Birds look harmless or even adorable while sitting on our roofs. They may look cute, but they are actually ruining your roof. This article explains how they do it.

They clog drains and gutters. Birds like to nest in roof drains and gutters. They find these places comfortable and convenient. These nests block the drains, causing the water to pond on the roof. This reduces the lifespan of the roof by degrading it via corrosion and rusting. The gutter may collapse if enough volume of water and dust accumulates over a period of time.

Droppings degrade the roof. Droppings are acidic in nature. This means they easily damage the roof. They corrode most roofing materials such as metals and negatively impact on efficiency levels of solar. According to the New York Environment Department, accumulated bird droppings can effectively reduce the life of some buildings by up to 50 percent.

Birds carry diseases. Birds are a source of diseases and bird-bone parasites. There are many documented reports of birds causing an epidemic in some countries. This includes the bird-flu virus in Asia a few years ago. If microorganisms from a bird’s droppings are accidentally ingested, they can cause serious health issues that can take a while to properly diagnosis and treat. There are also concerns among health experts that they may cause food poisoning if they are tracked into the house or commercial structure by rooftop workers or transmitted through roof leaks.

Bird pecking. When birds peck on the roof of certain facilities to pick insects or grains, they can cause punctures to the roof system. They can also pick at roof membranes when looking for insects, increasing the chances of a roof leaking.

Safety hazard for roof workers. During a wet season or when the the droppings are still fluid, they cause the roof to be slippery. When nesting, birds can dive or swoop at roofers, creating a hazardous working environment. It has also been established that a slip and fall hazard is much greater for roofs that have bird droppings.