For feathered friends Luna and Reg it was love at first flight. Their relationship has flourished and now they are proud parents.
On 27th July, they celebrated the hatching of young Jimmy and, since then, in addition to holding down full-time jobs as two of the company’s best bird control hawks, they have dedicated themselves to raising this young chick. Fully parent reared, once his feathers are fully developed he will undergo training to joining the team – doing what comes naturally and helping Cleankill to keep commercial and residential sites free from pest birds.
Since Luna joined Cleankill Pest Control in 2018, the falconry service has grown significantly in response to demand for environmentally friendly ways of dealing with nuisance birds such as pigeons, gulls and parakeets. Cleankill’s first full-time, trained bird handler Alan Day has now been joined by Richard Quartley and between them they look after six adult Harris hawks – Luna, Reg, Rooster, Heidi, Elvis and H.
In addition, they have recently taken on a Goshawk, Sidney. Goshawks are from the genus Accipiter, the same as the sparrowhawk. They are more highly strung than the Harris hawk and can take two months to train. These birds are more at home in wood and farmland – so Sidney only currently works in rural areas.
Commenting on the birth, Managing Director Paul Bates said: “We welcome baby Jimmy to the family. When Alan started with Luna, we knew there was a gap in the market for a green pest control solution that could deal with pigeons and gulls in and around London. What we couldn’t have imagined is how much demand there would be, especially during lockdowns when customers wanted to protect their properties from the mess and damage that can be created by some bird species.
“What has really impressed us is their effectiveness. Once the hawks are regularly flown at a site, pigeons and gulls soon learn that it’s not a safe place to roost and choose to go elsewhere. The hawks don’t attack the birds, their presence is all that is needed.”
In recent months, the falconry team has uploaded several videos taken at sites around the South-east showing the efficiency of this form of pest control.
Learn more about Cleankill’s range of bird control solutions by clicking here.
Now employing 50 staff, Cleankill Pest Control offers eradication and preventative services for all public health pests, including: mice; rats; cockroaches; wasps; fleas; squirrels and pest birds.
As a registered waste carrier, Cleankill also removes pigeon debris and other waste.
With offices in Surrey, East Sussex, Bristol and Buckinghamshire, Cleankill has many customers throughout London, Surrey, Sussex, the Home Counties, Bristol, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
ENDS
For more information, contact Suzi Christie 07590 591140 or e-mail suzi@blueberry-pr.co.uk