Julie Bove wrote:
>
> "Pete C." > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > Julie Bove wrote:
> >>
> >> I was once in a hurry and picked up a loaf of bread at Costco without
> >> checking any more than the date on it. Thankfully the checker noticed
> >> the
> >> hole in the bag and got me another one. And now I know why!
> >>
> >> Two of the Costco's where I shop are overrun with grackles. For those of
> >> you who are unfamiliar with them, they are birds that are similar to
> >> crows
> >> but smaller. They might look black but in the light, they have pretty
> >> purple and green iridescent accents to their feathers.
> >>
> >> Anyway... I watched as a grackle stood in the bread aisle, stopping all
> >> traffic for a few seconds. Then it walked under the bread racks and
> >> began
> >> pecking the bags open. Yep!
> >>
> >> At first I felt sorry for it, thinking that it had gotten trapped in the
> >> store and was just hungry. But maybe not. As I was leaving, I saw many
> >> of
> >> them flying out the door.
> >>
> >> Because of the design of most Costco's, they have big wide entrance and
> >> exit
> >> doors that do not close unless the store is closed. So very easy for
> >> those
> >> birds to get in and out.
> >>
> >> When I worked at K Mart, we sometimes got birds in the store through the
> >> receiving doors and they would often get trapped if they made their way
> >> into
> >> the store. Usually we were able to get them back out but by then they
> >> were
> >> often rather weak and battered from flying and flying and hitting the
> >> glass
> >> windows.
> >>
> >> So be cautious of bread that you buy at Costco, particularly if it is on
> >> the
> >> bottom of the rack!
> >
> > They need air curtains at the doors. They are mostly intended for bugs,
> > but good ones will tend to discourage birds from crossing the strong
> > down draft as well.
>
> Are those the plastic things? And now that I think about it... Winco has
> similar open doors but the door to the entrance has some extreme blowing
> air. Cold in the summer, hot in the winter. I wonder if it discourages the
> birds?

Air curtain = big blowers above the doors blowing air down.