Worried About Bird Flu? Pest Birds Cause More Problems Than You May Know

Birds are beautiful, wild creatures of nature and most reside in rural environments that provide natural shelters for them. However, some bird species have successfully adapted to our urban environment. The pigeon, starling and house sparrow -- among others -- thrive in our buildings and on our food. Their adaptation to our communities has brought them into close proximity to humans, often conflicting with us in our cities and suburbs. Although there are many different problems associated with pest birds, they can generally be grouped into two main categories: damage and disease.

How Pest Birds Harbor and Spread Disease

Headlines scream of late about the spread of bird flu, encephalitis, salmonella and among other diseases, raising the public's awareness about the role pest birds play in the spread of disease. Yet, there are still many who underestimate the health risks associated with birds.

Birds are a perfect mechanism for spreading disease as they travel great distances, harbor a variety of parasites and can host internally a plethora of infectious diseases. While in general human interaction with most bird species is minimal, as more birds like pigeons, sparrows, starlings and gulls, become urbanized and we develop further into the suburbs (their natural habitat), they come into contact with humans more frequently, thus increasing the potential for the spread of diseases.

Diseases are carried by birds in several ways: 1) they are contained inside the bird and passed on through defecation, 2) they are present in the bird's nesting materials or droppings, and spread wherever these materials are left, and 3) the disease is inside a parasite the bird hosts.

The most common way a disease is transferred from bird to human is when a diseased bird directly defecates into a human food or water source. In the summer of 93, New York faced a health crisis when several hundred people came down with a mysterious ailment. The illness was traced to seagull droppings in an old city reservoir. Even if the feces are not dropped directly onto exposed food or water, airborne spores from drying feces in air ducts and vents or anywhere nearby can settle on exposed food and transfer disease. Several thousand cases of food poisoning (salmonella) every year can be attributed to this disease transmission route.

As bird droppings and/or the contaminated soil it rests on dries or is disturbed, microscopic pieces break off and become airborne. The airborne particles can contain dormant fungi and/or bacteria. When breathed into the lungs, the warm, moist lung lining provides a breeding ground for the infectious agents. Generally this infection lasts a few days, is flu-like in nature and the body's defenses contain the invaders before minor symptoms appear. However, in some cases, major infections cause long term disability and, in the extreme cases, death. An example of this occurred after the Northridge earthquake, when several thousand people came down with flu-like respiratory symptoms called Valley Fever, caused by breathing in dust and airborne debris filled with histoplasmosis spores and related fungal agents stirred up by the earthquake. It is important to note there is no known medical cure for internal fungal infections.

Direct contact with feces can also cause infections, such as when fecal dust or droppings get inside a wound or cut. The wound site becomes red, puffy and pus-filled. Antibiotics are often needed to cure the infection. In some rare cases, infection of the blood (septis) or internal infection can also occur, causing serious illness or death. Proper attire must always be worn around bird droppings, and special care used when cleaning a bird site or installing bird control products. If a cut or injury occurs, thoroughly wash and disinfect the wound and cover with a sterile bandage to minimize risk of infection.

Parasites harbored by pest birds like ticks, fleas, mites and mosquitoes, etc., are a key component in the spread of infectious diseases. Parasites transfer diseases by biting an infected animal and sucking in blood containing the germ, then passes the germ along when it bites its next victim. Over forty types of parasites often live either on birds, in their nests or in places they roost. They are responsible for the transmission of several hundred viral and bacterial agents including: plague, encephalitis, pox and meningitis. Paradoxically, this threat can be aggravated when bird control products are installed if the installer does not thoroughly clean and disinfect the site with a hospital-grade disinfectant to eradicate the parasites. If they do not clean the site when the birds are excluded, mites, fleas, ticks, etc., will seek a new host, often the human inhabitants in the area. Therefore, a proper bird control project will always include parasite extermination and thorough cleaning of the entire site.

Damage Caused by Pest Birds

Pest birds are responsible for tens of millions of dollars of damage every year to buildings, machinery, automobiles, roofs, ventilation systems and much more. Accumulated bird droppings and nesting materials cause a host of physical problems, sometimes very serious in nature, if not corrected immediately. Besides the liability concern of people slipping and falling on droppings that gather on walkways, bird droppings and nesting materials are responsible for a host of other types of property and structural damage as well.
Bird droppings are very acidic in composition and "eat" away at many substrates, especially tar-based roofing materials. Piled bird droppings on roofs can wear through many types of material, eventually causing leaks. The life expectancy of a composite roof can be cut in half by just a light, but continuous, application of bird droppings. Pigeon, starling and sparrow nests are often built in rain gutters, drains and the corners of roofs where drains are located. Each year buildings of all types experience damage and occasionally, in extreme cases, roof collapses, when drainage systems are blocked with bird nests and droppings and standing water rises to a level the roof cannot support.

Bird droppings and nesting materials frequently cause damage to air conditioning equipment, machinery, siding, insulation, etc. Besides damaging equipment, people around these areas are exposed to a potentially dangerous health-risk any time they work on or around the machinery. Nesting materials are often very flammable due to their construction of straw, twigs and dried droppings and when birds build their nests near air conditioning units and other machinery there is a definite risk of fire. Most bird droppings, especially pigeon and sea gull, fade automobile and other paint finishes by eating into the protective coating and the paint itself. The longer the droppings are allowed to sit on the paint, the more damage is done.

Chimneys and ventilation systems are favorite nesting spots for some birds and can potentially spread diseases through the air duct system, as well as blocking airflow. This can have horrible consequences like in 1995 when a family of five in Cleveland was killed by carbon monoxide poisoning when their fireplace exhaust was blocked by bird nests.

Attics of houses, apartments, and other buildings are favorite nesting places for many birds, especially pigeons. They enter through openings broken or never sealed off in the first place, and set up home in these protected areas, building nests and defecating. These areas have little or no exposure to sunlight or airflow, magnifying the potential spread of disease since bacteria harbored in the birds' excrement and nesting materials thrive under these conditions. Damage to the structure, insulation and any items stored in the vicinity can be costly, and often the foul odors that develop can be overwhelming. More than once the weight of droppings from a large number of resident birds has become so great that the ceiling has actually collapsed. In addition, droppings and nesting materials on or around a building send a message to neighbors that building is not properly maintained.

How to Handle Pest Bird Problems

First and foremost, bird infestations should be taken seriously, but not irrationally. When evaluating a health risk potential, look for the following: droppings or nesting materials inside air vents, birds around food or water containers/areas, or large amounts of droppings in enclosed areas. These are the types of situations where disease can spread. Remember, pigeons walking around a park bench is not necessarily cause for panic, but twenty birds living inside an attic could pose a health and damage concern requiring action.

Second, permanent barriers that actually deter birds from remaining at the site should be installed to keep birds from returning to the area. Examples of these products would be: bird netting, bird spikes, post & wire products, etc. Audio/ visual products such as screech owls, balloons, and audible sound products (not ultrasonic -- birds hear the same way humans do) can be effective against certain species (but not pigeons!) that are not nesting at the site. There are a number of companies and websites out there that specialize in bird control products such as Bird Barrier America, BirdSpikes.net and BirdBusters to name a few.

Third, when cleaning the site and installing bird control products, the proper precautions must be taken. Respirators, goggles and protective clothing should always be used when cleaning up bird sites, particularly in enclosed areas out of the sun with large amounts of droppings and nesting material.

Finally, once the birds are removed it is crucial to exterminate all the ectoparasites and thoroughly disinfect the site to prevent the migration of bacteria and parasites. Then you can be sure they will not move to a new host, like other animals in the area or even humans, once the birds are gone.

Bird control is something that should be planned in the budget if possible by building managers, as are other types of pest control. Generally, the earlier a problem is detected, the easier it is to solve, since the birds have not had a lot of time to become committed to the site. Control methods are available on the market that are effective and affordable, and installing them generally saves you time and money long-term, as it reduces the clean-up time and associated replacement costs which can mount quickly when a number of birds are present. Companies like Bird Barrier offer toll free phone consultations at (800) 503-5444 and have certified bird control product installers across the nation to assist in solving any bird problem.

With over 10 years of experience researching and documenting bird control problems and solutions, Monique Thorsell is considered an expert consultant for companies in the bird control industry like Bird Barrier America, Bird Busters and others.