The fourth floor Ross Hall computer lab is a good place for students to do homework, check important emails and, of course, Facebook.  Apparently the room also serves as a good toilet for pigeons. 

A couple of pigeons flew through an open window and “basically crapped on some of the computers and the floor,” Eric Wiltse, professor in the department of communication and journalism, said.  

Wiltse said he first discovered there had been pigeons in the computer lab when he opened the door and saw the whole mess. It’s not the first time a pigeon has wreaked havoc in Ross Hall either.

According to Sue Benson, office associate for the department, pigeons have been in Ross Hall’s Oral Communication Lab in the past, leaving their droppings all over the floor. Both Wiltse and Benson believe a couple of window screens will do the trick in keeping the critters out, but an unexpected question came up when Wiltse sent a work order to the Physical Plant for screen installations–“Who is going to pay for it?” 

After Wiltse submitted the work order, the plant told him there was no money in the budget to cover the cost.  “I think it’s amusing that UW can pay $10 million to put up all these buildings, but can’t spare a couple of bucks to put in some screens to help protect students and equipment,” Wiltse said. 

The question stands.  Who is going to pay for these screens?  Benson said she has a screen in her office window, but the money for that came out of the department’s budget.  But Benson doesn’t think it is right. “I don’t think that we should have to pay to maintain our buildings,” she said.  

Wiltse said if nothing is done to block the Ross Hall computer lab window from the wreckage pigeons bring, he will buy the screen and install it himself.  Either way, something has to be done, because pigeon poo is no laughing matter. 

Marry Murrieta, environmental health specialist, said pigeon feces can cause the transmission of Histoplasmosis, Cryptococcosis and Psittacosis. “Cleanup of pigeon feces is the most common time that people contract the diseases,” Murrieta added. 

Edward Moller, facilities ground attendant for UW, said custodial staff must wear goggles, gloves and masks before they go anywhere near a pigeon mess, whether it be a nest or pigeon droppings. 

Moller said the best way to prevent pigeons from causing these messes is to simply keep the windows closed.  

However, Benson and Wiltse argue that it is sometimes too hot in the summer to always keep the windows closed. Coincidentally, the summer time is when pigeons tend to be on their worst behavior.

Besides screen installations, there are other low-cost techniques that can be used to keep the pigeons at bay.  The City of Laramie website suggests the use of netting, which is simply caging the pigeons out of areas and visual deterrents, which is basically using dummies that simulate natural predators.

Moller said the netting technique is already used on stair wells in Hill Hall, which make great pigeon nesting areas.  “Before we set up those nets I had to clean those stairwells every week,” Moller said. 

 It just goes to show you that simple and low-cost things can prevent what happened in the Ross Hall computer lab.  In fact, there are some things any regular person can do without spending a dime. 

Murrieta said the best thing people can do to send the pigeons flying is to stop deliberately feeding them and cover garbage so pigeons can’t get to it.  Murrieta also suggested that people should eliminate possible living areas for pigeons by blocking small holes that may be on their houses.

The City of Laramie also has a form which you can fill out telling the city where pigeons may be residing.  City employees will then be dispatched to capture the pigeons and release them outside city limits.

With all these methods at our disposal, the pigeon problem can be an easy fix.      

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