The feral pigeon population in the Phoenix AZ area has been on the rise for years and there is no sign of a slow down. The lack of a cold, hard winter allows pigeons to continue to next and procreate year round. The result is a pigeon problem in almost every neighborhood in the valley.
PHOENIX, July 27, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The general public’s affection toward birds translates into a serious underestimation of the health risks associated with pest birds. People who would never tolerate a colony of rats living in their attic will turn a blind eye towards pigeons entrenched in the rafters of their roof. Yet, in terms of disease and damage, the two pests are quite similar. In order to better understand how nuisance birds (or rats for that matter) spread disease we need to understand the basics of disease and transmission.
What is a Disease?
When normal body functions become disrupted due to a foreign invader or an internal malfunction, we call the disruption a disease. Diseases caused by foreign invaders are called infectious diseases. The invading agents that account for the majority of infectious diseases are grouped in the following five categories: viruses, bacteria, mycotic (fungal), protozoal and rickettsial. From a layman’s standpoint, the classification and definitions of disease are less important than how these diseases spread and how we can protect ourselves from them. Diseases need to be transported from place to place in order to spread. Birds are a perfect mechanism for spreading disease because they travel great distances, harbor over forty types of parasites and can host internally over sixty types of infectious diseases.
Fortunately, human interaction with most bird species is minimal, thus drastically reducing any health threat from most birds. However a few bird species have successfully adapted to our urban environment. The pigeon, starling and house sparrow have learned to thrive living in and on our buildings and eating our food. Their adaptation to our communities has brought them into close proximity to humans. These three non-native birds have become a major nuisance in our cities and they pose a serious health risk.
How Pest Birds Harbor and Spread Disease
The five types of infectious agents listed above can be associated with birds in the following ways: the diseases live in the bird and is passed on when the bird defecates; the disease lives in the birds surrounding environment and is spread by the birds lifestyle; the disease lives inside a parasite that the bird harbors. From understanding how the bird harbors diseases we can demonstrate the four ways the diseases are passed by the birds to humans.
Food & Water Contaminated with Feces
The most obvious example is when the diseased bird directly defecates into a human food or water source. In the summer of 1993, New York faced a health crisis when several hundred people came down with a mysterious ailment. The illness was traced to sea gull droppings in an old city reservoir. Health inspectors are quick to shut down a food processing plant if nuisance birds are found inside. Besides direct contamination, airborne spores from drying feces can settle on exposed food and transfer disease. Several thousand cases of food poisoning (Salmonella) every year are attributed to this disease transmission route.
Inhalation of Fecal Dust
As bird feces and/or the contaminated soil it rests on dries or is disturbed, microscopic pieces break off and become airborne. These airborne particles can contain dormant fungi and/or bacteria. When breathed into the lungs, the warm, moist environment of the lung lining provides a breeding ground for the infectious agents. Common symptoms of this type of infection are flu-like in nature: coughing, elevated temperature, restricted breathing and general body fatigue, and last roughly two to four days. The vast majority of the time, the bodies defenses will contain the invaders even before minor symptoms appear; but in a small percentage of cases, major infection causing long term disability and even death can occur. It is worth noting that there is no known medical cure for internal fungal infections. After the Northridge earthquake, several thousand people came down with flu-like respiratory symptoms. The ailment was called Valley Fever and was caused by people breathing in dust and airborne debris filled with histoplasmosis spores and related fungal agents stirred up by the earthquake.
Direct Contact with Feces
Infection occurs when a worker or resident gets fecal dust or droppings in an open wound or cut. This commonly occurs when handling old, rusty, sharp porcupine wire ledge products which are covered with bird feces. The wound site becomes red, puffy and puss-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 and care must always be 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.
Associated Parasites
Pest birds harbor ticks, fleas, mites and other ectoparasites. Parasites transfer disease in the following manner: The parasite bites an infected animal and sucks in blood containing the germ; when the bug bites its next victim it passes along the germ to the new victim. This occurs because parasites inject some of their saliva into the host when feeding. Over forty types of parasites live either on the birds, in their nests or in the places they roost. They are responsible for the transmission of several hundred viral and bacterial agents. These diseases include plague, encephalitis, pox and meningitis. Control of these parasites is a crucial phase of the bird control project. Paradoxically, this threat can be aggravated when bird control products are installed. Unless the parasites are exterminated when the birds are excluded from a site, the mites, ticks, fleas, etc. will seek a new host, often the human inhabitants. Therefore, a proper bird control project will always include parasite extermination.
Structural Damage
Besides posing a serious health risk, birds also cause millions of dollars worth of structural damage each year. Again, their fecal material is the culprit, causing several maintenance related problems including:
- Staining: paint, stucco, flashing, signage, cement and virtually any other surface that is exposed to bird feces can become stained and even permanently damaged in a very short time.
- Erosion: again almost any surface is at risk. Erosion can lead to some much bigger structural problems if left unchecked.
- Electrical: bird nesting and droppings cause severe damage to roof-mounted air conditioning units, security cameras, radar and satellite equipment, communications equipment. There has been cases of birds shorting out entire electrical systems by taking up residents in the electrical pit rooms of buildings.
- Roofing: roofing can be damaged by erosion from bird feces, but one of the biggest problems caused by a bird population is roofing failure caused when roof drains become plugged with bird feces.
- Solar Panels: Pigeons under solar panels has become an all to common occurrence. The Solar Industry has growth significantly over the past couple of decades, and the feral pigeons love it. The space between the roof and the bottom of the solar panels is the perfect nesting location for pigeons, who spend a good part of the day roosting – and defecating on – the panels.
With the high cost associated with building maintenance, it’s easy to see that eradicating the bird problem is usually less expensive in the long run than trying to keep up with the added maintenance problems that they create. Often DIY Pigeon Control is possible, but always follow OSHA recommendations and the specifications for any ladder or other lift equipment you may be using to stay safe.
Pigeon Control phoenix AZ utilizes several non-lethal products and services to eliminate nuisance birds from structures. All of our installations are professional and least invasive, as we do not want to take away from the appearance of your home or facility. And, as Certified Bird Specialists, estimates are free and we guarantee all of our work.
Media Contact
John Goldshot, Goldshot Exterminating, LLC, 1 623-910-0303, [email protected], https://goldshotexterminating.net/
SOURCE Feral Pigeon
