Bird poop is one of the clearest signs of a bird problem on your property.On average, birds can poop 40-50 times a day. Birds expel waste before they take flight to save energy. You’ll find bird waste on your property until perches. The easiest way to identify that a bird is occupying your space is by its telltale white bird poop.
Why is bird poop white?
Birds don’t have separate exits for urine and feces like mammals. Instead, the bird’s waste is expelled at once through the cloaca. Birds convert nitrogen, which is expelled in the urine of mammals, to uric acid or guanine. The white part is uric acid and the dark center is the actual poop.
The poop of larger bird species can be mistaken for mammals, as it is larger and similarly shaped. However, the feces of larger birds will have large quantities of animal fur due to their diet. As for raptors and owls, their excrement will not share the same characteristics as songbirds.
Dangers of Bird Poop
Some areas of the house or yard may be appealing for birds as sites to settle, roost, or congregate. The buildup of bird droppings is both unsightly and potentially dangerous.
Disease Risk from Bird Poop
Bird droppings spread various diseases. Bird poop diseases can include:
- Histoplasmosis is a fungal disease that affects the respiratory system and causes flu-like symptoms.
- Cryptococcosis can either develop as a lung infection spreading to the nervous system or as a skin irritation characterized by lesions and ulcers.
- Salmonellosis (salmonella)
- Psittacosis
The bottom line, for the safety of the household and visitors, it’s important to remove bird feces and sanitize the area. Some of these diseases can become airborne. The simple act of sweeping or vacuuming can expose a person.
Contact the professionals at Critter Control to safely clean droppings.
Bird Dropping Damage
Bird droppings also can cause significant damage to your property. Their feces are highly acidic and can degrade building materials like shingles, stone, marble, and metal. Inside a building, the poo can cause long-term deterioration of valuables through mold and corrosion.
In residential properties, the most common areas to find bird poop include the roof, chimneys, vents, decks, and porches. For commercial properties, roofs, ledges, signage, and rafters are typical places to find bird poop.
For both commercial and residential properties, bird poop damages vents, intake screens on A/C units, and solar panels.
Professional Bird Poop Cleanup
It is important to clean up bird poop quickly. The accumulation of bird poop can cause structural damage due to the high concentration of acids in their excrement. Cleaning bird poo should be approached cautiously with appropriate protective equipment like gloves and respirators.
At Critter Control, we take care to not disturb bird droppings so as not to introduce diseases into your property. We remove all fecal matter from your home and apply disinfectant and ectoparasite agents.
Bird Removal near you
If there is an accumulation of bird droppings, birds have found your property favorable. It could be a temporary roosting location for pigeons or an ideal nesting location for sparrows.
The primary objective is to make the property unsuitable or unattractive to birds. Depending on the bird species and location, a combination of habitat modification, exclusion tactics, and repellents will be used.
Because of the considerable protections afforded birds, do not attempt DIY bird control. Contact the professionals at Critter Control to safely clean droppings, repair damage, and remove birds on your property.