Bird Poop?????

[FarmerDave]

Well just recently I've begun to find almost alarming amounts of bird feces around my growing area, and I was wondering if it is ok to place the bird droppings into some of my plants traps such as Sarracenia, Nepenthes, and Heliamphora? I've already began doing that with my S. purpurea ssp. venosa and N. 'Miranda' and I was wondering if it would be somewhat bennificial to any of my plants if I were to keep on doing so (or if it is bad for my plant's health so I can stop now).

I know that that generally happens with Heliamphora but I was wondering if it is ok for the others.

Thanks!

 

[Drosera36]

Um, I think it's best not to touch such things.

-Ben

 

[Av8tor1]

two weeks ago my girlfriend and I just had to put her dog down from a fungal infection of the lungs resulting from bird poop, it had made its way throughout the brain, bones etc etc, not pretty, the xrays were awful

the only treatment for it would have been hundreds of dollars per month for an extended period of time and even then the odds werent good at all

he said the poop rest in the dirt, then the spores get stirred up and breathed into the lungs... you get the idea

the vet told us humans were more resistant then dogs but why chance it, remove their perch if you can

Av

 

[Not a Number]

Bird guano is one of the richest natural fertilizers available: full of nitrogen in the form of uric acid (that's what make bird poop white). Guano is related to ammonia fertilizers like ammonium nitrate.

I'd keep it away from my CPs.

 

[FarmerDave]

What if I put it in my S. purpurea traps every now and then?

 

[Not a Number]

It must happen randomly in nature so a little bit now and then probably won't kill them. It would probably be like foliar fertilizering once in a great while.

 

[xvart]

Watch out for bird flu!

xvart.

 

[FarmerDave]

Oh, I don't used my bare hands. I use gloves.
And I keep the extra droppings in a dry plastic bag.

 

[Presto]

alarming amounts of bird feces around my growing area

hey...make sure these birds aren't attacking your plants.

 

[ChronoKiento]

My advice: get a baseball bat and hope the rain washes away the poo, I don't think it does anything good for the plants.

Just kidding about the bird baseball thingy.. not nice...

 

[Drosera36]

Here's another way to think of it that I just thought;

What you're doing with the purp is pretty much just like a stagnant toilet, with no filtration or anything. Sounds fun, huh? 'Specially in winter, when it isn't too active.

-Ben

 

[Av8tor1]

I dont believe the doc told us which specific disease the dog had...
I did a quick search, I am sure there is probably more but these two should be enough of a deterrent


Histoplasmosis
Systemic disease caused by H. capsulatum, which is found in soil with high concentration of fecal material of chickens, pigeons and bats
Endemic areas are the valleys of Ohio, Missouri, and Mississippi rivers
Occurs as an intracellular yeast and is seen best on silver stain
Farmers, construction workers, and people who enjoy outdoor activities are the most at risk by inhaling spores
1 in 2000 people will develop chronic pulmonary disease
Most cases of primary histoplasmosis are asymptomatic or mild flu-like syndrome
Progressive pulmonary disease associated with chronic lung disease occurs in middle-aged men
CXR demonstrates dense nodules with central calcification
Chronic cavitary histoplasmosis is less common
Mediastinal histoplasmosis results in fibrosing mediastinitis, which is the most frequent benign etiology of SVC obstruction
Healed histoplasmosis causes a solitary pulmonary nodule, which can be confused with carcinoma

Cryptococcosis
Caused by C. neoformans, found in soil contaminated by pigeon droppings
India ink staining reveals round, budding yeast which has gelatinous polysaccharide capsule
Primarily involves the bronchopulmonary tree, with special predilection for the meninges
Lesions often involve the lower lobes and are solid
Amphotericin B and 5-fluorocytosine are both effective medical treatment
Always examine CSF if C. neoformans is isolated from sputum or surgical specimen
10% of patients develop cryptococcal meningitis after resection of a pulmonary lesion

cheers'
Av

 

[FarmerDave]

Well these feces are cylinder-shaped and actually have seeds in them.
They're already dry and I never really touch them.
Now that I think of it, It might not even be bird poop.

 

[Meaven]

it has been widely speculated that bird feces sereves as fertilizer to N. Lowii and perhaps ephippeata, no?

i would be concerned however that for other species and plants, it is far too rich, and would lead to decay.

but thats just my 2 cents.

 

[Finch]

Bird poop is relatively clean compared to other animals, and risk of infection is primarily around a large concentration of birds, like a roosting spot or a henhouse. Its still poop, though.