laser light across crop growers' fields, helping prevent bird damage to crops by making it seem like a predator is in the area.
This solution is effective against birds because they perceive the laser light as a threat, triggering their fight-or-flight instinct when they see it. And it makes the targeted area seem uninhabitable while the laser constantly moves. The birds also can't adapt to this method since the laser beams project at varying angles and at random times. This makes it more challenging for them to predict when and where it'll hit.
After installation, the AVIX Autonomic automatically turns on/off, and the program operates where the user wants. It can be easily moved and used in different locations, including commercial and industrial warehouses, agriculture crops, refineries, airports, feedlots, and many other applications. Overall, the bird deterrent has reduced bird presence by 70% in different locations.
AVIX Autonomic helps to keep birds from damaging crops at a vineyard. (Image Credit: Bird Control Group)
AVIX Autonomic has been deployed at Bellingar States, a 9.5-acre vineyard, and significantly decreased crop damage from birds, like starlings, by over 90%. In August, when the birds were most active, the vineyard didn't have any damage to its grape crops. The owner, Evan Bellingar, shared his story on Instagram. "It took me two posts to get from 1,500 to 13,000 followers. It was really fun to share agricultural education and dispel misinformation about the laser, as some assumed it harmed the birds when, in fact, it doesn't," he said.
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