The listed building of the Hus Church in Brno, a significant functionalist gem by architect Jan Víšek from 1929, was facing a serious problem. A large colony of pigeons lived in the church tower and had grown considerably in recent years. Over the years of nesting, they had also made a real "catastrophe" in the tower. As specialists in DDD services, we were called upon to humanely expel the pigeons, carry out a complete clearance of pigeon droppings and thoroughly remediate all contaminated areas that posed a health risk. The building needed to be approached with respect to its dignified role and architectural significance. It was also important to draw up a precise schedule of work that would be carried out in such a way that the entire contract would be successfully completed by May 23, when the Night of Churches takes place. This significant evening will culminate before midnight with the ceremonial lighting of the very tower that the pigeon population has become fond of. Therefore, it was essential to plan everything carefully so that we could promise the Council of Elders with a clear conscience that the tower environment would be completely clean and safe for this important night, without the original uninvited tenants.

Clearing pigeon droppings is a process that requires precise adherence to the following professional processes so that it is successful and at the same time does not pose a health risk. We adhere to precisely timed procedures based on the methodology of the State Institute of Health to make the entire event safe and as effective as possible. This methodology does not only include the clearing itself, but also professional three-stage disinfestation (destruction of pigeon ticks, bedbugs and other parasites) and multi-phase, thorough disinfection. The disposal of the bagged and previously carefully treated hazardous waste was provided for us by a professional company, which also carried out its thermal disposal. We also equipped the cleared and clean church tower with an odor barrier, which will make the area around the tower less attractive to pigeons.

In the initial work schedule, thanks to our previous experience with clearing pigeon droppings, we always prefer to leave a week's reserve for unexpected situations. And because everything went very well and there were no complications, everything was completed within the originally estimated time. We thus handed over the church tower clean and ready for the Night of Churches a week early.

Why is pigeon droppings so dangerous?

Pigeons carry a number of dangerous pathogens that can cause serious illnesses. The most common include:

Histoplasmosis (a fungal disease of the respiratory tract)

Cryptococcosis (a dangerous fungal disease)

Salmonellosis (a foodborne disease)

Ornithosis (the so-called bird flu)

In the case of the Husův sboru tower, it was necessary to remove almost 300 kg of biological waste that contained a high concentration of these health risks.

Special approach to the listed building

When working on this listed building, we had to adhere to strict conditions:

Gentle cleaning methods – thoroughly, carefully, but without invasive techniques that would damage the historic surfaces

Low-concentration disinfection – effective against all pathogens, but gentle enough for sensitive materials. The pigeon droppings were carefully mixed and moistened with a strong chlorine disinfectant during bagging.

Professional waste disposal – all contaminated material was thermally destroyed by a professional company in a specialized incinerator.

Consultation of procedures with the architect – Throughout the entire event, we were in contact with the listed architect who supervises the building. Together, we looked for a path that would be sufficiently effective, while being gentle on the architectural monument.

Our work on the Hus Church shows how the protection of cultural heritage can be effectively combined with modern technologies of DDD services. The result is not only a clean and safe interior, but also the long-term protection of this beautiful architectural monument.

Need advice on a similar project? Contact experts who understand both heritage conservation and the professional and effective elimination of health risks.