CleanSafe operatives discovered a hidden roof-top pipe system at a London office block has become covered in droppings from hundreds of pigeons after workers complained of bad smells.
A pest control team from the UK’s leading emergency cleaning specialist then spent two days meticulously cleaning pigeon droppings (pigeon guano) from the pipe system by hand.
Pigeons can cause major problems for city centre office buildings as the birds look for secluded and safe perches, away from predators.
In this case, the maintenance team at the eight-storey office block in West London did not realise it had a problem. Then a team from PestSafe, the pest control arm of CleanSafe Services, was called in to investigate.
CleanSafe Account Manager Jane Robertson said: “Workers at the office block complained of bad smells. There were some pigeon droppings near a doorway, but there wasn’t enough to cause the smell.
“Our pest control specialists then looked closer and asked the maintenance team to remove a panel protecting pipework leading to the roof-top service equipment. Behind it, we found the cause of the problem.
“There was a pipe system that was completely covered in bird guano. It was clear the pipes had been used as perches by pigeons for a long time, but had not been noticed.”
Once PestSafe had identified the problem, it was important to remove it. Cleaning pigeon droppings is important because its presence on building plant machinery hampers maintenance work due to concerns about hygiene.
Bird guano can also damage the fabric of buildings and cause slip and trip health and safety hazards. It can be a hygiene risk. The building’s facilities managers also wanted to ensure they received no more bad smell complaints.
Because of the location, high pressure jetting was not possible. Therefore, the pigeon guano had to be cleaned from all affected surfaces by hand.
CleanSafe Operations Manager Paul Griffiths said: “Cleaning pigeon droppings is a common task for us. We deployed a team of five cleaning operatives who wore protective suits, gloves, goggles and masks throughout the operation.
“First they scrapped off as much loose bird droppings as they could. Then they used a chemical sanitising agent and cloths to scrub the pipes, walls and floor by hand to remove the rest of the pigeon guano residue.”
Their work transformed the area affected and made sure that there would be no more complaints of bad smells caused by pigeon droppings again.
Jane Robertson said: “Pest control and emergency cleaning go hand in hand. Because, where there is a pest problem, there is often a related cleaning and hygiene task to be tackled.”
CleanSafe provides expert pest control services to deal with a wide range of pest control problems, including rodent infestation, flea infestation, and insect problems, including ant and termite infestations.
The service provides experts support in removing and controlling these pests effectively and humanely. It uses the latest techniques, both for large and small clients across the UK, working from offices in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.
Call PestSafe today 0800 822 3621.
