As you work on a construction project, sometimes you can’t help but notice the wildlife around you. Some of them may act as pests on the jobsite, while others are merely helpless bystanders. Since some animals and insects are crucial to human survival, it’s important to take care when you’re working around them. Here are a few things you can do.

Inspect the Site Before Work
On most construction sites, you don’t quite know what to expect until you get there. If your company is doing most of the construction or you’re acting in a supervisory capacity, it’s important to inspect the site before you begin work. This includes looking for signs of wild animals, birds or insects on the property. This is also important if you are performing demolition or renovation work on existing structures. When buildings aren’t inhabited for months or years, animals and insects may build nests in occupied spaces. Taking care to identify possible infestations and make a plan for them can help to avoid damaging beneficial species by accident.

Secure Site During Construction
Once you begin work on the jobsite, you need to ensure that nothing creeps in when you’re not expecting it. Site security involves keeping everyone out who does not belong there. But since bees and rats don’t read signs and can easily get past fences, you may need a different approach. Identify likely sources of infestations on the site. Then, take the time to think about the materials on the site that may be enticing. Putting up mesh fencing, closing buildings, and making sure that you put sources of food in airtight spaces, can minimize the likelihood that birds or animals will come to the site looking for them. Keep in mind that they love debris, so cleaning up is an ideal and safe deterrent.

Call Services When Necessary
When you find a beehive or a bunch of birds’ nests, it’s tempting to call an exterminator or another form of pest control. Well this can certainly mitigate the problem for you, it isn’t always the wisest thing to do. California is home to many varieties of endangered species. Without bees to pollinate the huge farms across the state, food output would be dramatically decreased. As such, it may be better to seek out a local organization that can help you move the nests without harming them or their inhabitants. This gives you a solution to your problem in a way that causes the least damage.

Use Bird-Friendly Construction Practices
The major problems that humans have with insects and rodents is that they like to set up housekeeping in the same place as where humans live. By comparison, birds are more likely to sustain injury or even death based on the type of construction practices that you use. For example, reflective windows confuse birds and make it more likely that they will collide into them. This kills up to 1 billion birds every year. By changing the design slightly, such as adding lines or dots on the glass, the birds can tell that it is an obstacle and fly around it. Some researchers estimate that this may also help building owners save on their energy costs.

Dispose of Waste Properly
When you think about proper waste disposal, you’re often considering what happens if the soil, water supply or air is contaminated for human use. However, there are many animals and insects who also live in the same spaces. Proper waste disposal is an important way to protect them as well. This means:

• Handling hazardous substances with care
• Disposing of harmful byproducts or excess substances in the correct receptacle or location
• Minimizing accidental spills
• Mitigating the effects of harmful contaminants already present on the property, like mold

These practices helped protect you, but they can also help to ensure that no one is poisoned as a result of the construction process.

Controlling your environment is a big part of construction project management. With the right approach, you can avoid hurting yourself and all the beings around you. To learn more about how to start your own contracting business, contact CSLS today!