CityLiving: Builders are too quick to down tools these days. Edel Morgan reports.

It appears that the era of the rough, tough, burly builder may be over. These days builders are liable to down tools if they feel threatened. And by "threatened" I don't mean by a gang of ruthless thugs. . .but by a pair of raucous pigeons.

Recently, a builder renovating a period apartment in Dublin suspended work after his men had been pestered by two pigeons in the loft. He refuses to do any more work until the pigeons are disposed of by the owner of the apartment.

Coincidentally, I know of another person whose builder recently stopped renovation work on the roof of her holiday home because they found evidence of rat infestation in the attic area. The builders refused to touch the roof insulation in case they were exposed to Leptospirosis or Weil's Disease.

Leptospirosis is usually picked up from the infected urine of rats. The bacteria which causes Leptospirosis can get into your body through cuts and scratches and through the lining of the mouth, throat and eyes.

In the majority of people it will cause at most a flu-like illness, with a persistent and severe headache. However, at its worst it can develop into Weil's Disease, which can cause liver and kidney failure and can be fatal in a small proportion of cases.

The owner had to pay someone to go in dressed in protective gear to deal with the contaminated insulation.

The builders might argue that they had valid concerns about contracting a potentially serious illness but rats in the countryside are hardly a rare phenomenon. So shouldn't builders have strategies for dealing with wildlife on building sites?

It seems they do. The strategy for some builders seems to be to take off to another job and let someone else deal with the little critters. There is so much building work out there, they don't have to waste time and money with tiresome problem solving.

Kevin Gilna of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) says that how such situations are tackled "depends on the builder".

"Rat urine is a hazard but standard domestic detergent will usually kill the bacteria. It's usually a matter of simple precautions that can be carried out extremely quickly and shouldn't put a project on hold for too long."

Whether the builder should deal with the infected insulation themselves "depends on the builder and on the severity of the problem. If it's a serious number of rats and they feel it's too dangerous, they should get in pest control but, if it's only a few rats, then they should probably deal with it themselves."

According to Gilna, pigeon droppings can cause a disease called Psittacosis which can induce flu-like symptoms. Pigeons can also carry Salmonella and e-coli.

"All it takes is to wear the proper protective gear and remove the droppings. It shouldn't delay the project for long," he says.

As for the pigeons attacking the hapless builders in the loft? "I don't know how expert these people are but I wouldn't say they were wrong not to take action themselves because it would depend on the situation.

"Although, you would imagine if there were 30 to 50 pigeons coming at them then they would need expert help but one or two shouldn't be a serious hazard. Common sense has to prevail in these situations."

If these builders can't face the odd marauding pigeon or rat infestation, how would they fare if they were based in countries with a more formidable wildlife?

In the United States, for example, in places like San Diego, Sacramento, and Boulder it wouldn't be unheard of to come across the occasional roaming Cougar in the suburbs. Grizzly bears and alligators are hazards in other parts of north America.

Some scientists believe the sudden increase in wildlife in suburban areas in the US is being caused by a movement of animals from harsh environmental conditions, such as drought, wildfires, extreme heat or flooding. Some blame builders who, by introducing lush, non-native vegetation, alter the local environment into a buffet for these creatures.

In the Coachella Valley in California, planners are in talks with state and federal wildlife regulators on how builders should deal with desert tortoise and burrowing owls outside conservation zones.

Maybe there should be some firm policy in this country on how to deal with different wildlife species, both endangered and commoner gardener. . .or else make it obligatory for builders to take part in a survival course abroad where they get to tackle grizzlies, big cats and wild deer.

Suddenly odd pesky rodent or wayward bird might not seem so bad after all.