Why Bird Poop is a Problem

Tens of millions of dollars goes out from individuals pocket books and company’s profits each year to pest bird clean-up costs and damages and repairs. Bird poop can ruin home rooftops, ventilation systems, air conditioning units, paint; wood and just about every other structure. This also includes machinery, metals and just about anything the feces lands on. It is a constant battle between pest bird and human. The birds may look cute and sound like a morning song, but they can destroy property and be a health risk as well.

Bird Poop Destruction

The bird’s poop is very acidic. Most birds have a very low water level in their body because water is heavy to transport by air. The white component of bird poop is a thick white paste of uric acid, with very little water content. The bird’s waste is both digestive and urinary. This is what makes it so concentrated and damaging. Also, birds have a high metabolism rate and they need to eat large quantities of food. This means large amounts of poop.

When there is no bird control method in place, and the droppings accumulate over time, this is when the trouble gets worse. The droppings can accumulate rather quickly when there are large roosts. Birds will roost on your roofs and eaves, trees, or find the entrance to your attic. When you see the first splattering of white from the birds, action is needed to protect your home or business.

Health Hazards of Bird Poop

Aside from the costly damage pest birds will create on the buildings, there is also a health risk to be concerned with. Bird control will eliminate damage the bird droppings leave behind, not just structurally. Most health concerns for humans are associated with accumulated bird droppings. Most people would never tolerate living with a colony or rats in their home. Neither should you when it comes to birds. Bird droppings can harbor over 60 transmittable diseases. This includes histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, salmonellosis and E. coli to just name a handful. Birds are also associated with over 50 kinds of ectoparasites which can work their way through structures to infest and bite the people inside. A few of the ectoparasites include bed bugs, West Nile Virus and yellow mealworms. The nests and droppings also have mites and ticks. The common diseases listed above that are transmitted to humans cause upper respiratory illnesses. Histoplasmosis for instance, is a respiratory disease that could be fatal. It results from a fungus that grows in the dried bird poop.

Interesting Fact

Bird poop, namely pigeon poop, was highly sought after in the 16th, 17th, and 18th century. They use to make gunpowder with the chemical properties in the feces. The coops would be protected by armed guards stationed outside of them. This would ensure that the prized bird poop was not stolen. We have come a long way….

Bird control can keep bird droppings away from homes and business. When using economical bird deterrent methods, costly repairs and clean-up becomes extinct.