Guano Cleaning

Why professional guano removal is essential

Pigeon droppings and bird waste carry over 60 dangerous pathogens.

Disturbing dried droppings without the right precautions releases guano dust into the air, and anyone nearby can inhale it. That’s when the health risks become serious.

These aren’t rare problems.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH), employers have a legal duty to protect staff from exposure to hazardous substances.

Diseases that may pose a significant health risk to humans from pigeon droppings include:

Psittacosis

Psittacosis is the disease most commonly linked to pigeon guano in the UK.

It’s caused by the bacterium chlamydia psittaci, which spreads through inhalation of dust from infected bird droppings. It causes serious respiratory symptoms and can lead to pneumonia.

Histoplasmosis

This is a fungal disease caused by a fungus that thrives in accumulated pigeon guano, particularly in damp or enclosed spaces.

The fungal spores become airborne when the guano is disturbed.

Cryptoccosis

Cryptococcosis is another fungal infection found in bird droppings that can be dangerous, particularly for people with weakened immune systems.

Salmonella

This spreads through direct contact with pigeon droppings or contaminated surfaces.

In commercial properties, contamination of food preparation areas or goods storage is a real risk where birds have access.

How pigeon guano damages buildings

Bird droppings are highly acidic.

Over time, pigeon guano will eat away at building materials including steel, stonework, concrete, roof tiles, and painted surfaces.

On a flat roof with a long-standing pigeon colony, the droppings eat through protective coatings and expose the structure to water ingress.

Guano also blocks gutters, downpipes, and drainage, which leads to water pooling and damp.

To put this into perspective, a single pigeon can produce around 12kg of droppings each year. As they repeatedly return to the same nesting site and can raise up to six broods a year, the resulting build-up can quickly become severe and cause extensive damage.

Bird waste also attracts secondary pest infestations.

Bird mites, fleas, and beetles breed in accumulated guano and nest material. Left long enough, these pests migrate into the building itself.

Our guano removal and cleaning service

Every guano cleaning job is different, but the approach follows the same principles: assess, contain, remove, clean and disinfect, and dispose.

Site survey and risk assessment

Removal begins with a site survey and risk assessment.

We assess the scale of the guano build-up, the condition of the surfaces underneath, and how the work will be accessed safely.

Many pigeon guano removal jobs involve working at height on rooftops, which means scaffolding or rope access.

If the pigeon issue extends inside a building, such as into warehouse rafters, plant rooms, or loft spaces, we assess ventilation and containment measures before starting work.

The risk assessment covers health risks from guano dust, working at height requirements, waste classification, and any COSHH considerations.

This is a legal requirement for any professional guano cleaning company, and we carry it out on every job.

Safe removal with appropriate PPE

Our technicians are trained in biohazard cleaning and wear appropriate PPE on every guano removal job.

Physical removal of loose guano is carried out using specialist equipment including HEPA-filtered vacuums that capture fine dust during removal rather than dispersing it into the air. Heavier deposits of dried pigeon guano are scraped and bagged.

We don’t use pressure washers as a cleaning method on dry guano. This is because the spray disperses contaminated particles over a wide area.

Where wet guano or dampening is needed, we suppress the dust first before any physical removal begins.

Cleaning and disinfection

Once the full removal is complete, we clean and disinfect the surfaces with a biocidal treatment to kill any remaining pathogens.

This is a vital step in protecting the health and safety of occupants, staff, and visitors. It is also important for reducing the risk of odours, contamination, and further pest activity.

Waste removal and disposal

All bird waste is bagged, sealed, and removed from site.

We dispose of it through licensed waste carriers in line with UK regulations. Pigeon guano is classified as hazardous waste in volume, so it can’t go in a general skip.

Safe and compliant disposal is part of every job we carry out.

Guano removal and bird proofing

If the birds are still there when we finish cleaning bird droppings off your building, the guano creates the same problem all over again.

That’s why most of our pigeon guano removal services are carried out alongside bird proofing work.

We clean the surfaces first, then install whatever deterrent is needed to stop the birds returning.

Get a free site survey for our guano removal services

Want to protect your property or premises from the danger of pigeon guano? Clark Pest Control is here for you.

We offer a free site visit to assess the extent of the issue and provide an honest, no-obligation quotation for the work required. We can also inspect the area and recommend suitable pigeon-proofing measures to help protect your property from further damage.

Call our experienced team today on 0800 808 5615 to learn more about our services.