Ecology of life. Health: Today I once again watched children cuddle pigeons and crawl around in their droppings, joyful and dangerously carefree. That's why I decided to warn...

People perceive pigeons in different ways: some - for (a symbol of peace, love, without human support they will die); others are against it (“flying rats”, annoying, unclean, carriers of infection).

Today I once again watched how children cuddle pigeons and crawl in their droppings, joyful and dangerously careless. Therefore, I decided to warn you that city pigeons can pose a serious threat to your health, as they are carriers of many infectious diseases. Even worse, pigeon feces are a source of infection and inhaling them is no less dangerous than direct contact with pigeons.

And one pigeon is 12 kilograms of feces per year! This seemingly harmless bird can be a carrier of 90 pathogens of many diseases, including ten zoonotic infections (zoonoses), that is, those that are transmitted to humans from animals.

Diseases transmitted from animals to humans are called zoonoses. The causative agents of these diseases can be protozoa, fungi, bacteria, chlamydia and viruses. Each person’s individual susceptibility to them depends on the state of the immune system, age, health status and other factors.

Psittacosis

Ornithosis (also known as psittacosis or parrot disease) is a bacterial infection that most often affects parrots and their relatives, however, it sometimes appears in other birds, including pigeons. A person can become infected with psittacosis if they accidentally inhale particles of dried droppings from a sick bird. 10 days after infection, a sick person develops weakness, fever, headache, rash, chills and pneumonia.

Chlamydia psittaci was found in 52.6 percent of captured pigeons. Infection from this bacterium leads to symptoms such as mild flu-like illness and severe pneumonia. Most often, such diseases are recorded in spring and autumn, this is due to decreased immunity in young birds and their susceptibility to diseases.

Of greatest epidemic importance are farm birds (ducks, turkeys), indoor birds (parrots, budgies, canaries and other small songbirds) and especially city pigeons, the infection rate of which ranges from 30% to 80%.

The causative agent of ornithosis, unlike other chlamydia, is capable of long-term persistence in environment: remains viable at a temperature of 37 °C for up to 2 days, at 4–6 °C for a week; After lyophilization, the pathogen persists for 5 years or more.

The incubation period for psittacosis ranges from 5 to 30 days (usually 10–12 days). At the onset of the disease, fever with chills and increased sweating, pain in the throat, muscles and joints are characteristic. Conjunctivitis, a thickened tongue with possible tooth marks along the edges, often hepatolienal syndrome, and emotional disturbances (excitement, irritability, tearfulness) are noted. From the 3rd–4th day of illness, laryngitis or bronchitis, interstitial or small focal pneumonia develop with scant physical data.

During a special examination for ornithosis in different countries(Bulgaria, Holland, USA, Germany, etc.) it has been established that 10–20% of acute pneumonia has psittacosis etiology. In Moscow, ornithosis was detected in 18.4% of patients with acute pneumonia, in St. Petersburg - in 19.6%.

Doctors note that although there are no seasonal outbreaks of psittacosis, people still get sick more often in the cold season. This is caused by a number of reasons, one of which is the similarity of the symptoms of psittacosis with the symptoms of ARVI and common colds, which makes diagnosis difficult. In addition, in cold weather, pigeons gather in large flocks and, therefore, the infection spreads faster. One sick bird can infect the entire flock. And then this sick flock scatters into city garbage containers, which are often installed near places where children walk.

Thus, there are many places around the city where you can catch psittacosis and other diseases. Ornithologist Natalya Obukhova says in this regard that garbage and dirt in cities contributes to rapid increase number of pigeons. Nobody monitors the bird population in Moscow, but the incidence of psittacosis among Muscovites is an order of magnitude greater than that of rabies.

People are more resistant to psittacosis, but the course of the disease is severe (severe headaches, elevated temperature, weakness of the whole body). It is very similar to influenza and acute respiratory diseases. Children catch the infection much more often than adults, as they can touch birds while playing with them. Children need to be supervised and explained to them what troubles can arise from interacting with birds.

Salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is an intestinal disease caused by numerous pathogens of the Salmonella genus. The main sources of infection are animals, and occasionally people. The asymptomatic course of the disease has been established in many species of farm animals, cats, dogs, rodents, and birds.

“The disease does not pose a danger to humans, provided that standard personal hygiene measures are observed and direct contact with sick birds is avoided. The causative agents of avian influenza and psittacosis (an infection that can be transmitted to humans) have not been identified,” the committee said.

Common clinical signs in all animals include diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. The infection can progress towards dehydration, weakness, and sometimes, especially in the case of very young or very old individuals, death. Severe cases may include high fever, septicemia (blood poisoning), headaches, and an enlarged, painful spleen. Focal infections can occur in a variety of organs, including the heart, kidneys, ligaments, soft membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, and connective tissues surrounding all the bones of the body.

The incubation period is 12−36 hours. Salmonella is spread by eating food contaminated with droppings. The shedding of bacteria by a sick person can last from several days to several weeks.

Campylobacter jejuni

Until 1972, when a reliable method for their isolation was developed, Campylobacter jejuni was considered pathogenic only for animals (sheep and cattle). However, further research has shown their danger to humans. According to the FDA (U.S. Food & Drug Administration), Campylobacter jejuni is currently the most common cause occurrence of bacterial diarrhea in people. Moreover, C.jejuni causes more cases of disease than Shigella spp. and Salmonella spp. taken together.

They are present in most representatives of this bird population and turn out to be more harmful than the well-known Salmonella. Outdoor pigeons serve as reservoirs for the production and growth of bacterial species, hence they can lead to harmful diseases.

Campylobacter jejuni, which was present in 69.1 percent of captured pigeons, causes abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever and general malaise in infected individuals. Thermophilic Campylobacter species are considered the main causative agents of acute diarrheal diseases in different countries of the world - more often than Salmonella."

Newcastle infection

A sick pigeon can also infect a person with Newcastle infection through the mucous membrane of the eye. True, for humans it is not as dangerous as for birds; it occurs in the form of a cold, conjunctivitis with swelling of the parotid lymph nodes within one week. Poultry farm workers and laboratory workers may be mainly affected.

Paramyxovirus

So, pigeons are a natural carrier of paramyxoviruses, which can spread to poultry: chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, pheasants, guinea fowl and even ostriches, emus and rheas. The virus is stable, released from pigeon droppings, in which it can exist for about 3–4 weeks. This means that your soles and even your clothes may be vehicle for viruses.

Because paramyxovirus, although not fatal to humans, is still capable of causing very unpleasant diseases in people. As Alexey Alekseenko, assistant to the head of Rosselkhoznadzor, noted, this infection can enter the human body through the mucous membrane of the eye, which will cause symptoms reminiscent of a cold and conjunctivitis with swelling of the parotid lymph nodes within one week. It seems nothing special, but not pleasant enough.

Superficial acariases

In addition to the scabies mite, skin lesions in humans can be caused by mites that live on animals and birds (dogs, cats, rats, pigeons), on cereals, in grass and straw, pillow feathers, etc. Most often, people are affected by the scabies mite of horses, rat, chicken and pigeon mites. The last three types can cause mass lesions in families and hostels. Unlike scabies caused by Sarcoptes hominis, these types of mites do not burrow into the stratum corneum and do not form burrows, but only inflict bites that cause severe itching and the formation of papules or blisters in their place, in the center of which pinpoint hemorrhage or more intense coloring is often visible , serous or hemorrhagic crust, vesicle (bite mark). Elements of a skin rash are most often found in places where the skin comes into close contact with the underwear. Ticks are found in underwear and bedding, and indoors.

Avian tuberculosis, which can also affect humans, is caused by Mycobacterium avium, which is similar to the classic human Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Infection occurs through water and food contaminated with bird down.

Mycobacterium affects the human respiratory and lymphatic system, causing local infectious wounds. In people with immunodeficiency, the process is generalized and can be fatal. Mycobacterium avium is often resistant to antibacterial and antituberculosis drugs, which causes difficulties in selecting therapy.

Histoplasmosis

Histoplasmosis is a disease caused by fungi growing in pigeon droppings or soil and is not spread from person to person. If a person cleaning surfaces from pigeon droppings accidentally inhales enough fungi, they will develop histoplasmosis. If you only clean the windowsill from pigeon droppings from time to time, then you have nothing to fear. 10 days after contact with fungi, weakness, fever and chest pain may appear, but for most the disease begins asymptomatically. The highest risk is in people with weak immune systems: those infected with HIV or suffering from cancer.

Cryptosporodiasis

A disease caused by protozoa (genus Cryptosporidium). In birds, the pathogen affects the pulmonary system, and in humans, the gastrointestinal system. Infection occurs through the fecal-oral route - through the consumption of foods contaminated with oocysts. The disease is manifested by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (watery stools up to 15 times a day), abdominal pain, and weakness. Recovery usually occurs within 10 days.

Cryptococcosis

Cryptococcosis, like histoplasmosis, is caused by fungi growing in bird droppings or soil. Completely healthy people rarely get sick with cryptococcosis, even if they inhale a large number of mushrooms. This infection almost always affects people with defective immune systems; 85% of people with cryptococcosis are HIV-infected patients.

In a normal situation, for example, when you just need to wipe off dirt from a window sill, it is almost impossible to get infected. Simple protective measures are enough: wear rubber gloves and work clothes. If you have to clean more contaminated surfaces, for example, attics, roofs or any other pigeon habitats where a lot of pigeons have accumulated bird droppings, then suitable work clothing, rubber boots, gloves and respirators should be worn, especially for immunocompromised people. Wash your hands thoroughly before eating and after finishing work.

Allergic alveolitis

Allergic alveolitis is one of the main zoonotic diseases of birds. The disease can occur in acute, subacute and chronic forms. Clinical signs of the disease include hypersensitivity to feathers, dander, or droppings caused by decreased lung capacity. Inflammation of the alveoli, the pulmonary structures responsible for air exchange, occurs.

The acute form of the disease is usually initiated by excessive contact of a sensitive person with certain circumstances, for example, cleaning a dovecote or attic. Symptoms occur almost immediately and include cough, difficulty breathing, fever and chills. If at this stage a person stops contact with the bird, then the symptoms go away and the person does not need special treatment.

These insects can enter the apartments of our residents. In addition, pigeon droppings contain a lot of uric acid. This is also very harmful substance. The fact is that birds do not secrete urea, but uric acid, which, when evaporated, primarily has a negative effect on the upper respiratory tract. It irritates them, and in asthmatics it can even cause attacks.

4. Don't feed pigeons from balconies.

5. Inspect the attics, sanitizing them from pigeons.

6. Remove pigeon droppings using a respirator and special clothing! Beware of pigeon droppings (and the ground that may be contaminated by them) as much as the birds themselves.

7. Stay away from sick pigeons. If you notice liquid droppings or at least one of the birds with the following symptoms: disheveled, lethargic, with crooked fingers or paws, with faded or sticky plumage, as if wet, with split feathers, as if they were trimmed with small scissors, then leave immediately ! Don't tempt fate.

8. Don't pick up sick pigeons. They are usually much less mobile than healthy ones, live alone, without a pack (which expels them due to the danger of infection), and look very pitiful. Often, precisely for this reason, they fall into the hands of children and old women with a kind heart.

9. Of course, you will enrich your shoes and clothes with viruses if you climb into the attic, where city pigeons live, you will move boxes and other things there. Water from puddles, asphalt on the road, contaminated by birds - all this is a source of the virus.

British government services recommend that if you find a dead pigeon, do not pick it up with your bare hands - it is advisable to double-bag it and throw it in the trash or bury it (without the bag) in the ground. If you leave this work to your janitor, advise him to wear disposable gloves, which you don’t mind throwing away later. Otherwise, the janitor himself will become a carrier of infection. published

Garden paths, sidewalks, patios with a surface made of paving slabs is the most popular holiday destination in every home, it is the place where most people enjoy time spent with family, friends and relatives. However, we are not always on the patio, and during our absence, birds can be located on the wires and protruding surfaces of the patio, which results in bird droppings being discovered in the morning, and sometimes a lot of it. Sometimes, birds can bring various berries and other types of food that can easily get dirty concrete paving slabs on a summer cottage. Luckily, with proper cleaning techniques, you can easily remove bird droppings and stains from your paving slabs.

Instructions for cleaning bird droppings from concrete paving slabs:

Necessary materials and tools: spatula or scraper (stiff brush or broom with stiff bristles), “Simply Green”, detergent soft action, plastic bucket, hot water, rag, garden hose, hose spray nozzle. First, you need to clean off the excess droppings using a spatula or scraper. Be sure to remove any excess droppings, the same applies to outside litter. If laid sandstone paving stones, the use of a spatula is excluded.

Soaking a stain on paving stones

Mix a small amount of Simply Green cleaner or mild detergent in a bucket of hot water, stir until completely dissolved. Splash a mixture of water and detergent onto the bird droppings stain, then dampen a rag with the same cleaning mixture. Place a rag soaked in the cleaning mixture on top of the bird droppings and leave it there for an hour. act on paving slabs. Remember that you must perform this step out of sunlight, otherwise the rag may dry out and you will not get the desired effect.

scraping

Use a brush with bronze bristles (not metal) to scrub away particularly stubborn bird droppings. Wash down the paving slabs with water from a garden hose when you're done. Repeat the cleaning process paving slabs with another cleaner if the first one you tried did not work well enough to meet your expectations.

Washing machine high pressure

Using a high pressure washer. If all else fails to clean your paving slabs, use a high pressure washer set to low pressure to try to clean up any remaining bird droppings stains. This method must be treated very carefully and monitor the pressure as well as the cleaning technique. The fact is that a high pressure washer can easily damage the integrity of laying paving slabs and mortar joints, if any. You should check with your hardware store about the appropriate wattage for your paving slabs before using them carelessly. washing machine high pressure.

You must be careful about the cleaning products you choose, especially chemical composition inside them. Test the cleaning solution on a less visible area of ​​the tile to ensure the detergent does not discolor the pavers. If so, only use hot water. You can use construction fabric or a tarp to cover the area of ​​the sidewalk afterwards to avoid repeated clearing.

Which balconies do pigeons like to roost on?

Pigeons love space, wide railings, piles of boxes and furniture on open balconies, where they can build a nest. Availability of water and food on the block, as well as silence.

How to scare birds away from the balcony?

• Birds do not like noise, so if possible, place speakers with music closer to the balcony door or window.
• Cut the food foil into strips; the rustling and shine will scare away the pigeons for a while.
• Hang CDs; birds don't like their glare.
• Lubricate the ledges on which birds like to sit with Vaseline.
• Cut off the bottom at plastic bottle, then cut lengthwise, not reaching the neck, into a fringe of 2-3 cm. Place it on the floor of the balcony (like an octopus) and press on the neck. The plastic gives off glare, like water, which scares away pigeons.
• Place a stuffed raven, it will scare away for several months, but then the pigeons will get used to it and the stuffed animal can be used again next season.
• If it seems unaesthetic to you to cover the beam with netting, then this method will be completely invisible: pull the fishing line at a height of 5 cm from the railing. It is invisible, but will prevent the pigeons from landing.
• You can also scare away pigeons with the help of strong odors: place mothballs on the balcony or install an automatic air freshener with a strong smell.
• Mustard has an effective effect on birds’ sense of smell; you just need to add it periodically.
• Among electronic repellers, it is advisable to choose Ultrasonic (not sound) ones, and make sure that the frequencies used in the device are not audible to you personally.

What if a pigeon's nest with eggs appeared on the balcony?

There is no use throwing it away, the pigeons will build a new one. It is better to place a dummy, such as chalk, instead of eggs. After some time, the birds will realize that the chicks have not hatched and will leave this place forever. Pigeons do not return to places unfavorable for breeding.

There are different types of stains on clothes, some are easy to remove, while others are difficult to remove. But without removing stains and washing away various dirt, we cannot bring our clothes to an ideal, clean state. In this article we will talk about removing not the most common, unpleasant, but common pollution from bird droppings, we will look at the most effective means How to remove bird droppings from clothes.

Very unpleasant situation with coat

Fresh tracks

Many of us have encountered the problem of traces of bird droppings appearing on clothes and other things. It could be an accident on the street, or perhaps... Like any other stain, it is most easily removed when fresh, and only old bird stains are difficult to remove from things.

Removing a fresh stain from bird droppings will not be difficult; we will need clean water and a soft sponge. If the stain has already begun to gradually be absorbed, then you will need to act according to the following scheme:

• Take a spoon or a dull knife and scrape any traces of droppings from the fabric, rinse the stained area with cold running water.
• Spread the clothes on a horizontal surface and place a rag under the contaminated area to absorb excess liquid.
• Apply water to the traces of droppings gradually and constantly until you notice that the contamination has completely dissolved and has completely begun to disappear.
• Now we should remove the remaining dirt with a napkin or soft sponge, and then cover the treated area with bread crumbs.
• As it dries, you will already be able to see whether any traces will remain or not. If you see that the stain has not completely come off, then additionally treat the stained area with gasoline using a cotton pad. Choose pure gasoline, which is sold in construction and hardware stores.
• Remaining traces of gasoline can be removed from fabric with a 5% vinegar solution. After which you should additionally rinse the treated area with warm water and dry.
• For white items, you can use hydrogen peroxide, or immediately take a bleach suitable for this fabric. Be sure to check the capabilities of bleach before using it. inside clothes, and then move on to the front.

This is quite normal for city residents.

If we consider household chemicals and related products, here you can find various good means, for example, wet wipes from the Amway brand. Despite the fact that such napkins are not cheap, they remove dirt very well. With their help, you can remove various fresh and old stains, including traces of bird droppings that you just brought into the house.

Usually fresh traces of bird droppings are removed quite easily, but with old ones you have to tinker. The fact is that droppings largely consist of phosphorus and nitrogen, which allow it to penetrate deeply into the structure of the tissue and attach to its fibers. That is why serious difficulties can arise when cleaning things from old stains of bird droppings.

Old stains

If you find unpleasant traces of birds on your favorite clothes, don’t despair, there are whole line effective ways cleaning things from such contaminants, and most of them are based on products that are found in every home.

Using gasoline and acetic acid can help with the most stubborn stains. The principle of using these funds is as follows:

• First of all, you need to place the item on a horizontal surface and try to partially remove the dirt using a brush.
• Then, using a cotton pad soaked in gasoline, you need to carefully treat the affected area of ​​clothing. In this case, it is advisable to place a cotton wool or a well-absorbing rag under the stain.
• After using gasoline, rinse the cleaned area with clean water and wipe with a sponge or brush.
• To slightly dry the fabric, you can use paper napkins and bread crumbs, which will additionally draw out the remaining droppings.
• If small traces remain, they can be easily washed off the fabric with a 5% acetic acid solution.
• Clothes can now be washed normally to remove any residual cleaning products and unpleasant odors.

Dangerous city birds

Some housewives create gasoline-based soap that allows you to remove greasy stains from fabric. It’s difficult to call such a solution soap, but in our case this detergent composition will also be useful and effective.

The recipe for gasoline soap is as follows: It is necessary to mix together the following components - 150-200 ml of gasoline, 3-5 ml of ethyl alcohol, 10-15 ml of oleic acid, and then, while continuing to stir the solution, pour in 5-8 ml of 25% ammonia.

The resulting solution will allow us to get rid of annoying bird stains; we will apply it as follows:

• You should pour gasoline soap on the stains and leave to soak for 10-15 minutes.
• After a specified time, the dirt is removed with a brush, which is additionally moistened in the cleaning solution. At the end of the work, the cleaned areas are sprinkled with talcum powder.
• If after such treatment there are still faded traces, they should be additionally treated with heated glycerin. You can use the same vinegar, which does an excellent job of removing bird tracks.
• After all procedures, clothes should be washed as usual and dried, and then evaluate your work.

For deep and stubborn stains, ammonia can be added to a mixture of gasoline and vinegar. The ammonia it consists of perfectly removes such contaminants. The cleaning principle in this case is as follows: first we wipe the stains with ammonia, rinse with water, then with gasoline, rinse with water, and then, if necessary, with vinegar, and send the clothes to the wash.

It perfectly removes such contaminants from things during regular washing in tandem with Vanish and laundry soap. If you use pre-soaking, then for white things it must be done in bleach and washing powder with enzymes. After that, regular washing will be enough to completely clean the material.

Undoubtedly, the appearance of bird marks on your clothes negatively affects your mood and forces you to take drastic measures, but on the other hand, if you believe folk signs, a bird tag attracts money. Therefore, do not be too upset, but immediately begin removing bird droppings from your clothes, because if it gets into the fabric, it will be more difficult to do this.

I had vague memories of whiteness from childhood; in the early 90s there were already bleaching powders, but my grandmother continued to actively use whiteness to whiten and disinfect linen. Modern means We have successfully replaced this product from our everyday life for more than 20 years and now this miracle whiteness is back in my house and I can’t get enough of this product The story of how whiteness helped remove pigeons from the balcony and clean it .

Preface. We moved to another city and rent an apartment with a balcony. I probably went out to the balcony once in a year, there’s simply no need for it, especially since it’s not glazed and there’s a lot of rubbish there from the owners and previous tenants.... And then we began to be attracted to the cooing of pigeons, everything that wakes us up earlier in the morning and before... Looking out onto the balcony, we saw that a couple of little doves had built a nest at our place and laid two eggs) Well, we thought that it was not good to destroy the nest and kill, but suddenly chicks had already formed there... WHAT A MISTAKE THAT WAS. ...! If a nest appears on your balcony, feel free to destroy it and throw it away!!! Otherwise, YOU WILL WAIT WHAT WE WENT THROUGH.....

The pigeons took turns incubating the eggs, cooing and talking right on our balcony. But that's not so bad. How the chicks hatched (at first they look like chickens, just as yellow, and then they look so scary), we were touched - here it is, household What fools we were...

The pigeons grew up. They cooed more and more. We ate more and more. AND THEY POOED MORE AND MORE. Two months passed from the moment they hatched until they began to take off. They began to run around the balcony and shit. Take off and shit from above. The entire nest was torn apart. We fenced them off a little with what was on the balcony, but it didn’t help much... It began to smell if we put the balcony door on for ventilation... And so they began to fly away more and more and after two and a half months they were no longer there for several days. And then I began to act. armed with gloves, a mask, bags and a broom and mop.... I cleaned for two hours. I threw out all the old trash and the nest, and washed the balcony of the remains of life activity. WHITE did an excellent job of cleaning and disinfecting the former settlement of the doves....

But that was not the case. The parent pigeons began to fly onto our balcony, they had already gotten used to us and began to pull up twigs for a new nest. But then my patience ran out. I just poured white on the balcony twice (with a break of several days) when the pigeons were there, apparently they can’t stand the smell. That's all. Silence. Purity. Order. Freshness

This is how Whiteness helped save us from pigeons