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Frequently Asked

Questions?

We've got answers

General questions

Please see the section below for general questions about Avitrol. Please feel free to continue reading the various categories until you find what you're looking for!

Yes! We want to provide as much training and education to our applicators so that they can have the lowest level of mortality possible when using our products. Please see the "Secondary Hazard and Mortality" section for details.
No. Research has been conducted by a number of different researchers (including adversarial groups) that have all come to the same conclusion that birds affected by Avitrol do not feel any pain. Research studies prepared by the Department of Pathology of the University of Ottawa, are available here.
Avitrol may be used to control: Feral Pigeons (Columba livia), House Sparrows (Passer domesticus), Red-Winged (Agelaius pheoniceus), Yellow-headed (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus), and Brewer's (Euphagus cyanocephalus) Blackbirds, Grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus, Quiscalus major & Quiscalus quiscula), Cowbirds (Molothrus ater & Molothrus aeneus), European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), and Crows (Corvus brachyhynchos, Corvus caurinus & Corvus ossifragus).
If not applied correctly, yes. Avitrol is toxic to all vertebrate species that eat the chemical. It is important to go through our certification courses to learn the right way to apply our product so that only pest birds are exposed.
No. Avitrol has no true secondary poisoning. It is possible that if an animal were to eat undigested bait from a bird's digestive tract that it might be affected. In our 50 years as a business, we have never had reports of this occurring. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Secondary Hazards Report is available here for more information.

Mortality questions

This section will specifically address questions related to the possility of bird mortality when baiting.

There are 4 factors that could possibly affect bird mortality. They are provided in the answers below. Generally a combination of early morning baiting, cold weather, and high ratio of treated to untreated will increase mortality, but will also give quicker flock control.
The time of day the chemical is ingested. Birds eating the treated bait after feeding may have: i) a reduced reaction, ii) a delayed reaction, or iii) no reaction at all. This may cause problems if birds die away from the treatment site.
The blend ratio of treated to untreated grains: the higher diluted the grain, the higher the reaction will be.
Temperature. The colder the weather, the higher the mortality. When it is cold, a bird's metabolism is higher and they will eat more. This will cause more active ingredient to get into a bird's system more quickly.
The general health of the flock and competing food sources.

Avitrol Use

The next 2 sections are dedicated to a brief explanation of how Avitrol to generally use Avitrol.

Survey the site in accordance with NPMA survey recommendations.
Prebait the site at locations indicated by your survey with a food similar to the Avitrol bait which will be used. For instance, prebait with clean, whole kernel corn if you plan to bait with Avitrol Whole corn.
We recommend prebaiting and baiting for birds using the Avitrol bait trays, either 18x12 inch or 24x24 inch models (Click here to view them).
We are frequently asked how long to prebait. The answer is as long as it takes. Prebaiting should continue uninterrupted until the flock is eating well. This will usually require two weeks or less but in some cases a 4 weeks or longer may be required.
When prebaiting, it is helpful to remember that a flock of 100 pigeons will eat around 10 pounds of grain bait per day. When bait acceptance is good, they should eat about 10 pounds of grain per hundred birds per day.

Avitrol Use (Continued)

This section continues general instructions on how to apply Avitrol products. To view the label, click HERE.

Once the prebait is accepted as described above, decide upon a blend ratio of Avitrol treated grain to untreated grain. The higher the percentage of Avitrol treated grain in the blend, the higher the mortality but usually the quicker the results.
Using Avitrol treated grain similar to the grain used for prebaiting, blend the treated bait following label instructions and precautions and place it in the bait locations used for prebaiting. Do not allow a lapse of time between prebaiting and baiting.
If there is any mortality with your treatment, arrange to pick up dead and dying birds promptly and dispose of them in accordance with local and label regulations. Failure to do this is the most common cause of public complaint.
Birds accustomed to taking prebait will usually go directly to the bait after leaving the roost in the morning. Because they have fasted all night, their metabolism will be relatively high and the effect of any chemical will be felt more quickly than at other times of the day. Therefore, it is recommended that the blend of treated and untreated bait be exposed before daylight on the treatment days and in sensitive areas picked up on the same day.
Cycle the use steps until you achieve the control you require.