How to Safely Clean Up Pigeon and Bird Droppings

Pigeon droppings can spread disease.

Don't just pick up a broom and sweep droppings from pigeons and other birds into a dust pan. Bird droppings may carry one of three diseases dangerous to humans: histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis and psittacosis. If the droppings become airborne through a dry sweeping you run the risk of ingesting the particles through your nose and mouth, and you don't want that. Not only must you sweep up the droppings properly, but safe disposal is also a must.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Paper face mask or respirator
• Rubber gloves
• Eyes goggles that hug your face
• Spray bottle or garden hose
• Plastic garbage bags with ties
• Wide wallpaper or floor scraper with a smooth flat edge
• Long-sleeved shirt, long pants and closed shoes
• Cap
• Old broom and dust pan

1. Put on clothing that provides full coverage as well as a cap. Also put on safety goggles, a face mask and rubber gloves.

2. Survey the droppings to be cleaned and be sure you will have enough water to spray them all down along with enough garbage bags. Keep others who are not wearing safety gear away from the area you will be working in.

3. Wet the droppings with your spray bottle or hose, depending on the size of the area to be treated. Take your time and make sure the droppings are all wet so no dry particles can become airborne. If using a hose, set it on a fine mist spray, not a blasting force that may backfire onto you.

4. Push the wet droppings into piles with a scraper and scrape them up into your dust pan and place into your plastic garbage bag. Continue this process until all the droppings are removed, rewetting the droppings if they begin to dry. When working in an area above ground, like a window ledge for instance, be careful that you don't sweep or scrape the droppings down below.

5. Carefully sweep the balance of the droppings into the dust pan, again, making sure the droppings are always damp. You may spray the broom bristles also with water as an additional protection. Tie off your trash bags and dispose of them into an outside trash receptacle where they cannot be disturbed.

Tips & Warnings

• If working above ground, on a roof or ledge always consider your safety first and don't take any chances by hanging too far over any edges. Use ladders as needed.

• Do this work on a day when the wind is calm to reduce the chance of dry droppings being blown around.

• Always wear your face mask and goggles while doing this work! Airborne particles are easily ingested otherwise.

• Wash your clothing in a separate load using a hot water wash and detergent.

• Clean your dust pan and scraper with water to remove any particles of droppings.

• Wrap your broom in a plastic bag and tie it off, the lower broom section. This broom should be designated for cleaning droppings only. Do not bring back into your home and use it for general sweeping.

References

• Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management: Cleaning Up the Excrement of Wildlife, Birds, Bats, Raccoons and Rodents
• New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Facts About Pigeon-Related Diseases