More →]]> Our country is built on history. Literally. Our buildings are historic and who doesn’t love the thought of something that lasts forever!

Historical architecture is our specialty and we preserve buildings to remain for years to come! BirdMaster has worked on over thousands of buildings, but we bet you can’t even tell. In fact, you might be surrounded by them.

Take it from us, architecture can really get damaged, and with our services in place, pest birds will definitely be in control!

Can you see our netting on these buildings? 

Carnegie Hall

United States Capitol Building 

Federal Trade Commission

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Washington Square Arch

Did you see it? Didn’t think so.

They’re virtually invisible! Because obviously you don’t want to see it.

They’re planned, designed and positioned to blend seamlessly to different building materials, colors and styles. Custom made to any size, our netting can be installed without the need for unsightly seams. And because they are carefully secured to the surface, our installations are non-destructive and easily reversible.

You will love what you don’t see!

More →]]> Looking out over the ocean from San Francisco Bay, you can see the span of Alcatraz Island.  But it’s nothing like what you may have seen in the movies.

In the years since its discovery, the island has been home to a number of different uses but now the island and its buildings are preserved with daily historical tours.

Discovered in 1775 by Juan Manuel de Ayala, the island was named after the Spanish world for pelicans, or alcatraze- since the island was flocked with the bird species. The Americanized version of Alcatraz stuck after.

Julian Workman was the first recorded owner of the island and in June of 1846 built a lighthouse on it. But Workman didn’t hold claim to the island for long, since in that same year, John C. Fremont bought the island for $5,000 dollars under the U.S. government for it to take shape as a military reservation.

Since it’s primary location to gold sparked interest by several other countries, President Fillmore made sure to turn the island into a base for military who were prepared to fight.  In 1853, construction of Fortress Alcatraz began to take shape with bricks and stone and circled around the island. Inside the walls, columnbiads were added in the north, south and west locations of the fort to provide easy gunfire at enemy ships. Inside stood the brick citadel behind a drawbridge mote with a lot of its granite shipped from China.

With the need for a military base dying down after the Civil War, the island began to transform into a prison. Between 1870 and 1876, brick jailhouses were built on the island to hold up to 450 prisoners with several dungeons below the ground. After the Spanish-American War, in 1933, it became a federal prison to hold troubling inmates from other prisons. The island was a perfect sanctuary due to its isolation. The prison is famous for holding some of the most notorious criminals in history, namely, Al Capone.  However, due to high cost and eroded buildings, thanks to salt water saturation, the prison was shutdown in 1963.

From there the island was occupied by Native Americans claiming rightful ownership to the island and looking to use it for an Indian education center. Over the course of their time there, many buildings suffered from fire damage and there is still some visible graffiti seen there today.

Currently, the island is set up for tours rich in its history. Visitor’s can walk around self-guided or wait for a guide to trail them around the island. Throughout your time on Alcatraz there are also several programs you can participate in for educational purposes.

Alcatraz has 19 landmarks and buildings spanned out over 22 acres, and it’s an essential part of American history, which is always worth preserving.

BirdMaster understands the importance of protecting historical landmarks and is a proud half of a successful partnership in helping safeguard the architecture of the island and the legacy of Alcatraz for years to come.

More →]]> New York City is a place where dreams come true and you know you’ve made it when you play at Carnegie Hall.

One of the most prestigious music venues in the world, Carnegie Hall, fills its 3,670 seats every year for more than 200 concerts.

In 1891 Andrew Carnegie set out to build the hall after plans developed with famous architect, William Burnet Tuthill, though the idea wasn’t his own. On a trip to Scotland, Carnegie met Walter Damrosch, a conductor for the Symphony Society of New York and the Oratorio Society of New York. After becoming fast friends, Carnegie expressed a willing to help make Damrosch’s dream a reality.

When the hall opened, Carnegie had a feeling it would be a success. Little did he know just how big it would be.  At its opening ceremony, Carnegie said, “It is built to stand for ages, and during these ages it is probable that this hall will intertwine itself with the history of our country.”

He was right. Over the years, some of the world’s greatest artists have graced the stage. Vladimir Horowitz, Maria Callas, Liza Minnelli, Paul Robeson and Bob Dylan have all set foot in front of a Carnegie Hall crowd.

But what makes the music venue so unique, is that not only is the building itself a staple in the musical world, the architect was able to perfect a quality of construction that enhanced acoustics. After traveling to Europe, Tuthill gained research in how to make sure the venue not only looked great, but also sounded great. In the years before steel frame beams, Tuthill’s team created a barrier to block out the external noises of the city with heavy brick.

Made using the Guastavino process, the venue was built with concrete and masonry walls several feet thick, providing excellent acoustics for the music inside the hall. Tuthill also left a few of the traditional theater staples behind, including the stage curtains, opening the venue to the sound rather than blocking it.

Two studio towers were added to the south and northeast sides of the hall containing two other performance spaces, rounding out the hall with three theater stages.

From the outside, Carnegie Hall represents the sophisticated style of Italian Renaissance beaming with history. In almost a decade, BirdMaster partnered with Carnegie Hall to keep the music alive. With a little help from BirdMaster’s bird deterrence technology, the building will be preserved and protected from pest birds for years to come.

And with an age-old joke… How do you get to Carnegie Hall? You practice!

More →]]> Pigeons, among other pest birds, are extremely common in large cities and public spaces. They can quickly reproduce and will build nests on ledges, rafters, and beams. They may seem harmless to the average person, but coming in contact with their droppings can pose a huge health risk. Three diseases are known to be associated with bird guano:

Histoplasmosis

What is it? Caused by a fungus, Histoplasmosis is the most common disease associated with bird guano. A person can be infected by simply inhaling some of the fungus, which is likely to happen when cleaning bird droppings off a building, or even by prolonged exposure to infested areas.

What are the symptoms? Some of the symptoms are fatigue, chest pain and fever.

How should it be treated? Symptoms will usually appear 10 days after initial contact and could cause further illness if not treated. Most of the time, this infection goes away without treatment. If you are sick for more than 1 month or are having trouble breathing, your doctor may prescribe medication.

Psittacosis

What is it? Commonly known as Parrot Fever, Psittacosis is a type of infection that can be transmitted by pigeons, parrots and similar birds. People can become infected and develop the illness by inhaling dried bird droppings. When disturbed, bird droppings’ spores become aerosolized, making it easier for people to become contaminated.

What are the symptoms? Fatigue, headache, chills, fever, rash and pneumonia.

How should it be treated? Symptoms typically appear 10 days after exposure and the illness is treatable with antibiotics.

Cryptococcosis

What is it? Cryptococcosis can also be spread by bird droppings and is known to grow in soil all over the world. If the central nervous system is involved, the infection will often cause death or other permanent damage.

What are the symptoms? Those infected report blurred vision, chest pain, fever, nausea and headaches.

How should it be treated? Some infections require no treatment. Even so, there should be regular check-ups for a full year to make sure the infection has not spread. A weak or compromised immune system is a major risk factor for infection and even death. Call your health care provider if you develop symptoms of cryptococcosis, especially if you have a weakened immune system.

Preventing Bird-Related Diseases

Bird-proofing buildings will reduce the amount of guano on their premises and consequently will lower the risk of people becoming infected by these diseases as well as others.

More →]]> Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is truly an amazing building from an architectural point of view to the history behind it. Apparently, many birds like it too! They like it so much, in fact, that only BirdMaster could be trusted to solve the problems they created.

It’s not hard to see why birds would want to live in the massive, neo gothic style Roman Catholic Church with all of its intricate alcoves and crevices to hide in. The location is great too! It sits across the street from the Rockefeller Center in Manhattan and faces the Atlas Statue. But unfortunately, after 135 years of being at the mercy of these birds in addition to the city pollution and acid rain, the Tuckahoe Marble façade had been deteriorated and bricks had started crumbling. So, in 2012, a $175 million restoration project began. This 3-phase project to repair and restore the church to its former glory is planned to finish in December of 2015.

The church’s early years were plagued with bad luck. Purchased in 1810, it was abandoned some 5 years later and wouldn’t reopen for another 25 years. Even when it did, it was only 4 years until the church was so bankrupt that there was no choice but to sell it at auction. When the church’s debt was finally paid in 1853, the building was bought back and completely redesigned.

James Renwick Jr. is responsible for designing this building we’re familiar with today. Building commenced in 1858 but was put on hold during the Civil War until 1865. It was finally completed in 1878, 20 years from the start! Future additions would include an Archbishop House, Rectory, Lady Chapel, spires and stained glass windows. The church was renovated again in 1927 and was declared a landmark in 1976.

This historic building can now accommodate a whopping 2200 people, takes up a whole city block, and is constructed of brick clad in marble quarried from Massachusetts and New York. Its spires rise 330 feet above street level and the beautiful stained glass windows were crafted in a couple different places from Boston to England to France. Roman artist Paolo Medici designed the Saint Elizabeth altar and Tiffany & Co designed both the Saint Louis and Saint Michael altars. The church has even been featured in movies like “Beneath the Planet of the Apes” and “Gremlins 2: The New Batch”!

When preserving and restoring such historically significant buildings, there’s a reason why BirdMaster was chosen to take part. This magnificent church had its share of problems in the past but from here on out, pest birds won’t be one of them.