Who doesn’t like to wake up to the sound of birds chirping on a sunny spring morning? But despite their beautiful plumage and penchant for song, some birds can be a nuisance.
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As wild animals, birds can cause issues if they settle down close to people, just like rats, mice, moles, and skunks can.
Bird infestations can soil or damage your homes roof. But how do birds cause roof damage?.
Birds typically nest in trees. But if there aren’t enough trees or they don’t provide enough cover, some birds might search for the next tall building, which might be your roof. Birds may be particularly drawn to the soffits and corners of your roof where gutters converge and link to downspouts because they can serve as a source of fresh water.
To help prevent infestations, clean your gutter system regularly. Consider installing gutter guards and/or screens made to try to prevent large debris from building up in gutter channels if you find abandoned nests or other signs of bird damage to your gutter system.
Large amounts of bird droppings can be particularly harmful to roofing materials in addition to being unhygienic. Bird droppings contain a high concentration of uric acid. It might be sufficiently caustic to erode roof tar and tar paper and accelerate the breakdown of roof shingles.
Cleaning your roof can be dangerous, so we recommend contacting a professional instead. If you choose to clean up bird droppings yourself, exercise caution. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “more than 60 diseases can be transferred from birds to human beings, sometimes with fatal results.”
Dry droppings that have the potential to aerosolize as dust present the biggest risk. It is advised by the OHSA that you wear protective gear, such as disposable coveralls, goggles, and gloves, as well as a respirator made to filter out particles of this kind.
Some birds prefer to make their homes in hollow trees, and for these species, your chimney may be an enticing nesting ground. Swifts, who like to attach their nests to the interiors of chimneys, are one of the most notorious types of these birds. Their nests do not present a fire hazard, but they can impede airflow and allow both smoke and carbon monoxide to linger inside your home. Birds — particularly fledglings — can also occasionally slip and fall out of their nests and into your home.
Hire a chimney sweep to do routine cleaning and inspections of your chimney, particularly in the lead-up to fall and winter when you might be using your fireplace. In order to prevent birds and other undesirable animal visitors from entering your home, you should also think about installing a chimney cap.
Due to all of the aforementioned damage, roosting birds may find their way into your attic. These unwanted guests may also cause damage to any valuables kept in your attic. Before you notice signs of a bird infestation, you probably hear about one. Investigate any recurring, high-pitched noises coming from your ceiling. In order to determine where the birds have entered your house, you should also stroll around its perimeter. After the birds are gone, make sure all entryways are closed.
As OSHA notes, bird droppings are a source of bacteria, viruses and fungi that can cause serious health issues for humans. Worse, birds can bring their own insect parasites into your home, including fleas, mites, lice, ticks and even a relative of the bed bug.
You can contribute to keeping your home safe and pest-free from birds if you take the time to regularly inspect your property and perform the necessary preventive maintenance. The best course of action if you’re dealing with an infestation is to get in touch with a pest control expert to safely remove these birds before they seriously harm your roof.
The trained specialists at Terminix® Pest Control are knowledgeable about the most effective ways to manage the types of birds in your area and know how to use tried-and-true methods to get rid of troublesome birds from your property.
Experience a pest-free home. Choose Terminix.
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Maintaining your roof on a regular basis will help to ensure that any potential damage is found quickly. Damage types can include holes, debris-induced rotting, and water pooling. While these types of roof damage are fairly common, there is another type that is much more common but isn’t talked about as much. It is the harm that birds do to the roof of your house. Birds have the ability to build nests in or on your roof, which can harm it. In this piece, we go over typical harm that birds that nest on your roof can cause.
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We specialize in residential and commercial roofs. We are pleased to be one of the very few authorized Timberline SolarTM roof partners in Central Texas, offering professional roof repair in addition to the installation of new traditional roofs.
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