Nuisance birds often prefer to use the interior portions of buildings to nest and roost if an opportunity for access is provided.

Disease
Pigeons in particular carry diseases; ornithosis, encephalitis, Newcastle disease, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, toxoplasmosis and salmonella are just a few of the illnesses spread by contact with pigeon poop and dead pigeons.
Cryptococcosis, one of the commonly carried pigeon diseases, infects the lungs of humans. It is transmitted by inhaling the yeast-like cells of the organism. Cryptococcosis can also cause acne-like ulcers on the skin.

Histoplasmosis is a fungal disease contracted through airborne spores in pigeon droppings. If pigeons have been on your roof for a while, these spores can even infect the soil in your garden down below. Its symptoms may be anything from a mild influenza to blood abnormalities and fever, or even death. An eye condition has been linked to the bird disease histoplasmosis and can lead to blindness in those who contract it.

Toxoplasmosis is an infection that invades human tissue and can severely damage the central nervous system, especially in babies. Pregnant women are in extreme danger if infected with toxoplasmosis.

Ornithosis causes fever, chills, fatigue, rash and lung problems such as shortness of breath and a cough. It can also lead to rales, which are small clicking, bubbling or rattling sounds coming from a portion of the lung.

Little critters can also get a ride on a pigeon’s back and the closer you are to the birds, the more chance you have of coming into contact with mites, ticks, fleas, lice and other nibbling insects.



Damage to homes and property
Woodpeckers can cause significant hole damage to homes and other wooden structures. Throughout a season, eight woodpeckers may be pecking into a house at a time. Any vacation homes or cabins you may own that are vacant part of the year will be in the most critical danger. You most likely won’t notice the woodpecker damage until it’s gotten quite destructive. For this same reason, barns and other extra wooden buildings on your property may see extensive damage as well.

Wooden buildings can be damaged by woodpeckers or flickers in several ways. Wood siding, trim boards, stucco, metal, eaves, window frames and sometimes concrete can all be hot spots for woodpeckers. Though woodpeckers prefer cedar and redwood, they will drill into most any type of wood your home or business has to offer. Newer or even partially constructed houses are often woodpecker targets, as they prefer unpainted wood, or wood with just a light stain.

If there are any imperfections in your wood siding, insects will often burrow in these gaps, tempting woodpeckers / flickers to drill at the siding. If the woodpecker pecks enough at these gaps, it may break a hole big enough for it to nest in.

Acorn woodpeckers will drill holes into your home or business siding for the sole purpose of depositing one acorn for storage into each opening. The woodpecker will often cram acorns into roof shakes or deposit nuts into unscreened plumbing vents.

A woodpecker nesting in a utility pole or fence post on your property can do serious damage. The holes will weaken the structure, and a downed or weak utility pole or fence can pose a fire and safety hazard.


Pigeon droppings not only look unsightly on benches, buildings and cars, but they also speed deterioration. Some kinds of metal actually erode when in contact with the the droppings. Pigeon dung can burn your lawn. A large amount of pigeon fecal matter may produce a nasty smell and damage plants and crops. Even when pigeons are outside of your home or business, droppings, nest paraphernalia and feathers can get sucked into vents and drain pipes and create a fire hazard, leading to thousands of dollars in repairs. Gutters can also be blocked, causing water to seep indoors and cause flooding. A blocked chimney can lead to a fire hazard and high levels of carbon monoxide can be forced back into the home or business if a vent is blocked with pigeon nesting material.

Simply due to the natural circle of life, pigeons die. The smell and diseases of the dead birds are left behind to affect you, your family and employees.


Need for Professional Help

Anything that involves climbing up and down roofs may put an amateur in physical harm. Simply killing the birds yourself doesn’t do any good, as more will come back later, and in some cases may be illegal if it is a protected species. Bird prevention measures have to be taken to make sure they don’t roost there again. The waste needs to be cleaned up, too. This task requires proper clothing and respiratory gear so that you don’t expose yourself, your family or co-workers to bugs and disease-ridden droppings.

Homeowners may try to take matters into their own hands by shooting and poisoning birds. Once birds become trap-shy, they are skittish and afraid of humans, who may be trying to trap them.
There are no successful scare tactics for most birds. Owl decoys have been proven not to work.

Call us if you need help with a Bird Problem
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