The Destructive Relationship of Birds and Buildings

They may be beautiful, but birds cost property owners thousands of dollars in damage every year. Without effective bird control measures, building owners and managers are left literally at the mercy of the birds. Left unchallenged, birds will damage and deface many areas of a building. Here are the top 10 places where birds cause the most damage:

1. Bird Droppings Destroy Roofs

Whether your building has a wood, metal, tile, or a composite roof, birds can eventually destroy it with their droppings and nesting materials. The acid in bird droppings may actually eat into many tar-based roofing substrates. When these droppings accumulate, they allow the acids to eventually perforate a roof, leaving it vulnerable to major water leaks.

Bird nests built under clay roofing tiles can also cause leaks when the tiles begin to dislodge. Wood shingle roofs often fall victim to birds as well, when they build nests in the nooks and crannies or peck at worms they’ve carried to the rooftop surface.

2. Gutters and Drains Clogged from Nests

Roof nests and nesting materials—especially those of pigeons—are notorious for clogging rain gutters, drains, and roof corners. Many industrial and commercial buildings with flat roofs experience water buildup when gutters and spouts become clogged with bird nests. This water buildup can produce leaks and toxic mold growth. Eventually, a roof may even collapse, becoming a catastrophic danger and expense!

3. Birds Damage Rooftop Systems

Rooftop systems are no stranger to bird damage. Dried bird feces can be sucked into ventilation systems causing a health risk for owners and employees. Bird droppings can even damage and/or obstruct exterior security cameras and "freeze up" their motion sensors. Professional bird deterrent measures help prevent this damage.

4. Nests Can Start Fires

Bird nests make for the perfect fire kindling, with their dried twigs, feathers, and droppings. This is especially true when birds build nests on or near electric signs or other electrical machinery. Birds have also been known to peck at electrical switches, wiring, and connectors—a fire hazard simply waiting to happen!

5. Bird Nests Create Lethal Air Blockages

Bird nests in chimneys and ventilation systems can actually create potentially lethal air blockages. Bird control is an absolute must in these situations.

6. Droppings Destroy Paint Jobs

The acids in pigeon droppings can actually eat into painted finishes. Over time, no surface is safe—including metal, wood, plastic, and even sturdy stone. Unless removed, these acids will eat deeper and deeper, permanently destroying any lovely painted finish.

7. Birds Droppings Jam Windows, Doors, and Skylights

Left to gather, bird droppings and debris will seize up windows, doors, and skylights making them inoperable and creating an unsafe condition.

8. Woodpeckers Destroy Beams and Siding

Woodpeckers can cause serious damage to most wood surfaces with their knife-like beaks and persistent hammering and drilling. They love to drill into eaves, window frames, and trim boards, no matter what type of wood.

Here are a few wood types most vulnerable to woodpeckers:

• Cypress
• Cedar
• Pine
• Redwood
• Fir

Woodpeckers will even peck at metal gutters, downspouts, chimney caps, and sensitive cell phone antennas. Rooftop plumbing vents and metal roof valleys are also vulnerable. Without effective bird deterrents, woodpeckers as territorial birds, will continue to drum and drill creating more and more damage with every peck.

9. Bird Droppings Create Slip-and-Fall Hazards

Most buildings have ladder systems, gantries, and elevated exterior walkways. Wet bird droppings on these surfaces can create dangerous slip-and-fall hazards. This could result in injury or even a deadly fall. Bird droppings in store entryways can be a hazard for customers, causing costly liabilities.

10. Diseases from Droppings

Birds, especially pigeons, can carry any of 60 known transmittable diseases, which can infect workers on the job. One such disease is histoplasmosis. Workers can get infected while cleaning off bird droppings or removing old nests. The disease can cause high fever, blood abnormalities, pneumonia, and even death.

Another deadly disease carried by birds is West Nile encephalitis. This virus can cause serious illness and is most often carried by pigeons and sparrows, although more than 200 species of birds have been found to be infected by the virus.

Bird B Gone is the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of bird repellents and bird deterrents, providing effective and humane solutions to a bird-free environment. We Provide advice, training, and installation services for those who need help with these and other bird control measures.

If birds are destroying your apartment complex, stadium, or office building, give us a call at 800-392-6915