Pest birds can be more than a just a nuisance. They can create serious health concerns, damage machinery and harm the structural integrity of your building. Protect your employees and your workspace by understanding the risks that birds present and how you can prevent it.
What is a pest bird?
Pest birds are birds that can live in your building and are in many ways as annoying and disruptive as rodents, insects or other pests. Among the most common pest birds are pigeons, seagulls, sparrows, starlings, geese, woodpeckers, swallows and crows. These birds can be noisy and interfere with your business' productivity, but the most serious ways that pest birds can harm your building is through physical damage from nests and feces. Learn about some of the most common types of bird damage.
Roof damage
Birds wreak the most havoc on roofs. This is where they often make their homes and spend the most time. Their feces are very acetic, partially made with uric acid, and can corrode substrates and tar roofing. Over time bird droppings can eat through the roof to the point that water or snow can cause a roof collapse. On average, the lifespan of a roof can be slashed in half by continuous exposure to bird excrement.
Another way that birds can damage roofs is that their nests interfere with proper drainage. When a sparrow or other pest bird sets up a nest in the gutter, roof corner or drain pipe, it may clog the drainage system. This can lead to pooling and flooding, which can quickly collapse the roof.
Disease and parasites
In addition to being acidic, bird droppings can carry a number of diseases and parasites. Histoplasmosis, salmonellosis, chicken mites and West Nile Virus are among the most common parasites and diseases birds can transfer to people. This underscores the importance of keeping pest birds away from food producing facilities, in particular.
Machinery and ventilation damage
Just as they can block water from getting off a roof, birds' nests can also clog ventilation systems and chimneys from letting air out. This can lead to poorer air quality in the office or even carbon monoxide poisoning. Nests and the acidity of bird droppings can also damage expensive machinery and air conditioning systems housed outdoors.
General corrosion
While roof and ventilation damage are the most costly results of pest birds, they're far from the only consequences. Birds' acidic feces can damage signs, automobile paint and the building's exterior. Not only is this unattractive to look at every day, but it can hurt your brand.
"Birds have also been known to cause fires by building nests of kindling-like materials near electrical equipment."
Other property damage
Birds can also cause fires by building nests of kindling-like materials near electrical equipment. Additionally birds can ruin inventory and other products stored in warehouse facilities where they may be nesting.
Dealing with pest birds
Birds cost businesses millions of dollars every year in repair and replacement of property. To solve your pest bird problem, you may install anti-bird netting or other devices to protect the roof and other facilities. Speak to your Clean & Polish representative for more information.
Additionally, we can clean your building of excrement and nests that the birds leave behind. Freeing your building of this waste can help reduce potential bird-related problems.
