Guano goes by many different names and it really doesn't matter what you call them, whether you use the moniker of droppings, mess or poo, what does matter is that guano is highly toxic and even in small amounts can be harmful to your health. Whilst the ideal approach to bird mess is to remove the source of the problem by utilising many of the bird deterrent solutions that we offer at No More Birds, from Bird Spikes through to Acoustic Deterrents, sometimes bird guano can still cause a problem. When cleaning guano, as with any task, its advisable to use the correct tools to both ensure that your work is effective and to also protect yourself. In this article well look into some of the dangers that the guano left from pest birds can pose to your health, and the also go through some of the best approaches to cleaning it.

The Danger of Guano to Your Health

In certain job roles youre more likely to be exposed to harmful bird guano than in others, and roles that take you outdoors are clearly more at risk, but regardless of what your job is or if youre cleaning up bird mess at home, if youre exposed to bird guano there are a few things that you should be aware of. Bird Droppings contain numerous diseases, and these can be contained in airborne particles or droplets of moisture which can be prevalent during cleaning or renovation work. Psittacosis is a rare infectious disease which is caused by a bacterium called Chlamydia Psittaci. Traditionally parrots and other similar species of tropical birds are associated with this disease, which whilst you are unlikely to come across commonly in the UK, pigeon droppings are also known to carry the disease. This disease can manifest flu-like symptoms, but can also include pneumonia. Surprisingly or not theres a risk of contracting salmonella from bird droppings which can cause diarrhoea, stomach cramps and in some cases vomiting and fever. Both of these diseases can take a few days after exposure to manifest, so you might not show symptoms immediately after cleaning guano, but rest assured that there are steps that you can take to minimise the risk of infection.

Before You Begin Cleaning

Its important to take a few steps before you begin any cleaning process. Ensure that you make an assessment of the dangers posed, for instance if you provide refurbishment, building maintenance or demolition work of old buildings they are usually quite high risk areas of airborne particles, and youll want to identify these before proceeding with any work, the same goes for your own home. Its vital to ensure that if significant levels of bird droppings are present that those who have weakened immune symptoms including individuals with autoimmune diseases are protected from the risks posed by bird guano, as they have a higher risk of contracting the aforementioned diseases. It might sound obvious but try to limit contact with bird droppings and time spent in areas where bird droppings are prevalent. Plastic sheeting can provide a moderately effective interim measure against the risk of contamination by limiting the chances of the guano particles becoming airborne.

Use the Proper Equipment

Using the correct equipment when cleaning bird guano is vital, and whilst you might not be required to consider all of these measures where fewer sightings of droppings can be found, in areas where large quantities of bird guano are present these steps are highly recommended.

Protect Your Hands from Guano

At all levels of guano cleaning we recommend wearing some form of protection for your hands. Whilst you obviously have the option of relying on cleaning your hands and utilising nail brushes, we recommend doing so in addition to wearing either Latex or Protective Gloves to reduce the risk of transferring guano to other areas of your body.

Wear Protective Clothing

We offer some great options for protecting your body too, including Disposable Overalls that save you from having to be concerned about cleaning up after particularly messing guano cleaning sessions, and also limit the risk of further contamination after cleaning.

Consider Goggles and Respirators

Its vital that you protect your face from infection; whether as a result of airborne particles or from touching your face, something that subconsciously we all do quite frequently; contact with guano around your face, mouth, nose or eyes can be disastrous. To protect your eyes we have Safety Goggles available which when used with either a P3 Half Face Respirator or a Disposable Dust Mask provide you with a decent level of protection, however we do have options available to provide further protection. A Full Face Respirator will provide you with an additional level of protection that isn't present in the aforementioned products, and is highly recommended to those who come into frequent contact with guano, or for those who have excessive amounts to clean. Please be aware that some of the respirators that we sell are only effective when a tight seal can be made against your skin, subsequently its advisable to be clean shaven when wearing a respirator.

Use the Right Tools

Once you have the right equipment to protect yourself, you want to ensure that you have the right tools to clean the guano safely and effectively. At No More Birds we have made numerous tools available to help you with what would otherwise be a very messy job. We can provide with everything from simple Guano Removal Buckets, to Wire and Soft Brushes for different stages of the guano cleaning process. We also offer Guano Scrapers for removal of hardened bird droppings, Shovels for excessive quantities of guano, Guano Removal Bags and even sprayers for repellent and cleaning solutions.

Spray Repellents and Cleaning Solutions

We sell a variety of solutions to aid in the cleaning of bird droppings, one of which is PX Ornikill Disinfectant which is a concentrated formula that kills the harmful bacteria that can be found in guano, making a cleaner job a bit safer. We also offer Gunaway which in addition to acting as a disinfectant much like PX Ornikill, also contains a powerful alkaline degreaser which aids in the removal of bird guano. Both of these products reduce the risk of inhaling the dangerous microorganisms that can become airborne when cleaning bird droppings, however we still recommend the use of protective clothing and breathing apparatus to minimise your chances of catching any diseases.

At No More Birds we are committed to providing you with a range of bird cleaning products that help in ensuring your safety when cleaning bird droppings, no matter the scale. We have complete kits available in our online store if you want to purchase a complete solution too. If you want to find out more about the harmful nature of bird guano and what you can do to protect yourself, please dont hesitate to get in touch with us and we will be more than happy to talk you through a few options and techniques to consider when clearing up after pest birds. You can contact us using our online contact form, by sending an email through to sales@nomorebirds.co.uk, or by calling 0844 822 8675 where we will be happy to advise you of our stock levels before you place an order.