$11,212 to Clean Pigeon Poop from Schoolhouse

Schools and colleges across the country face a number of pest bird problems. Boynton Beach, Florida paid a company $11,212 to clean decades of pigeon poop from an historic 1913 schoolhouse. That’s a lot of money for scraping bird droppings from the rafters of the 4,000-square-foot attic, but environmental cleaning companies insist that such requests are not uncommon.

Mounds of Droppings in the Attic

In the above case, the birds sought refuse in the school’s attic for many years, gaining access to a structure typically found in many schools and colleges—a bell tower. To remove the pigeon droppings, the clean up crew had to don protective suits and motor-driven respirators. The droppings had to be sealed in double plastic bags and taken to a biohazard dump. After all the droppings were removed, the crew sprayed the attic with a bleach-like solvent to kill any bacteria that remained from decayed droppings

Bird Droppings Carry Diseases

When pest birds roost and nest on or near human habitable areas, they can quickly pose a number of health and safety hazards. A single pigeon, for example, can “unload” up to 25 pounds of droppings every year. Without effective bird control measures, these droppings usually end up on school grounds and exterior structures. This poses an alarming health risk, since the bacteria, fungal agents and ectoparasites in droppings and nesting materials have been known to carry any of 60 known diseases—including histoplasmosis, encephalitis, salmonella, meningitis, and toxoplasmosis, even the West Nile virus.

Fecal Dust Spreads Diseases in Ventilation Systems

Perhaps even more insidious is the bird fecal dust carried into school buildings through rooftop heating, ventilation and air-conditioning ducts. Pigeons and other pest birds naturally like to gather around air handling equipment—like HVAC vents. Dried by wind and sun, this disease-infested dust gets sucked into HVAC systems. The fine particles can spread a number of diseases throughout an entire building.

Bird B Gone Cleaning/Disinfecting Solutions

Before implementing any type of bird control measure, it’s important to thoroughly clean and disinfect any areas contaminated with bird droppings and disease carrying debris. Bird B Gone can recommend the right combination of products and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to get the job done right. These include:

• Microcide SQ. This broad spectrum hospital grade cleaner can be used for cleaning, disinfecting, and deodorizing surfaces soiled with bird droppings. Microcide SQ is an EPA approved disinfectant effective against 108 different disease causing viruses, bacteria, yeast and mold.
• Airzyme Waste Digester. Ideal for cleaning, digesting, and deodorizing accumulations of bird droppings. Safe and approved by the USDA, the non-toxic enzymes work to safely break down bird droppings.
• 3M 6000 Series Half-Face Respirator. Provides respiratory protection against particulates to protect cleaning crews when removing bird droppings, nesting materials and debris.

Bird B Gone Bird Deterrents

Once an area has been properly cleaned and disinfected, Bird B Gone offers a number of effective and humane bird proofing deterrents. These include:

• Bird Spikes Earn an "E" for Effectiveness. These blunted spikes are harmless to birds and maintenance crews, yet they effectively prevent birds from landing on virtually any surface. Better still, bird spikes have been approved by the US Humane Society and PICAS. The spiked strips come in 3-, 5- and 8-inch splay widths and two-foot sections. They can be glued down, nailed or screwed onto a variety of surfaces.
• Bird Netting Won't Let Them Pass. Ideal for denying pest birds access to open towers, semi-enclosed monuments, breezeways, and rooftop hideaways, Bird B Gone Heavy Duty Bird Netting comes in various mesh sizes to exclude a variety of bird species. For large birds like pigeons or seagulls, there's a 1-1/8” to 2” mesh size. For smaller birds like sparrows or starlings, 3/4" mesh netting would be ideal. This netting is UV stabilized, flame resistant and rot- and water-proof--something to consider if you don't have a big budget to keep replacing nets.Birds
• Slopes Teach Birds a Lesson. Humane and highly effective, Bird B Gone Bird Slopes are angled PVC panels that birds simply can't get a grip on. Lesson learned: Move on to better landing areas. Recommended for eaves, ledges, beams and other similar niches, bird slopes are easily installed virtually anywhere using nails, screws or glue. Bird slopes come in several colors to blend in aesthetically with their surroundings.

If you would like an Authorized Bird Control installer to look at your site and provide you with a solution to your bird control problem, please feel free to call us at (888) 540-8093, or email us at nobirds@birdbgone.com.