Werner Braun: Novel idea is for the birds

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September 14, 2012

Werner Braun: Novel idea is for the birds

Anonymous The Dalton Daily Citizen Fri Sep 14, 2012, 10:13 PM EDT

We’ve been hearing an awful lot about the outbreak of mosquito-borne illnesses this year.

As of this past August, 44 states have reported a total of 712 cases of West Nile virus, a potentially severe illness that can cause symptoms that range from a mild fever to debilitating numbness and paralysis.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, we’ve actually had 22 cases of West Nile virus reported this year in Georgia, 18 in Tennessee and five in Alabama. Many small towns and metropolitan areas have taken measures to get rid of the annoying pests that carry the disease, with one of those methods being to spray pesticides from “mosquito trucks” at either dawn or dusk.

One of our Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) members, Mannington Mills Inc., which has plants in Calhoun but is based in New Jersey, has actually found a really creative way to deal with those pesky insects.

In Salem, N.J., Mannington associates began an effort in the mid-1980s to attract insect-eating birds called purple martins to their facility as a way to reduce the insect population. This town in southern New Jersey had more than its share of mosquitos, as the area is home to one of the nation’s largest tidal wetlands.

It probably goes without saying that the mosquitoes and other insects that resulted from those large breeding grounds were a nuisance to Mannington employees.

But those hordes of mosquitos were equally attracted to Mannington’s product components. As a result, they could easily become trapped in the wet “wearlayer” of the product, lodging in the wet processes coming off the production lines. The company realized that could compromise quality, so they needed to be stopped.

Using pesticides to rid the area of mosquitoes was certainly one option, but many Mannington associates became convinced that there were more natural methods to rid the area of mosquitoes than using pesticides.

That’s when they decided to “invite” the purple martins to come to their aid. Purple martins are birds that migrate from Brazil to the United States each summer, and they eat massive amounts of insects.

But because purple martins east of the Rocky Mountains are entirely dependent upon man-made houses, the company needed to make them “feel at home” by installing special houses for them adjacent to their manufacturing buildings.

While the process of attracting the birds took some time, over the years, the population of purple martins has grown considerably.

By 2001, there were 42 nests, 132 eggs and 104 youngsters at the site. By August of this year, that number has grown to 96 nests, 429 eggs and 383 youngsters.

It turns out that this site is now home to one of the largest concentrations of purple martins in New Jersey. And the birds, along with the continuing use of screens and bug-proof entries, have helped achieve the company’s goal of reducing the insect population.

Mannington believes that the “Purple Martin Project” has proven to be one of the most environmentally friendly and cost effective ways to deal with the insects.

I would have to agree. They came up with a win-win solution that is pretty darn creative in my book.

Werner Braun is president of the Dalton-based Carpet and Rug Institute.

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