Pigeons can be a health hazard. Not only do pigeon droppings look unsightly they can also cause illness, particularly for people with compromised immune systems. Both salmonella and psittacosis, a rare infectious disease that shows up as flu-like symptoms and pneumonia, can be caught through exposure to water droplets or dust containing contaminated pigeon droppings.
So we were really happy to be called in by the facilities manager of an academy in Luton to deal with a pigeon control problem before any of the children or teachers were affected.
When we arrived we found that pigeons were using one of the fire escapes as their roost and nest site. Pigeon droppings covered the staircase and there was algae build-up on the floor, making the area unsafe had it been needed for an emergency evacuation.
Our first job was to remove the pigeons from their roost sites and temporarily block the entrance points. We then gave the area a thorough clean, removing all the pigeon guano, nests and debris from every level of the staircase. Finally, we sprayed the fire escape with a powerful disinfectant that kills bacteria, viruses and fungi, helping to reduce the risk of disease transfer.
Pigeon Prevention Works
With Phase 1 of the job complete our next task was to prevent the pigeons from returning. In this situation, the pigeons had been entering the fire escape at the very top, which could have been a problem as it was out of the reach of a scaffolding tower and installing scaffolding for just one day to finish the job would have been uneconomical for the academy.
Fortunately, it was Area Pest Control to the rescue! We have IPAF-trained technicians, allowing us to use an articulated boom (cherry picker) to get to the parts other pest control companies can’t reach. We’re experts at what we do, so each job we undertake comes with a thorough site survey to choose the right access equipment. It not only makes the job safer but also means less disturbance and time on site.
With the cherry picker in place, we were now ready to pigeon proof the fire escape using wire mesh and bird control netting.
We closed down all the openings to 50mm, as pigeons can be determined and will often force themselves through gaps larger than this to get back into their roost areas. No chance with Area Pest Control – school’s definitely out for these pigeons!