One key reason bird flu, aka avian influenza, is so hard to control is due to its main form of transmission – wild birds. Preventing contact between wild birds and poultry is biosecurity 101, although in practice, it’s a lot easier said than done. As the industry grows more desperate for a solution, some are experimenting with the use of lasers to deter the unwanted birds.
Crop losses have historically been the main threat posed by wild birds and farmers have employed many different tactics to keep them away. The classic scarecrow is an example of a “visual deterrent.” These tools work by creating a perceived threat, in this case a “person.” Another form of deterrent uses sound, such as explosive propane cannons and even firecrackers.
Lasers are one of the newest technologies in bird deterrence. Options range from small hand-held units to fully automated systems that can cover entire fields.
In the Pacific Northwest, farmers have been steadily adopting lasers to keep wild birds away from delicate fruit crops. That’s where Netherlands-based “Bird Control Group” first found success in the U.S. when it began trying to market its laser technology designed to keep birds away from industrial sites and airports.
The silent lasers were a welcome solution to orchards that commonly used propane canons and squawk boxes, which can often lead to conflicts with neighbors over the noise. According to Bird Control Group, its “AVIX Autonomic Mark II” system typically reduces bird numbers by around 70%.
That same system is used by Keith Gutshall, owner of Fur Bandit Wildlife Pest Control in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, who has been installing the laser deterrents around poultry, dairy, and fish farms that are trying to reduce bird flu risks. “I’m often skeptical about things, but with this I’ve seen the results myself,” he said. “The laser resembles a big club coming toward the bird, and it keeps chasing them.”
Like most laser deterrent systems, Bird Control Group’s technology is based on green lasers, which are close to the wavelengths that birds best perceive in motion. It’s believed that the beams may interact with the green chlorophyll in plants to produce disorienting effects only birds can see. The AVIX Autonomic system, also similar to others, swivels on a base to target different points in a constantly shifting pattern, keeping birds from becoming accustomed to the beams.
The main downside to laser deterrents is the possibility that laser beams may cause eye damage in birds. There has been little research on the subject, though one 2021 masters thesis from Purdue University found that the beams could induce cataracts, corneal swelling, and other problems in the lab.
Farmers and ranchers desperate to overcome the scourge of bird flu are obviously more concerned about the health of their own animals and more are finding laser technology to be both effective and affordable. The costs for an AVIX Autonomic system is around $15,000, including installation, which the company says it recouped as feed losses are reduced and the risk of avian influenza to poultry flocks is minimized.
According to the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, laser installation is booming in the state. Poultry farmers have put in over 100 laser systems since 2023, some with support from a state program meant to prevent bird flu transmission.
Some are hopeful that financial support for laser deterrent systems will extend to the federal government, although the outlook isn’t great at the moment. Tanya Espinosa, a spokesperson for the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said that lasers have not been proven to deter the types of wild birds most commonly found around poultry facilities. (Sources: Lancaster Farming, Ambrook Research, WattAgNet)
