I'm really scared. About pigeon droppings

August 2, 2020

Pigeon droppings aren't particularly rare for most people, but they can be quite annoying if they build a nest nearby.

They build nests in your garage and make your car covered in feces, build nests in the solar panels of your new house and ruin your roof, and build nests in your veranda and smell bad. A wide range of damage has occurred from ordinary homes to factories, government offices, and schools.

The ecology of pooping where you think it's safe

Pigeons eat about 1/10 of their body weight each day, so they produce much more feces than other birds. They have a tendency to poop where they think they are safe, and will stay where poop is. The pigeon's fixation to stay is progressively stronger.

①In the beginning, it was used as a resting place for feather rest. They come in bright hours when visibility is good, and quickly disappear. Occasionally, feces are falling, and a cry can be heard.

② I've come to like the place, so I gradually spend more time there. At this timing, you will see a lot of feces in a certain place.

(3) Recognizing that it is a safe place, they make it a roost and settle down. Their cries are loud and their excrement is large, so the damage they inflict on humans is becoming more and more serious.

④ Build a nest as a breeding place.

In general households, the damage caused by pigeons begins to be recognized in the stages 2 to 3, but it is necessary to frequently clean up the feces as early as possible so that the pigeons do not get bored.

The place of ③ is a complicated and complicated place such as the veranda, behind the outdoor unit, or the gap between the solar panel and the roof. Cleaning such places can be dangerous due to work at heights, and the work is difficult due to the space.

In order to protect themselves from predators such as crows and cats, pigeons like places that humans would not choose. Pigeons are also becoming more attached, so it is necessary to take measures to prevent flying and intrusion, not just cleaning.

When it comes to ④, the pigeon has a strong homing instinct and a strong sense of territory, so it will not move easily. The amount of excrement will be large, but the noise damage caused by the cry will also be large. Also, since they breed there, the damage will increase if left unattended.

Health hazards that may occur if feces is left unattended

Leaving a lot of pigeon droppings on the ground will make it easier for the dried droppings to rise into the air. The soaring particles of pigeon droppings also enter the human body. This can lead to health hazards.

Cryptococcosis

It occurs when inhaled Cryptococcus fungus (mold) proliferates in the lungs. Some people have no symptoms, but others have a cough, chest pain, or are severe enough to cause meningitis. People with a normal immune system rarely become seriously ill, but people with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to infection.

In particular, for patients with cell-mediated immunodeficiency represented by HIV/AIDS, it is a fungal infection that can generally lead to death.

psittacosis

Psittacosis is caused by inhaling feces containing chlamydia. High fever accompanied by chills, headache, general malaise, loss of appetite, muscle pain, joint pain, etc. are observed, and cough and sputum are observed. If it is mild, the symptoms are similar to those of a cold, but the elderly are more likely to develop severe symptoms.

In severe cases, dyspnea and disturbance of consciousness are observed, and if the diagnosis is delayed, death may occur.

allergy

Torikai disease (bird allergy) is hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by antigens derived from birds such as pigeons and parakeets. Pigeon feces and feathers contain a proteinaceous substance (bloom) that has been sloughed off the skin and can be contracted by inhaling it.

It also corrodes metal

Pigeon droppings contain an acid component, which in small amounts is not a big problem, but in large amounts and over a long period of time, it can corrode metal.

Early detection and early countermeasures

Due to the busy daily life, there may be cases where even a small amount of damage can be ignored. However, after the damage becomes serious, it may take extra time and money, so early detection and countermeasures are the best, just like any disease.