Vineyard owners with a laser-like focus on protecting their valuable crop from hungry birds flocked to the Integrated Bird Management stand at the Vineyard & Winery Show.
Company boss Sean Byrne said he had “not stopped all day”, with exhibition visitors keen to learn more about the company’s broad range of bird control solutions.
The eye-catching centrepiece of the Integrated Bird Management stand was the Avix Autonomic Mark II, described as an “intelligent automated bird repellent system and claiming a 90% success rate in displacing feathered intruders.
Designed and manufactured by the Bird Control Group, the Avix Autonomic uses a continually moving laser light beam to scare away birds in an animal-friendly way, using technology the company says is used in 100 countries around the world.
“This system is far better than using gas bangers or netting, works 24 hours a day and delivers a 70% to 90% or more reduction in bird numbers,” commented Sean, who said there had been a great deal of interest in the system throughout the day.
Sean highlighted two trials of the system, one at Albury and one at Chilworth Manor. “At Albury the grower lost an estimated 4.5 tonnes of fruit to birds in three days before installing our technology,” he said. “The Avix Autonomic cut those losses to near zero, and we recorded similar results at Chilworth.”
Milton Keynes-based Integrated Bird Management has just been appointed the UK and Ireland distributor for the Bird Control Group, with Sean “looking forward to helping vineyards and orchards across the country tackle their bird problem in a safe, environmentally sensitive and effective way”.
One Avix Autonomic can cover 12 acres, with the continually moving laser beam programmable using the Bluetooth-controlled Avix Connect smartphone app. The manufacturers say the technology has proved itself “effective over time”, and that birds do not become used to it.
Sean said that even in daylight the system had an effective range of 350m, while in the dead of night, Bird Control Group data suggests it can frighten off birds more than 1.5km away. The flexible equipment can be pole mounted or attached to a wall, with the company committed to working with growers to ensure maximum efficiency.
“Avix solutions provide immediate positive results with a fast return on investment. After the investment, we work together with our customers to reach their desired results. We continue to optimise the system for maximum effectiveness until the bird problem is solved,” said Sean.
The Avix Academy provides online and on-site training courses that aim to ensure safe and effective use of the laser technology and give users “the knowledge and capabilities to guarantee high performance along with safe deployment of the bird deterrent lasers”.
Integrated Bird Management also offers a range of other deterrent equipment including bird scarers, netting and spikes. “We have had a lot of interest from growers keen to protect their valuable crops,” commented Sean. “It’s been a really good show for us and we look forward to supporting the UK wine industry.”
