Most people don't think of birds as harmful. However, when a large flock of seagulls and pigeons congregates on your parking lot and begin to nest on your roof, these avian visitors become more than a nuisance — they can cause damage to your property and drastically diminish curb appeal.
Here are some of the ways a bird infestation could affect your business.
Property Damage
Bird droppings can cause permanent damage to property. Bird waste contains potent chemicals that can corrode metal, concrete, roofs, masonry, and other substances. Extensive corrosion can structurally weaken your property and create unforeseen liabilities.
Bird nests can also block gutters, ventilation, and drains, which can trigger a domino effect and affect other systems in your property such as air conditioning, heating, and drainage. The cost of repairing or rehabilitating your property can add up quickly and eat into your profits.
To avoid permanent staining, corrosion, and damage, find a professional commercial washing provider as soon as birds start to infest your property.
Negative Aesthetics
Bird excrement does not just damage property — your business's professional image is at risk as well. Whether on the roofs, parking lot, walls, cars, or other surfaces, accumulated bird droppings diminish your property's aesthetic appeal.
Unsightly business premises is a major turn off for customers. Employees will also not want to work in an area that looks rundown, unappealing, and hazardous.
Accidents
Accumulated bird excrement can cause your business premises to become slippery and increase the risk of slip-and-fall accidents for customers and employees.
As a business owner, you have a duty of care to ensure your premise is reasonably safe. The law may consider you negligent if you allow bird droppings to accumulate on your premises and may result in lawsuits that could put a huge dent in your business.
To avoid costly liabilities, clean your parking lot as frequently as possible and keep your premises neat and safe.
Food Contamination
In addition to slip-and-fall accidents, you may also be liable for breaching federal and state food, safety, and hygiene regulations if you do not take care of a bird infestation.
Foodborne diseases and contamination incidents could cause you to lose customers and, in extreme cases, result in a complete business shutdown.
Disease
Birds can spread many bacteria and parasites. Pigeons, gulls, and starlings, in particular, host mites and lice that can cause over
s
ixty potentially fatal diseases
including Candidiasis, Salmonellosis, Yellow Mealworms, and West Nile Virus.
The risk of disease can have serious implications for your business in terms of customer perception, staff retention, and medical expenses, all of which will impact your revenue.
Customer Deterrence
Customers expect to feel reasonably safe, and if you cannot provide this, they will move on to your competitors. Many people refer to gulls as
thugs of the bird world
due to their tendency to attack and steal food.
Other birds such as starlings and young pigeons can also make customers feel physically threatened, which can have a negative effect on your business revenue.
While the gentle chirping of a graceful bird can be pleasant, a large flock of birds around your business premises can be a noisy and even dangerous nuisance that can put off customers.
Pest birds mark their territory using their own waste and will return to the same spot. Professionals who understand the problem can effectively eliminate excrement and deter birds from infesting your property with a thorough washing.
If you have a bird problem, let the power-cleaning experts at
J & A Steam Cleaning
take care of it. Call us today to let us know what your exact needs are and schedule a cleaning.