26 Jan 2021 | Apex Environmental Services (UK) Ltd
Birds often cause a nuisance in residential homes and business premises, but the problems can be catastrophic when they begin to infest schools.
Birds are intelligent animals and know that buildings such as schools, colleges and universities provide them with a haven of shelter, warmth, and regular food.
Although at first birds around the property might not seem like a huge deal, their numbers can quickly grow out of control and cause massive problems to your school or university.
You must deter or remove pest birds such as gulls and pigeons from the premises to prevent potential health hazards and damage to the building itself.
Pupils, students, and their parents expect a safe and comfortable environment in your premises. Birds nesting on the building, scavenging for food and their resulting droppings do not set the right tone for your establishment.
Why Birds Choose Schools
Schools and universities provide a perfect home for birds.
Almost every nursery, school or university will have some outside seating or courtyard. These areas are often used for eating lunch or having a simple snack, and by their very nature will result in scraps of food and litter being left behind.
These areas will also usually provide some protection from the elements, making it is a more enjoyable experience for your pupils.
However, this means your building provides birds with access to a warm sheltered environment to nest in, with a regular food source.
Additionally, rubbish bins are often overflowing in schools and universities, due to the vast quantity of food cooked and disposed of daily.
Inevitably, there will be some litter surrounding the grounds, from when students are making their way to and from the building. This provides the birds with yet another food source, making them reluctant to move on from the property.
Bird Control – Health Hazards
Bird droppings are known to carry at least sixty different diseases that can be passed along to humans. These diseases can be particularly nasty if picked up by children, leading to not only a huge health issue, but to serious damage of the schools reputation.
Pigeon droppings can often get sucked into air conditioning units and be transmitted quickly around the whole building. This is extremely unhygienic and can lead to a plethora of respiratory issues.
Bird Control – Damage to Property
Guano (bird droppings) not only look unsightly but can also cause great issues to your building. Schools and universities have a specific image they must adhere to, particularly relevant to private schools.
Additionally, if your school has an issue with birds droppings, it can make the playground slippery and almost unusable. This will be hugely detrimental, especially for nurseries and primary schools.
Guano on the building sets the wrong tone about your establishment immediately. Guano is challenging to clean, and if left on the building for long periods, it can even begin to erode the sctructure. Bird droppings, when left unattended, can also render windows unusable as the mess will actually seal them closed.
Feathers and debris from nests can block gutters and cause expensive and inconvenient issues to rectify. This may not become apparent until an awful weather day, which will only exacerbate the problem.
Birds can also destroy or deface items such as solar panels and security cameras. These are often vital features to keep the school or university running safely and effectively.
Pest birds can be loud and disruptive. We appreciate the difficulties involved with settling a classroom full of children, only to have birds disrupt the day's flow. This can be incredibly frustrating around critical times, such as exam periods.
Birds May Get into The Building
If birds find their way through the roof and into the building, the results can be disastrous. This can lead to an increased level of noise and disturbance, as well as droppings inside the building itself, which poses a much greater health risk.
Additionally, if any birds pass away whilst inside the building, their remains can attract other kinds of pests, making the problem much worse.
Prevention is Better Than The Cure
Some element of bird control should have been installed when the building was first erected. Deterrence is easier and more economical than curing the issue. However, if the school does not have any bird control mechanisms, it is important to catch the issue early.
Catching the issue in its early stages is imperative to keep your school, college, or university clean and healthy.
If the pest bird issue gets entirely out of hand, it can even result in the school needing to close for a short period until the issue is resolved. This will cause massive disruption for students, staff and parents and highlights why prevention methods are always best.
Bird Control Options
- Netting is an excellent option for over courtyards and outdoor seating areas. It prevents birds from perching above and having access to any food that may be left behind.
- Spikes will prevent birds from perching on the top of your building. This is a great low-cost method for preserving your gutters, air conditioning units and attics.
- Hawking and bird scaring is one of the best options if you already have birds nesting in the roof. Birds are incredibly protective of their family and if they sense that they are in danger from a larger bird, they will move on.
Seek Professional Help
Schools often sit inside grand, listed buildings. Experts in the field understand the complications and intricacies of working in structures such as this, and planning for the logistics of how the building needs to run.
Birds can cause irreversible issues to buildings, so do not hesitate to seek assistance in the early stages of any problems.
We endeavour to always work in a discreet manner as well as around your educational establishment's needs.
Protecting your buildings from birds requires a bespoke solution. The architecture of the building and your location will have an impact on which species of birds are most likely to pose a risk to your business. By talking to our team, we can help you to identify an effective bird control system.
To find out more today, contact Apex Bird Control now on 01256 578025 or email us at info@apexbirdcontrol.uk
