Birds hold such a unique position in the global ecosystem. They seed the earth with life-sustaining plants, dispose of carcasses and other road kill, control a variety of crop damaging pests, and they have so many other environmentally beneficial characteristics that one could fill an entire blog post. Yet, humans value their presence for entirely different reasons. We hike for miles to view species, learn from their ability to fly, and sing along with their mating calls. A bird’s aesthetic value almost rivals their ecological worth.
Overcrowding, however, makes it harder to appreciate those same aspects. Birds become pests when they dominate the species makeup of a surrounding environment. They become a detriment to everything and everyone within that radius, which sometimes requires professional control. In this blog, we discuss why pest birds can be a detriment to your commercial structure and when it may be necessary to seek our expert bird control measures.
Bird droppings are an eyesore. A splatter on your car’s windshield is enough to send you straight to the carwash. Even more than its unsightly appearance, the waste contains a deteriorating agent called “uric acid.” This causes its acidity to fall between 3 and 4.5 on the pH scale, which has damaging effects on paint and other surfaces. Over time, stale excretions can eat through tar, wood, and paint finish. The equipment on the roof, mainly HVAC units and other electronics, could also experience significant damage from the excrement.
Nests may also negatively impact your building. Birds favor gutters, drains, and other open sources to build their homes, using a combination of straw and twigs to raise their offspring. They are not only a potential fire hazard, but multiple nests could block the entire drainage system and cause damage elsewhere in the structure’s piping scheme. Birds have also been shown to nest inside ventilation systems, so it’s practical to have your entire building inspected for any trace of nesting materials.
Health Effects
Birds and their droppings have been documented in over 60 vector-borne diseases, meaning they’re transmissible to humans. This usually isn’t a cause for alarm but should birds overcrowd your facility, it’s statistically probable that a few birds possess one of those diseases. Your maintenance crew operating on the roof could be affected in some fashion. Decomposing corpses and dried excrement can both act as disease agents, with certain microbes entering into the human lung passageways. A particularly dangerous example is histoplasmosis, which can be fatal should it spread beyond the lungs. Thoroughly cleansing your structure will only benefit the health of those working on it.
The uric acid in bird droppings gives them a slick texture, which also can be a safety hazard. Lawsuits involving employees slipping on bird droppings are not uncommon and can be in direct violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s building codes. Always consult a professional in the cleaning process and make sure your structure adheres to those standards.
Halting Production
Especially for those managing warehouses, food processing plants, or similar facilities, birds can significantly impact the company’s operations. A flock swarming your building may infiltrate the building through the air ducts and ultimately damage your goods or halt production entirely. Droppings could damage any electronic equipment housed in the building, ruin food production or entire batches, destroy pallets with shipment cargo, and a host of other problems that are detrimental to your organization’s logistics.
Additionally, a large flock of birds surrounding the building’s exterior can be annoyingly loud. While this may not affect larger production facilities, smaller office settings may experience a negative impact from the constant noise outside and lead to an unproductive workforce.
Control measures include habitat modification, hormone regulation or disbursement techniques, but Holder’s does not support the usage of lethal bait. For more information on how we control bird populations, please contact us view our FAQ page and read more on our process.
