• I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...

Birds Nests

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
A strip mall is wanting to hire me to remove bird nests from channel letters signs all over the property. Is there anything I should be cautious of removing them? Do you just take them off and throw them on the grass?
 

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
we have greckels here and im worried about their aggression. thanks for the advise about mask and gloves...didnt think about them
 

Johnny Best

Active Member
I would check with local wildlife laws. Some birds on the endangered species and not lawful to remove or destroy their nests. But starlings, pigeons and some species of sparrows are alright. But I would contact wildlife authorities in your area.
A lot of mites and bacteria around nests so a mask of some kind and gloves are a must. I also would not just throw them on the ground but put in a receptacle and dispose of properly.
"Tex the nest exterminator". Talk them into installing birds spikes on their signs to discourage further nesting.
 

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
I would check with local wildlife laws. Some birds on the endangered species and not lawful to remove or destroy their nests. But starlings, pigeons and some species of sparrows are alright. But I would contact wildlife authorities in your area.
A lot of mites and bacteria around nests so a mask of some kind and gloves are a must. I also would not just throw them on the ground but put in a receptacle and dispose of properly.
"Tex the nest exterminator". Talk them into installing birds spikes on their signs to discourage further nesting.

hanks, I will and I already pitched them on some birdbgone.
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Wear eye protection, too. Probably cover your head, so they don't hit you from behind. Although you're being hired to get rid of bird nests, take plenty of wasp spray. They're gonna be around as well.

Do not throw them on the ground. Take a bag or box up with you and put them in there. I doubt that there will be any babies, but in case, what do you intend to do with any fledglings, if/when found ?? That's when the animal activists will flock around.
 

2B

Active Member
gloves, a good respirator, full coverage glasses, long sleeve shirt. also, try to be aware of the wind direction
  • doesn't blow back on you
  • doesn't blow onto someone before you or their vehicle
 

skyhigh

New Member
Your thread stirs a couple old memories with me. I guess when your a sign service person, you're always gonna run into and have to deal with pigeons. There was this one job in particular where we were servicing a large plaza. The job was extensive and was not only changing out all the lamps and ballasts in their extremely large pylon sign, it also included power washing the entire building (along with the sign).

Well, this pylon was unbelievable. There had to have been 200 pounds of pigeon crap on this thing. There was no way we could wash that much infectious crap onto the street. We ended up turning down the "clean up" portion of the job. We did service the electrical part using disposable poncho's, respirators and rain hats, with dozens of pigeons perched all around us (CREEPY how they get used to you being there, and don't move). As for the "Crap", they had a HazMat group do the clean up. I wish I had pictures.!!!

One of my mothers best friends lived on a farm. Her son had contracted a form of yeast infection from the pigeons in the barn. He started having breathing problems, and neurological problems. The disease progressed and he eventually went completely blind and slipped into a coma and died. He was only 16 years old.

To be honest, I refused the "clean-up" part of that job, because I was scared of catching the same disease. To this day, I can't stand to be around any birds.
 
Last edited:

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
Jesus... this bird stuff sounds hazardous.. I'm glad I asked you guys... I see the bid going up already. Maybe I should wear one of those disposable hazmat suits.

Never saw pigeon shit in signs. Only thing I find inside of them is usually layers and layers of wet dirt and moss...I wonder how all that stuff gets in there.
 

2B

Active Member
it is serious, even heard of the Bird flu?
Also called: H5N1, avian influenza
Strains of the influenza virus that primarily infect birds, but can also infect humans.
 

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
I'll just call these guys...

ghostbusters.jpg
 

ams

New Member
Don't destroy it, just move it to a tree or somewhere off the ground, wear gloves
 

shoresigns

New Member
I would check with local wildlife laws. Some birds on the endangered species and not lawful to remove or destroy their nests. But starlings, pigeons and some species of sparrows are alright. But I would contact wildlife authorities in your area.

It has nothing to do with endangered species. All native birds are protected, and you cannot disturb active nests without a federal (and possibly a state) permit. But you're right, there are exceptions for non-native birds including Domestic Pigeons, European Starlings and House Sparrows.

More info: http://www.sialis.org/mbta.htm
 
Top