A small shopping centre in Verchères, on the South Shore, with a dozen local businesses, requested our services after merchants reported an increasing presence of starlings on roofs, canopies and parking spaces. Customers complained about droppings on vehicles and on the covered sidewalks along the shops, and many food store owners feared health risks from contaminating their delivery areas. The noise pollution at the end of the day, when the starlings gathered in large groups before roosting, also affected the atmosphere of the shopping area. Our starling extermination team took on this commercial mandate with a multi-pronged approach adapted to the requirements of a space frequented by the public.
Diagnosis of the situation and consultation with shopkeepers
Before undertaking any intervention, our specialists carried out a complete inspection tour of the shopping centre, accompanied by the building manager. In Verchères, as in the neighbouring areas of Contrecoeur and Calixa-Longueuillée, strip-mall shopping centres have flat roofs dotted with mechanical equipment, ventilation boxes and coping stones that provide perched and nesting sites for starlings. Inspection revealed that the birds were nesting primarily in four roof ventilation boxes with partially obstructed or damaged grilles, as well as behind the illuminated signs of three businesses where hollow spaces provided ideal shelter. Our exterminators in Verchères presented merchants with a coordinated action plan to minimize business disruptions while ensuring an effective and sustainable intervention.
Installation of deterrent systems on roofs and canopies
The first phase of intervention involved the installation of physical deterrents in the most frequented perching areas. Along the canopies covering the commercial sidewalks, two-tiered stainless steel taut wires were attached to discreet aluminum brackets, making perching difficult without altering the commercial appearance of the premises. On the roof, UV-reinforced plastic anti-perch spikes have been installed on all accessible ledges, copings and mechanical equipment. High-strength nylon exclusion nets were stretched over the delivery areas of food stores, protecting these critical spaces from contamination. Visual deterrents, including artificial raptors with wind-operated movable heads, were strategically placed at the corners of the roof. To complement the long-term preventive measures, caulking work on the damaged ventilation boxes and spaces behind the signs was carried out.
Nest treatment and decontamination of soiled areas
In parallel with the installation of the deterrents, our technicians removed all the active nests identified in the ventilation boxes and behind the signs. This required precise coordination with the sign installers to access the spaces behind the light boxes without damaging the electrical equipment. All the removed nests were evacuated in sealed bags in accordance with biological waste management standards. The areas soiled by droppings in the ventilation boxes and on the roof have been completely decontaminated and disinfected . Covered pavements and pedestrian walkways were cleaned with high pressure with biocidal detergents to remove manure residues and associated health risks. An enzymatic treatment was applied to the most contaminated areas to neutralize residual odors that could attract birds again.
Monitoring, evaluation and annual maintenance plan
The control visit carried out one month after the end of the work confirmed a very significant reduction in the presence of starlings on the site. Deterrents were working effectively, and traders reported a noticeable improvement in the cleanliness of sidewalks and parking areas. The centre manager was advised on the implementation of an annual maintenance plan including the inspection and replacement of worn deterrents, preventive cleaning of the roof before the nesting season and verification of the integrity of the screens and caulking. To learn more about our approach and expertise in serving businesses on the South Shore, visit our extermination company Nova Extermination. You can also consult our work on another commercial mandate for starlings to appreciate the rigour of our approach in various contexts.