Why You Should Get Bird Droppings Removed from Your Premises

Pigeons are infamous for leaving their foulings wherever they flock, often leaving city and town centres covered in excrement that can be a nuisance for the residents and visitors. Often deposited in hard to reach areas, such as on top of statues or buildings, these droppings can fester for weeks or even months, resulting in all sorts of negative impacts for the community.

Whilst you should always attempt to remove bird droppings as soon as possible to avoid dealing with the following issues, you should also remember to deal with the cause of the problem – the birds themselves. There are many effective methods of bird control on the market, and to help you assess the best pest control for your requirement, Pest Defence have outlined the pros and cons of each method in a handy guide.

Health Risks

The health risks associated with birds and their droppings are well known, and it is what makes pigeons in particular such a pest. The main concerns associated with the droppings is the diseases that they carry:

• Cryptococcosis: A fungal disease that can affect those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms may be very mild or even non-existent, but it usually begins as a lung infection and can be fatal if the disease spreads to the central nervous system.
• Histoplasmosis: A fungal disease that can affect both animals and humans through airborne spores. The disease can either be symptomless or can mimic the flu, as well as potentially causing a high fever, pneumonia or blood abnormalities that can be fatal.
• E.coli & salmonella: Although typically inflicted upon humans in the form of food poisoning, if the birds have come into contact with contaminated areas, these can be passed through their droppings and into our food or water supplies.

Alongside these dangerous illnesses, birds can also introduce parasites such as fleas and ticks into the environment which can spread on animals and humans very quickly.

Damage to Buildings & Cars

The highly acidic content of pigeon guano can be damaging to buildings, causing the soft stones to deteriorate. Furthermore, the accumulation of bird droppings and feathers blocks drainpipes and guttering, leading to water pooling on roofs and causing extensive water damage and dry rot.

Bird droppings can also produce patches in a car’s paintwork as the heat from the excrement causes the paint lacquer to soften and expand before cooling and remoulding around the texture of the dropping, leaving a dull patch on your paint job.

Appearance

Aesthetics alone provides ample reasoning to want to remove droppings quickly – the guano can be a real blight on the appearance of your buildings, cars and monuments. As a business owner, this can be distressing as it lowers the tone of your business and can prevent people from wanting to enter your building, and as a resident, it can be annoying to discover that your home looks and smells unclean. Pigeon droppings can even affect local economy as the amount of visitors can be reduced as the attractions become more and more covered, and therefore less appealing.

Pest Defence have been serving the local community of Chelmsford for over 25 years and have built up the expertise in dealing with pests of any variety. We’re specialists in dealing with hazardous environments and ensure that all droppings are completely removed from the area in both domestic and commercial settings. For more information on this, or any of our other services, contact us.