AIBU to ask the housing association to remove birds from my wall? And if I'm not BU, how can I make them do it?

[BirdwomanofAlcatraz]

There are birds in the outside wall of my bedroom. I first became aware a couple of weeks ago when I heard them scratting around in the early morning and saw them flying back and forwards, also that there is bird poo on the inside of my window.

I phoned the housing association and told them but they knocked me back on four fronts: 1) that they don't believe the birds are in the walls, I need to have footage of them going in and out of the wall (I'm on the third floor, they're quick, I've tried standing outside with my phone and pressing record but they're too quick for me, really I stood there for a long time like a crazy person but it's split second movements when they go in and out)
2) that the marks on the window are just marks. They're not just marks. It's actual bird poo dropping down the window on the inside
3) that there's a pandemic on. Yes I know this but this is an infestation and I am concerned if fleas etc are also dropping down the window
4) the birds are probably in the eaves. Well if they were I wouldn't be concerned, but they're not. They're in the space directly above my window. I have seen them with my own eyes going in and out and so have my neighbours. There is a gap in the wall that they're getting in and out of.

What can I do? I've submitted a complaint after they dismissed my request for maintenance but not heard anything. As far as I know landlords do still have a duty to ensure their properties are not infested, even at this time. I pay my rent every month and haven't asked for a repair before. This is driving me crazy.

I bet you haven't used flashing tape. Nothing gets through that. It's made to use on roofs to make the watertight.

JacobReesMogadishu - even if it were bats, the same protection, quite rightly applies, they may not be disturbed, destroyed or interfered with. I have a bat colony living in my loft space, a huge privilige😀

LostDesire
yeah I just think it’s not very clever to be encouraging others to break the law in public.
It’s also cruel and unnecessary.
How do you think the OPs children would react to her killing an entire family of birds?
These Laws are there to protect wildlife that are seriously under threat, there is no comparison to rampant vermin. You sound like a stoned teenager trying to be clever and philosophical.
Tiresome.

I'm really sorry you've had such a show of shitty attitudes from many on here, OP - for what it's worth, I totally sympathise and don't blame you for wanting to get this sorted. It's your home, for gods sake, and of course there are health and hygiene considerations. Sorry I have no useful advice but we're not all cold unfeeling tossers (naming no names!).

Yes, was going to say if bats you’ll never get rid. Far more protected than birds. We have loads, in the outbuildings thankfully.

Dunno about bird shit, there is an awful lot of batshittery flying about on this thread

Why all the nasty responses to a perfectly reasonable question from the OP? Well I imagine it's probably got something to do with her own unreasonable and nasty responses as the thread progressed.

We have starlings. I’m glad that they can share the shelter and safety of my house

I can't believe some of the nasty, unempathic replies on this thread. The ones joking at the OP's expense are just purely nasty - if you can't help, fine, but to mock her situation, which is clearly distressing for her is vile.

I’m guessing you didn’t see her deleted comments then.
😂😂😂😂

No, I haven't seen any deleted comments so have no idea what they were - just going off the thread now as it stands now.

OP was getting nasty comments before she started being a bit shirty. She was obviously getting frustrated with people telling her she was being ridiculous, etc.

@MrEzraGoldberg thank you! I never would have thought I'd be so worried about this, really, and I do like birds but seeing the shit on the windows and hearing them scratting around is doing my nut in. I've been sleeping on the sofa for two weeks because I'm worried about what else is going to drop down the window. Maybe it's easy to laugh and be philosophical about nature etc if it's not happening to you. I've got no outdoor space anyway, there's me and two kids in this flat and I'm trying to keep working and supervising school work and both of my kids have a bunch of allergies and asthma and one has a mad immune system thing going on so we're supposed to be shielding and I'm worried about all of that and we've lost two people to covid and I've got pests in my wall and shit on my window and some supercilious woman at the ha saying don't you know there's a pandemic on well yeah two people we care about very much have died but I still don't want to live in an infested place. It's just too much.

We have starlings in our loft space every year. The entrance is right above my bedroom window so I can hear them every day, scratching around, tweeting and sometimes arguing 😂
We live next to a farm so there are probably nests everywhere.
Dusk is the best as you can see them all congregating and joining their foreign cousins for massive murmurations.
In a nearby town, they will land on your hand and feed from you!
One of my favourite birds.

It’s all a bit bizarre really. MN are normally keen to slag off nasty landlords who won’t sort stuff out. 🤷‍♀️

I totally get it. It's overwhelming when you're trying to cope with everything as it is at the moment, without something extra added to the burden. And god, if it's preventing you from sleeping too, that's going to make you feel worse in the long run as you'll be knackered.

How long ago did you put the complain in with the HA?

You just need to seal the window and try to chill out about it a bit. It's a hard time for everyone but you are over reacting and they aren't pests. You won't catch anything off them. Their dander shouldn't be able to get in the room, so they wont affect allergies. I think you're focusing on this because you think it's something you can control rather than everything else. But alas, you cant. Just like you cant trot off to the local swings because its doi g your head in being inside. You cant disturb a nest because they're annoying you. Your landlord wont do it, it's illegal.

Can you see the home in your bedroom where the poo is coming from op? Is the hole all the way to outside?

Hole not home

And am so sorry to hear you've lost two people to covid

This time of year is vital for birds. They will most likely have fledglings in there which should not be disturbed. Actually has been said above it is an offence to do so.

My mother had them for years and eventually got the hole sealed up. I imagine you will be able to do this in due course.

Calm. The. Fuck. Down. Hun.

You've had some damn (should that be "fucking"?) advice on this thread. And I for one, am neither middle class or a snob. Take some of the advice - who knows, it might even fucking help 🧘🏻‍♀️

@Ulver did I say I was trying to be clever? Or was I giving the OP an answer like everyone else? Is saying "omg you can't do anything till it leaves" anymore clever?

Also why drag the OPs kids up? Did I say for OP to tell them? To show them? To be apart of the foam filling?

I'm not trying to sound philosophical, I was trying to make a point but clearly failed. I'll own it and stand by it tho.

@LostDesire but your actions would be directly killing them. Whether you ring their necks, throw them in the bin, throw them on the floor. You're actively killing them because they dare to co-habit.
If you trap animals in the wall they will rot and stink the place out. As people find out when they poison mice who crawl under the floor to die and stink the house out. Why shouldn't she have to make do with sealing the space between them? Why shouldn't she have to clean the window if it's dirty? We cant just kill anything that inconveniences us. Life is about compromise, with other humans and other animals. We all need somewhere safe to sleep. We all need to raise our children. No ones asking her to go live in the shed and let the birds have her house.

I'v got birds in our wall just above my bedroom too, recently purchased house so was unaware there was a gap. Luckily there is no pop, just loads of tweeting and occasional scratching. Our plan is to wait until nesting is over then block the gap as others have said it would be illegal to disturb the nest. I would make your HA aware of the issue so that they can have you pencilled in for job at an appropriate time. I am slightly confused about the vent issue though, the angle seems wrong for poo getting in. Anyway what sort of tape are you using? Sounds like you need to get some more industrial tape.