Removing bird poo from paving stones

kipsterno1

You could try some Bac50 on it. It is the concentrated form of patio magic or wet and forget.

chrisw

I also think it's lichen - vinegar should kill it off over a couple of days.

Lichens are actually incredible, complex organisms, but are often mistaken for bird poo or chewing gum.

Bigphil1474

Another Lichen supporter - I'd just leave it.

MouldyOldDough

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82032906#Comment_82032906

No - it's definitely from birds - I see fresh blobs from time to time

MouldyOldDough

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82032869#Comment_82032869

I agree - that's why we're trying to remove it !

As for reasons - we certainly don't feed them and don't see them congregating around any other gardens - it's down to sheer numbers of birds (pigeons & gulls mainly)

MouldyOldDough

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82033341#Comment_82033341

We tried that - nothing removed at all - hence the chemicals - although still no good

casper_gutman

I'm another one who's sceptical about the bird poo theory. We have plenty of birds around here, they leave deposits on the paving, it breaks down in the sun and washes away in the rain. It doesn't build up like this. Even the ground under railway bridges etc doesn't end up like this, except specific spots under nesting and roosting spots, and there's no rain to wash it away there.

I promise you, this is lichen. Next time you spot a new addition from the birds, keep an eye on it. It will go away in time, and won't turn into one of these lichen spots.

MouldyOldDough

Sorry - but it is not lichen - it's definitely bird poo - You can watch a fresh spot (that a bird has just done) dry out over a few days and add to the enormous number of spots already on the patio !

MouldyOldDough

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82033395#Comment_82033395

We tried one of those wet and forget chemical cleaners a few months ago and it failed to make any inroads at all

kitten_bitten

Worth double checking it's actually bird poo and not lichen first, as a few others have said it looks more like lichen from the photo - the white spots can look really similar. If it is lichen, a patio cleaner with something like benzalkonium chloride works better than the general "spray and leave" ones. If you still think it's bird mess, hot soapy water with a stiff brush and a bit of elbow grease usually does it without needing a pressure washer - just do small patches at a time so you don't end up with obvious clean spots in the middle of dirty ones.