Every year as spring turns to summer, one of the biggest headaches for power grid operations and maintenance personnel is birds nesting on transmission towers.
This is not a case of making a mountain out of a molehill. When bird droppings land on insulators, they can cause flash-over failures once they become damp; debris such as twigs and wire from bird nests, when blown off by wind and rain, can also easily cause short circuits on power lines. Removing bird nests is itself a dangerous and tedious task that must be performed at heights. Ensuring the safety of the power supply while minimizing harm to birds seems to be a dilemma.
Shenzhen Zhenqu Bird Control Technology—Magnetic Insulated Bird-Deterrent Spikes ZQN-GT-CX—are increasingly being used for bird control on power transmission lines. Visually, this bird-deterrent device is not complicated. It consists of a magnetic base and forty-four spikes. Once installed, the spikes naturally fan out, resembling an upside-down metal flower. When the wind blows, each steel spike sways slightly, rendering what would otherwise be suitable perching spots on the transmission tower extremely unstable—birds’ claws have nowhere to grip, their wings cannot spread, and they certainly cannot linger for long or carry twigs to build nests.
It is worth noting that the device is painted an eye-catching red. Studies have shown that birds are particularly sensitive to the red spectrum of light, which tends to put them on alert. This color scheme is not intended for aesthetic purposes, but rather to further enhance the deterrent effect on a visual level.
In terms of materials, the prongs are made of a highly resilient engineering plastic that is resistant to breakage and deformation; the prong positioning plate and base are made of polycarbonate and are produced through a single-step injection molding process, offering excellent corrosion resistance, high-temperature resistance, and electrical insulation properties. Even when exposed to the elements outdoors for extended periods, they are unlikely to age or fail.
The installation process has also been simplified. The base contains built-in D48 series neodymium magnets with strong magnetic force; maintenance personnel simply need to place the bird-deterrent spikes against the tower for them to adhere firmly in place, without the need for additional tools or manually unfolding each steel spike. Even in strong winds, the spikes will not loosen or fall off.
With these “Red Guardians” on duty, power grid outages caused by bird activity have decreased significantly, and operations and maintenance personnel no longer have to climb towers frequently to remove bird nests, greatly reducing their workload.
