Expert: Roger Lederer - 5/22/2009

Question
I have a bird's nest in my bathroom vent that leads to the front of my house.  I can hear the babies, see the parents fly to and from the vent and there is bird poop on the ground right below the vent.  At one point there was some type of mesh that filled the opening to the vent flap that they must have pushed back.  Once the birds fledge I would like to remove the nest, but I am concerned about parasites.  My question, should I be concerned about contracting parasites when removing the nest?  If so, what can I do to protect myself?  Is it necessary to disinfect the vent after removal of the nest.

Answer
You can remove the vent safely once the birds are gone. Any parasites the birds might have do not infect humans, so you are safe there. There might be some insects in the nest itself, but they are most likely harmless as well. All you need to do is wash your hands thoroughly and wash the vent out with soap and water. Although birds do carry some diseases that humans can get, it is a rare event and typically only happens when there are dozens or more birds' nests in a small area. I wouldn't worry. And West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, not by handling birds or their nests.