Guns, dogs and plastic owls used to be the “solutions” of choice, but pest
control companies throughout the world have discovered that while these
“solutions” may have worked, they are only band-aids to the greater problem.

It was not long ago that over 150 birds circled and rested in front of the vocational school and parking lot of the Lawrence Township School District in Indianapolis, Indiana. Max Wilson, a custodian of the McKenzie Career Center commented in American School & Hospital Facility, “It made such a bad impression. If it looked bad to me, I knew it looked bad to everyone. They could be run over by vehicles. The geese would walk right onto the busy highway, forcing cars to stop.” Along with a bad reputation, schools are concerned with the health hazards that these pests can cause. Birds and bats can carry over sixty different diseases that are transmittable to humans. Histoplasmosis, for example, is a respiratory disease that may be fatal and comes from a fungus that grows in dried bird droppings and bat guano. If care is not taken when removing bird and bat excrement, people can open themselves up to these harmful microscopic invaders. Rats on the other hand, can carry hundreds of more lethal diseases including smallpox, Ebola, Hantavirus, salmonella and rat-bite fever, which can be acquired through the bite or scratch of a rodent or the ingestion of food or water contaminated with rat feces (think the Peanut Corporation of America).

New Jersey’s Brick Township High School has faced more than its share of nuisance birds. According to the Brick Town Bulletin, Karl Rex, a Brick Township High School football player had contracted a skin infection after coming in contact with goose feces on the school’s football field. Karl was later diagnosed with cellulitis, a bacterial infection under the skin. Parents were quoted in the same article stating that the school’s playing field is covered in goose droppings. However, the emergency room where Karl was taken to explained that they could not exactly say that the infection was caused by goose feces. Although Karl and his mother did not take any legal action; a Florida school was forced to pay $1.2 million to a teacher that contracted a disease linked to pigeon droppings.

And just to drive this disconcerting health issue home, a 51-year-old teacher sued the Palm Beach County School District when he was diagnosed with a Cryptococcus infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “this Cryptococcus fungus is found in soil worldwide, usually along with bird droppings.” Lawsuits like this are rare, however when they do happen the school and taxpayers suffer.

The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) reported at one time to having approximately 1,000 pigeons that congregated at their outdoor cafeteria, leaving faculty worried about the student’s health. Adolph Torres, faculty member at UCLA stated in School and College, “The pigeons are pests not only because they roam around while you eat but because they’re a source of bacterial contamination and viral disease.” Hazlehurst High School in Mississippi is currently battling a bat infestation in their gymnasium, however, due to insufficient funding the school has yet to resolve this issue. Karl Twyner, superintendent of the Hazlehurst Municipal School District, stated in the Clarion Ledger, “I’m worried that a child or teacher would get bitten.” Instead of cleaning up the mess, the school has blocked off the infested area and decided to stay open. To avoid a potential lawsuit and further infestation problems, the Mississippi State Board of Education has taken over operation of Hazlehurst High to clean it up despite the lack of funds at the school. The biggest concern for a parent and school officials is first and foremost, the health of the children under their care at their learning institutions, though many forget to see the potential physical damage associated with lingering pests and their fecal matter.

Bird droppings and bat guano have acidic elements contained within them that can cause erosion on wood, metal and steel. Although it is not as life-threatening, it can definitely burn a hole in anyone’s budget. The Alamogordo Daily News reported that the New Mexico Public Education Department has been hotly debating the future of the Tularosa School House. The school building is currently up for sale and although several years have passed since the school had a pigeon infestation, the damage still exists. There is currently two-to-three feet of pigeon droppings piled up inside the building that has yet to be cleaned - which has affected the overall value (and sale) of the building.

The question is how do we solve the problem of bird, bat and rodent infestation?

To date: guns, dogs and plastic owls used to be the “solutions” of choice, but pest control companies throughout the world have discovered that while these “solutions” may have worked, they are only band- aids to the greater problem. Sure, the problem had ceased being an issue temporarily, but the fact remains that if you want to get rid of the pest, you have to make the infested area inhospitable to the pest.

And while guns, poisons and traps may seem to work, there are more humane, eco-friendly ways to permanently rid school facilities of problem birds, bats and rodents. When talking about cleaning an area where there are children, a school must decide if poisons are really the way to go. Of course, there are more humane solutions that do not kill the pests in question, but do make them believe the area is not a good one for them. Once the bird or animal decides that the area is bad, they will leave on their own – and most importantly, let others of their ilk know that specific location is not a good place to visit, too.

The way to get rid of these pests humanely is to synergistically employ the use of products aimed at multiple senses of the pests. There are electronic products that blast sounds audibly and inaudibly (depending whether inside or outside a building, if people are present, time of day, etc) that annoy the pests using electronic sounds, alert and alarm calls of different bird species and the cries of predator birds and animals like hawks, eagles and coyotes. These electronic sound devices should be used in conjunction with visual scare devices like scare balloons or three dimensional coyotes or taste aversions that employ bitter tasting sprays and gels or using physical barriers like netting or spikes. No matter what kind of pest infestation a school may have (bird, bat, rodents, etc), there is an assortment of products that can meet all levels of concern – both humanely and environmentally.

UCLA invested in visual scare tactics. They tried an owl-like device which looks like a big yellow beach ball, is 2 feet in diameter and contains two sets of holographic eyes that seem to move wherever the bird is located and happens to look at it. Torres commented in School and College, “I think we’ve found an effective solution to our problem here.”

Keeping schools sanitary might just take more than a mop and broom. Many schools are still not aware of the health risks, lawsuits, code violations and damage that these pests cause. And without a permanent solution, there could be a hefty price and fine to pay. While pests cannot be avoided, prevention and staying on top of the infestation are key to avoiding these pest problems altogether. Schools that take preventative measures can save their money, health and reputation. So, when considering a college, university or any other school, keep in mind that there are other factors besides curriculum and social life that you might want to learn about.

Dave Kogan has published numerous articles in local, national and trade publications. He is the public relations and marketing manager at Bird-X, Inc., the experts in “green” bird pest control for over 45 years. Dave can be contacted at dave@bird-x.com.

Back to top ▲