Commercial Starling Control

Family: Sturnidae - Sturnus vulgaris - Common Starling - European Starling

Starlings are attracted to our cities and towns mainly during the winter months when the evening temperature is warmer than the nearby exposed rural areas. As starling spend most of their time in flocks, when they roost in large numbers, their droppings can become a serious slip hazard as well as cause damage through corrosion to the buildings.

Problems Caused

The noise of starlings can be particularly load especially during the breeding period which is quite long, running from March to August in a typical year and can also be particularly aggressive during this period swooping down on people near any nearby nest.

Huge urban roosts in cities can also create other problems due to the mess made and the smell of the droppings. In 1949, so many birds landed on the clock hands of London's Big Ben that it stopped, leading to unsuccessful attempts to disrupt the roosts with netting, repellent chemical on the ledges and broadcasts of common starling alarm calls.

Disease

Starlings carry a range of diseases, many transferable to livestock, but several that can infect humans. The most notable of these is histoplasmosis fungus. Histoplasmosis is a disease affecting the lungs that can be fatal if left untreated. It is usually contracted when humans inhale the spores of the fungus, which become airborne if the droppings are disturbed. Starlings are also capable of transmitting cryptococcosis to humans, E. coli, and Salmonella paratuberculosis (Johne's Disease).

Starlings are very unhealthy birds who carry a tremendous amount of diseases, their droppings are dangerous and should not be moved or handled without the proper personal protective equipment. If starlings are roosting near your home it is advisable to have their feces professionally cleaned as soon as possible and measures installed to exclude the birds from the area.

Property Damage

Starling faeces are extremely acidic and as well as defacing buildings, paintwork and vehicles with their droppings, if left untreated can cause irreparable damage to stonework and building facades. They frequently foul entrances and pavements, which can become dangerously slippery.