If you happen to hear a number of bird sounds within the morning whenever you get up but don’t see them anywhere, you could have a bird plague nearby. Read on to learn more.
“Bird plague” is a term used to discuss with the invasion of an urban space by such animals. This could have some negative consequences for people, which we are going to take a more in-depth have a look at in this text. You’ll also learn the signs that indicate if there’s a “bird plague” at or near your house and what to do about it.
What’s a bird plague?
A bird plague, or bird infestation, is a term that already hints so much at the issue at this. This idea refers back to the indisputable fact that these animals take over an urban space to satisfy their needs for shelter, reproduction, or food.
In some cases, they make the most of the waste generated by people, with whom they live in close contact. It could possibly be a bunch of various sizes, from a number of tens to 1000’s. All of it depends upon the place and the species.
Such a situation will be observed with pigeons, sparrows, starlings, gulls, and even owls, amongst other species. And in places as varied because the attic of a house, the bell tower of a church, the ceiling of a shopping center, a factory, or an industrial park.
It’s true that, unlike insects, spiders, or rodents, birds are often considered helpful animals by humans since they often make us comfortable with their song or their colours. Some even hunt and eliminate worms and even cockroaches.
Nonetheless, the problemisn’t that they give the impression of being for a source of food and a spot to nest, but that on this process they generate situations that affect the conventional development of human activity or, even worse, cause diseases, as we are going to see later.
How can we know if now we have a bird invasion?
If we see two birds with a nest in an eave, perhaps there’s nothing to fret about. The thing is, most urban birds are often social. And suddenly, one pair can change into many more. For instance, pigeons live in flocks with lots of of people.
So you’ve to listen to try to manage the issue and avoid the implications that this brings. Among the many signs that will indicate that now we have an invasion of birds are the next:
- Continuous chirping and trilling, even of chicks;
- Birds perching or flying off roofs and ledges, without our knowing where they’re hiding;
- Fallen nests or materials that appear to have been used to construct nests;
- Bird droppings or the smell of bird droppings;
- Visible feathers, a few of that are very small, like those of chicks.
It’s an excellent idea to indicate that the places where they typically nest are high and protruding parts, or hollows, niches, and cavities since they fight to put their eggs in places where they’re protected from potential predators.
Due to this fact, we should always look for his or her possible nests in eaves and gutters, under roofs, or between tiles and beams. Also in balconies, disused chimneys, any ledge or overhang. A hole of no a couple of inch in diameter is already enough for some birds to get out and in.
The implications of a bird plague
It’s necessary to make clear that not all birds that cohabit with humans are harmful. Some are pollinating species; nevertheless, others could cause damage to structures and buildings, in addition to transmit diseases.
Damage attributable to nests
When nests are situated next to drains, the materials utilized by the birds can accumulate and block the circulation of water, which causes humidity problems. However, if these animals place leaves and dry straw near electrical installations or machines that heat up, the danger of fireplace increases.
Damage attributable to droppings
The droppings of some invasive birds, equivalent to pigeons, contain a high concentration of uric acid. Due to this fact, it’s very corrosive, and might even affect every thing from wall and automobile paint to the waterproofing mantle of roofs, causing cracks. It could possibly also damage electrical materials and various machinery and equipment.
Contaminated food
Within the food industry, birds can eat seeds and other products and defecate on them. That is related to the transmission of bacteria, equivalent to salmonella.
Contaminated air
In pigeon droppings, some species of fungi equivalent to Cryptococcus also reproduce. And after they nest in ventilation ducts, people can inhale this contaminated air, reaching their lungs and causing cryptococcosis, which affects the central nervous system, especially in immunocompromised patients.
Other diseases
Birds often have mites, fleas, and other pathogens that may migrate searching for latest food sources or spaces to breed, or be transmitted by various means, affecting people and domestic animals.
We’ve already mentioned the case of salmonella, which causes salmonellosis and paratyphoid fever; but there are also other diseases, equivalent to:
- Ornithosis or psittacosis (also called pigeon breeder’s lung); it’s transmitted by inhaling a bacterium present in dried droppings or feathers.
- Avian influenza (Newcastle disease); also transmitted by feces and other pigeon excretions.
- Gastroenteritis and septicemia are attributable to Escherichia coli, which will be spread by gulls.
- Allergies attributable to mites.
- Other fungal infections, equivalent to histoplasmosis.
Damage caused to firms
A bird pest damages firms on account of maintenance and cleansing costs, in addition to possible losses of raw materials or finished products. Staff are also prone to becoming unwell.
Easy methods to control a poultry pest?
To forestall or control bird pests, it’s essential to be attentive to the signs mentioned above and take the essential measures to have a clean and protected home or workspace.
The control of those animals is developed by following several actions and techniques, equivalent to:
- Inspection for diagnosis of the situation, identifying nesting and feeding sites, population size, habits, and damage to structures.
- Elimination of food and water sources, which, in some cases, can solve the issue without major efforts.
- Modification of the space to maintain birds away and forestall them from returning; this implies stopping access, using nets, or modifying ledges and ledges.
- Use of repellents or substances that may affect birds by smell, sight, or sound.
- In some countries, using toxic substances (avicides) to cut back the population is permitted. Nonetheless, this just isn’t the perfect thing to do, because it goes against the respect we must show to the opposite species that coexist with us on the planet.
What you possibly can do to stop a bird plague
It’s possible to take some measures to stop these animals from nesting and breeding in homes or workspaces. For instance, it’s best to deposit organic waste in closed containers, to eliminate possible sources of food; and keep watch over roofs, ceilings, and cornices, sealing any holes where they will enter and nest.
If you happen to think there are signs that indicate a possible invasion, it’s an excellent idea to call bird control specialists. They know what to do and act inside the framework of what’s legally permitted, without causing damage to property or animals and by utilizing the suitable technological resources and methods.