ARCHIVED - Alhama church combats pooing pigeons with fabric meshing
Alhama City Council has replaced the anti-pigeon mesh in the church of San Lázaro
Although unsightly, Alhama de Murcia council has had no choice other than to replace the degraded wire meshing used to prevent the deterioration of the stone image of the façade of the church, as without the protection, Nuestra Señora de Gracia, would be at the mercy of the pooing pigeons!.
The parish priest requested that the meshing be replaced, in order to prevent damage to the statue, as the existing wire mesh had been damaged and had degraded, allowing the pigeons access to the statue.
A high-density polyethylene thread meshing is now being used which gives protection from ultraviolet radiation, but also prevents the birds from landing on the image and excreting over it, the acidity of which can cause long-term damage to the structure.
Pigeons are unavoidably part of the local scene, with plenty of flowing water locally in the nearby Jardín de los Patos and gardens of the municipal archaeological museum, Los Baños.