Pigeons, gulls and other birds
We love British birds. Every wild bird and their eggs in the UK is rightfully protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Unfortunately, a few species of birds come into direct conflict with humans when they take roost in or around our homes or businesses. These birds can cause real problems, including excessive nuisance and public health concerns.
Urban birds such as gulls and pigeons are great opportunists. Handed a ready food source and sheltered nesting site, these birds can grow rapidly and what initially attracted a few birds can soon become a thriving colony.
The dangers: why control birds?
Pathogens and diseases
There are more than 110 pathogens reportedly carried by pigeons, and there is plenty of research to suggest other wild birds pass on diseases to humans.
Some of the more common diseases and pathogens that birds can spread:
Air-borne diseases
Chlamydia psittaci (Ornithosis)
Cryptococcus neoformans
Histoplasma capsulatum
Allergenic particles (bird fancier’s lung)
Food-borne disease
Salmonella spp
Escherichia coli
Campylobacter jejuni
Listeria monocytogenes
Vibrio cholerae
Diseases can be transmitted from bird droppings and the birds themselves.
When dry, pigeon droppings can become airborne in small particles, which can lead to respiratory complaints.
Food-borne bacteria can be spread to humans if you have poor food hygiene standards or come into direct contact with droppings (wash your hands straight away)!
Pigeons, gulls, house sparrows and starlings have the potential to carry food-borne diseases - it is therefore essential to keep them away from food manufacturers and distributors.
Safety concerns
All bird droppings can be slippery and can cause a serious risk on pavements, particularly under roosting birds.
As funny as it might seem to see a gull steal someone’s chips at the seaside, gulls can pose a serious safety concern.
During the breeding season, gulls have been known to attack people unprovoked. Gulls have the potential to startle and even draw blood when they attack.
All birds have the potential to cause real problems on airfields. When birds are sucked into plane engines (bird strikes) - while rarely fatal - they can cause damage to aircraft and emergency landings.
Damage to property and brickwork
Bird droppings are acidic and can corrode and erode metals, stonework and brickwork.
Nesting materials birds use can block chimneys, flues and guttering, causing possible issues with carbon monoxide and damage to buildings as water overflows from blocked gutters.
Buildings covered in fouling looks unpleasant, can smell, and projects a poor image of a business, potentially ruining an organisation's reputation. If customers spot evidence of a bird infestation on your premises, they may not want to do business with you.
Secondary insect infestations
Where birds go, so too go the parasites that live on them. Bird mites, ticks, fleas and beetles can all cause complicated secondary infestations.
If you have a current or past problem with birds, you may find you'll suffer from a parasite infestation too.
These little critters can quickly multiply into thousands, leaving you feeling overwhelmed.
The relentless biting, itching, crawling sensation and lack of sleep are the physical symptoms that can propagate a whole host of secondary mental health issues.
Bird mites are parasitic arthropods that feed on living organisms. It is the female mite that needs a blood meal to reproduce viable eggs. They are attracted to mammals by receptors for moisture, heat and CO2, and they often bite humans when their original food source has gone – like when the young birds leave the nest.
Birds around businesses
If you have birds roosting in and around your business then you’ll want to seek professional help as soon as possible.
In the UK, allowing birds to infest a food business violates the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995, and could result in prosecution of the food company.
If you don’t address health and safety hazards, you could be putting your staff and customers at risk.
The damage to reputation caused by a bird infestation can be catastrophic. Bird droppings make any business appear unclean and imply a state to disrepair.
Would you choose to use a company covered in dangerous poo?
Birds control licences and the law
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds, their nests and eggs.
However, specific exemptions permit certain species to be controlled by particular methods for specific reasons.
This exemption is given in the way of a wildlife licence issued by Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage or Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.
General licences are issued to allow certain actions to be carried out that would otherwise be illegal under the legislation, without the need for people to apply for a specific licence.
Individual licences are sometimes granted for specific situations not covered by a general license. These do need to be applied for.