Pigeons were getting into our attic and there’s an unbelievable mess of droppings up there. From what I’ve read, pigeon droppings are so dangerous, HEPA vacuums, respirators, etc., will be needed to remove the droppings.
How would I find a company to do this? I don’t even know what the type of work is called.
Is there any way to turn this into a DIY job? Perhaps spraying it was insulating foam to immobilize the particles before shoveling the sh–uh, waste material?
Janet
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Replies
I'm no pigeon poop expert but I would just clean it up and wash the surfaces it was on with a strong cleaner (bleach solution maybe).
Edit.. I was curious so I looked it up. Disease from exposure is VERY rare and you would need a ridiculous amount. Dampen it first to keep dust down and put it into a plastic bag into the trash. A bleach solution will kill any surface bacteria. This is basically what I found online.
Edited 9/6/2008 5:34 pm ET by Richie921
One website said not to use bleach because the droppings have ammonia and the combination would release chlorine gas. But I don't know if ammonia is still present. The stuff has been drying for literally years. We were treating it like an asbestos ceiling: don't disturb it and there's nothing to worry about.
There were a couple of websites selling cleaners but one did say bleach. Again not pure bleach but bleach and water (mostly water)
"The Verminators" on discovery channel had exact same problem.
You may be able to view it online.http://dsc.discovery.com/video/index.html?playerId=203711706&categoryId=1488640368&lineupId=1508311777&titleId=1599080312
Use masks, bleach 1:10. Lots of scraping
You can use diluted bleach to dampen the droppings and keep the dust down. Although the many (and I mean many) different bacteria contained in the droppings may or may not affect you I would still wear a respirator, long sleeve pants,shirt and neoprene gloves. After cleaning pigeon droppings for many years I still take all precautions when doing so. If you are concerned about doing it yourself many pest control companies can offer that service to you.
jyang.
A number of years ago a friend wound up with histoplasmosis, a fungal disease often present in accumulations of bird or bat droppings. He had spent a day clearing up an attic full of pigeon sh!t.
You don't want it.
Read this, especially the essay on respirator selection:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2005-109/
That was my point - use the PPE anyway - you never know. Histoplasmosis can leave you blind if not caught soon enough - hope that didn't happen to your friend.
>> Histoplasmosis can leave you blindI was wavering before, figuring that at worst I'll have to go to the doctor, but it won't kill me. Now I've decided to pay somebody else to do it (or at least ask about the cost). Don't want to risk blindness; I use my eyes just about every day. (A bit of morbid humor there.)Janet
Edited 9/7/2008 3:42 pm by jyang949
bigbarn,
He more or less recovered, though it took him a very long time.
He was also afflicted with a very fatalistic attitude as a result of a job he had as a teenager removing asbestos lagging by hand from steam pipes in a nuclear power plant - no protection whatsoever unless cigarette smoke counts.
It's now forty years later and he's fine. I saw him last summer on my way to Dinosaur's fest.
Ron
Only found one company that would tackle the job, and they want $2,000 to clean a 4ft×8ft area. So, I guess it's going to be a diy project. Ugh.But at least I won't have to deal with bleach fumes. Dupont makes a product that sounds ideal for the purpose:http://www2.dupont.com/RelyOn/en_US/uses_apps/us/faqs/faqs_mdc.htmlThe only challenge will be finding a place to buy it.JanetP.S.
I realize that puns are considered the lowest form of humor, but didn't ANYBODY like the "pain in the attic" reference? I was rather pleased to have kept it clean.
janet,
we're all too dim to have gotten the reference.
Ron
Be VERY, VERY careful when dealing with old bird poop. There is some very serious disease that you can get from it. A number of years ago when I lived in a small town in Ontario one woman nearly went blind from this weird disease. She never got her normal sight back. Do some internet checking on this first.rogerPS this should have been sent to Janet
Edited 10/5/2008 10:29 pm ET by roger g
Roger, the disease you are speaking of is histoplasmosis. Not something to play with. Janet, if you decide to DIY make sure you have good ventilation in the attic when you do.
yum, histoplasmosis
I'm just sayin'
Janet, a pain in the attic was good.... but maybe change it to a pain in the pocketbook. That works out to $62.50 a sq ft. to clean up pigeon poop! Pigeon poop a pain in the pocketbook... has a nice ring to it. Good luck
I'm not guano comment on that.
Jeff
That is battie
Does the Dupont product counteract histoplasmosis?
Bleach is effective, fumes can be dealt with.
Make sure you wet down the area before removing to limit inhalation risk.
Good luck
I'd help ya, but I'm too pooped to participate.
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