Having a few birds nesting around a sign or on a window sill may not seem like a big deal, but pest birds can cause costly damage, or even be deadly to humans and other animals.  Did you know that the nesting materials of birds–straw, twigs and grass–is highly flammable?  If birds build their nests inside electrical signs or other machinery, the risk of fire is great.  In fact, electric sign companies blame bird nests for most of their sign fires.

Pest birds can be found in many different areas of a structure.  Bird droppings may be scattered here and there, or may be heavily accumulated in protected areas.  Nests and heavy droppings indicate a more serious problem, and the birds are often very committed to the site—their home—and can be difficult to remove.  Below are areas of buildings where it is not uncommon to find birds, droppings or nesting materials.   

    * HVAC Equipment—on or under air handling equipment.
    * Ventilation—on or in vents.
    * Semi-Protected Ledges—on surfaces that offer some protection.
    * Signs/Billboards—on or behind letters or signs.
    * Window Sills—on narrow surfaces.
    * Underground Parking—around the entrance, on the ground inside, under pipes and beams.
    * Lights—on street lights and security lights.
    * Balconies—on railings, planters or on the ground.
    * Chimneys—on, in or around chimneys.
    * Eaves—under eaves, overhangs or dormers.
    * Awnings—on top, or underneath on the support beams.
    * Pediments—traditional building roofs with historic columns, friezes, etc.
 

Pigeons have been known to enter the attics of apartments, restaurants and other buildings.  The pigeons set up their nests in these protected areas and discard their bodily waste.  Often the weight of the droppings becomes so great that the actual ceiling collapses. One would guess that this type of occurrence would be extremely random but it happens with alarming frequency.  In fact, in December 2008, a gas station awning collapsed on two vehicles in Yuma, Arizona. According to the sheriff’s report, four to five inches of pigeon droppings had built up on the awning, and combined with heavy rains, became too heavy for the structure to support.

Don’t let this happen to your building!  If birds are creating an unsafe or unsightly environment around your building, Schendel’s Pest Bird Services can help. Schendel can protect all areas of your structure from birds such as pigeons, sparrows, swallows, geese, crows, woodpeckers, and more. Our inspectors are trained in developing and implementing solutions that will meet the specific needs of your building and bird issue.