Damage Caused by Pest Bird Problems

Pigeon droppings, carcasses and nesting materials are heavy and can clog drains on gas station roofs. This roof could collapse if water does not drain off properly and gathers. Bird droppings coming off the edge of these roofs will make a mess on the sidewalk below, even hitting customers sometimes.

Pest birds cause tens of millions of dollars of damage every year to American buildings, machinery, automobiles, roofs, ventilation systems and much more. Bird droppings and nesting materials which are allowed to accumulate pose a host of physical problems which can become very serious if they are not corrected immediately.

Damage to Roofs by Bird Droppings

Bird droppings are very acidic in nature. They actually eat away at many substrates, especially tar-based roofing materials. Bird droppings allowed to accumulate on roofs will eat into the material and eventually cause leaks. The life expectancy of a warehouse roof can be cut in half by just a light, but continuous, application of bird droppings.

Damage to Roofs by Nests

Pigeon, starling and sparrow nests are often built in rain gutters, drains and corners of roofs where drains are located. Several warehouses every year experience great damage, even collapsed roofs, when drainage systems are blocked and standing water is allowed to rise just six inches. A collapsed roof that resulted in death or great physical damage could put a company out of business.

Damage to Machinery From Pigeons and Other Problem Birds

Acidic bird droppings can do great damage to air conditioning equipment, industrial machinery, siding, insulation etc. Not only is the equipment being damaged, but workers are exposed to a dangerous health-risk any time they work on or around machinery that has a serious bird control problem due to diseases that pigeons and other pest birds can cause.

Fires Started by Bird Nests

Nesting materials are usually very flammable due to their construction of straw, twigs and dried droppings. When birds build their nests inside electric signs or other machinery there is a great risk of fire. Electric sign companies blame bird nests for many of their sign fires.

Ventilation Systems Blocked by Bird Nests

Bird nests built in chimneys and ventilation systems can not only spread diseases through the system, but can actually block air-flow resulting in horrible consequences. A family of five in Cleveland was killed by carbon monoxide poisoning just before Christmas 1995 because the exhaust system of their fireplace was blocked by bird nests.

Automobile Finishes Damaged by Bird Droppings

Most bird droppings, but especially pigeon and gull, will fade auto paint finishes quickly by actually eating into the protective coating and the paint itself. The longer the bird droppings are allowed to sit on the paint, the more damage it will do.

Damage to Food and Other Products by Bird Droppings

Pigeons, sparrows and other problem birds flying around the insides of warehouses, airplane hangars, factories and convention centers can wreak havoc. Bird droppings can ruin plastics when they are being molded, destroy any number of different chemicals and liquids being manufactured, ruin new and old paint jobs on aircraft, and contaminate food which is being made or packaged. These types of ruined products often cost millions of dollars in waste.

Damage to Company Image by Bird Droppings

Bird droppings and nesting materials on or around a building send a message to the public that the building is not properly maintained. One wonders how clean a restaurant's kitchen is if they don't care about bird droppings dripping down the sign or on the walkways and canopies out front.

Collapsed Ceilings

Pigeons have been know to enter attics of houses, apartments, restaurants and other buildings through openings either broken or never sealed off in the first place. In most cases the pigeons set up their home in these protected areas, build nests and discard their bodily waste. At times the weight of the pigeon droppings becomes so great that the ceiling actually collapses. One would guess this type of occurrence would be random, but it happens with alarming frequency.

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