Bird and bat droppings cleanup

What this involves

Birds and bats roost in the same places year after year, and their droppings pile up beneath them. Pigeons favor ledges, parking garages, loading docks, rooftop equipment and the inside of warehouses and barns. Bats roost in attics, wall cavities and church steeples. Over time, droppings can build up thick enough to damage roofing and insulation, stain masonry, block vents, and create slip hazards on walkways. Nesting material, feathers and dead birds are usually part of the job too. In commercial buildings, droppings on rooftop units, near air intakes and on loading docks are as much a maintenance issue as a health one, because they corrode metal, clog drains and create slip hazards for workers.

Why professional remediation matters

The main health concern is histoplasmosis, a lung infection caused by a fungus that grows in soil enriched by bird and bat droppings. The Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, which include Tennessee, are among the areas where this fungus is most common. NIOSH guidance warns that disturbing accumulated droppings, especially dry scraping or sweeping, can release spores into the air, and recommends wetting material, respiratory protection, and protective clothing for workers. Bird droppings can also carry other organisms, such as those that cause cryptococcosis and psittacosis. Work at height or in attics adds its own safety concerns.

What to avoid before help arrives

• Do not dry-sweep, scrape or power-wash accumulated droppings without wetting them and using respiratory protection.
• Do not let anyone with a weakened immune system help with cleanup or stay near the work.
• Do not seal bats inside a building. Bats are protected wildlife and exclusion should be timed and handled by a wildlife professional.
• Keep rooftop and air-intake droppings away from building ventilation; turn off nearby air intakes during cleanup if possible.

How the work is done

1. Assessment. We measure the extent of the accumulation, check access and fall hazards, and note nearby air intakes.
2. Setup. Air intakes near the work are shut down where possible, the area is isolated, and the crew wears respiratory protection.
3. Wet removal. Droppings are kept wet while they are removed and bagged to limit airborne dust.
4. Cleaning and disinfection. Surfaces are cleaned and disinfected; contaminated attic insulation is removed and bagged.
5. Close-out. We document the cleaned areas and recommend deterrents or exclusion by a wildlife or pest professional.

Waste handling

Droppings and nesting material are bagged and disposed of as solid waste in line with local rules.

Afterward

Without deterrents, birds come back to the same roost. Spikes, netting or exclusion, installed by the right professional, are what keep the area clean. For bats, exclusion should only be done at the right time of year. Anyone who develops flu-like or breathing symptoms after being around disturbed droppings should tell a doctor about the exposure, since histoplasmosis can be mistaken for other illnesses.

Rules that apply in Tennessee

• OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard 29 CFR 1910.134 · checked 2026-11-03

Where we provide this service

Throughout our Middle Tennessee service area, including:

• Nashville
• Murfreesboro
• Clarksville
• Franklin

Related

• Rodent dropping and nest cleanup
• Animal remains removal and odor cleanup
• Raccoon latrine cleanup

Questions