The most effective way to prevent grass fields at airports from developing into habitats for animals is good grass management. All around the world there are large areas of grassland around airports, each with their specific problems, but they have one common problem and that is the nuisance of the animals that live there and the FOD that is gathering there. The grass areas are an excellent habitat for wildlife such as rabbits, hares, foxes and deer. Birds like geese, seagulls, waterfowl, starlings, lapwings, plovers and pigeons feel at home there and find there everything to survive. By determining the ideal height of the grass, you can influence this and make a habitat less attractive for insects, mammals and birds. There are airports with a “Tall” and a “Short” grass policy with both having their advantages and disadvantages. All grass zones within the airport, including the grass areas adjacent to runways, must be included in the grass maintenance policy.
Tall grass policy:
Long, dense grass makes it harder to find foods like worms and insects. Perhaps more importantly, longer grass hampers the vision of birds. It is a lot harder for them then to detect many potential predators and makes it more difficult for them to fly away. The disadvantages of higher grass are again that it attracts larger animals such as hares or rabbits and they in turn attract larger birds of prey. It also attracts larger birds that feel at home there during migration in spring and autumn. Flowering seed heads in high grass also attract many birds. Long grass maintenance requires maintenance throughout the year.
Short grass policy:
Depending on the bird species and mammals that are indigenous to the area and which grasses grow there, the grass is kept short. Some of these bird species cannot survive if the grass is kept short. A disadvantage of a short grass policy is that it attracts the more risky bird species.
TRILO designs and manufactures high-quality machines that provide solutions for an effective grass, FPS and habitat management at airports. With TRILO machines, you can mow and collect in one pass, where the FOD that is present is collected simultaneously. FOD and habitat management with TRILO machines helps you increase airport safety and minimises the risks of bird and wildlife strikes. TRILO machines are easy to operate by one person and continue to operate well under the most extreme weather conditions, even during heavy rainfall.
• Mowing and collecting in one pass. FOD is collected simultaneously.
• Removes habitat and food source for insects, mammals and birds.
• Working faster and more efficiently reduces runway closures.
• Reduce high costs of repairs caused by FOD and grass ingestion by jet engines.
• Prevent flooding due to clogged gratings and drains.
• Minimise the chances of bird and wildlife strikes.
• TRILO machines can be operated by one person.
View all TRILO machines for Airside FOD and Habitat Management