by Pigeon Patrol | Jul 26, 2023 | history of pigeons, MBCA, pet bird, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Droppings, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Predators
Do you have a problem with pigeons in your home? Not only can this be frustrating, but pigeons can also carry germs that can have a negative impact on your health. This is why it is important to seek expert pigeon removal. With that in mind, in this blog post, we are going to reveal everything you need to know about pigeon removal, including some of the steps you can take to keep pigeons away from your home.
Why pigeons are dangerous
You may have heard that pigeons carry diseases. This information is true. In fact, pigeons spread an alarming number of diseases, as they carry more than 60 varieties of pathogens. Diseases are transmitted via pigeon droppings. Of course, you can make sure that you never pick up or touch pigeon droppings. Nevertheless, it is a little bit more complicated than that. When pigeon droppings that are infected with viruses or bacteria are left on windowsills or pavements, for example, they will start to dry out. When this happens, the droppings then turn into a powder. The powder is either kicked into the air or blown about, which causes it to be inhaled by people without them knowing. When this powder is inhaled in this manner, this is how diseases can be spread to humans.
What are some of the common pathogens that pigeons can transmit to humans?
There are a number of different pathogens that humans can transmit to humans, so let’s take a look at them in further detail:
- Salmonellosis – This is a disease that you are probably more familiar with in terms of food poisoning. This disease when the infected droppings of a pigeon turn into dust, as mentioned earlier, and ends up finding its way to food preparation surfaces and food.
- Candidiasis – This disease is a respiratory condition that happens as a consequence of the years or fungus that is found within pigeon droppings. The areas that are impacted by this type of disease include the respiratory system, mouth, and skin, as well as the intestines and also the urogenital tract, especially in females.
- Histoplasmosis – This is a respiratory disease that can happen as a consequence of the fungus that grows in pigeon droppings. This disease can be fatal.
- St. Louis encephalitis – This is a form of the disease that mosquitoes spread once they have fed on a pigeon that carries this disease. This results in inflammation of the nervous system, which can be a big concern no matter how old you are. Nevertheless, it can be especially serious and sometimes even fatal in those who are 60-years-old or older. Symptoms include fever, headache, and drowsiness.
- E.coli – Last but not least, there is e.coli, which happens when bird droppings land in a supply of food or water, after which they are consumed by humans. By washing food before eating, you should be able to avoid this. Symptoms include the likes of cramps, fever, and nausea.
It is also worth pointing out that pigeons carry the West Nile virus, as well as carrying fleas and mites, all of which can result in discomfort and a number of severe medical problems for humans.
How to keep pigeons away from your home
There are several different steps that you can take to try and keep pigeons away from your property. One of the things that you can do is make the roosting areas as unappealing as possible. Here are some of the best opinions here:
- Don’t feed them – This may sound obvious, but it is important to make sure that you do not feed the pigeons. As is the case with the majority of animals, if you feed them, they are only going to keep coming back. Plus, the food may attract even more pigeons and potentially other animals as well!
- Install coping covers to window ledges and sills – If you do not have any flat surfaces for nests to be built and balanced on, the pigeons are probably going to move elsewhere and find a different home.
- Tie a string across the roosting area – Strings that are tied approximately one-inch
- Install anti-roosting spike stripes – Select strategical sports for the installation of anti-roosting spike strips. This includes the likes of window ledges and sills.
It is also a wise idea to inspect the outside of your home and to make sure there are no entry points for pigeons. Pay special attention to your attic and eaves. If any openings are present, you should seal them. You can start by sealing the attic should there by any openings that are large enough for a pigeon to get through them. You can either place a metal wire mesh or you could seal the openings completely.
Next, you should cap your chimney if your home has one. Using a metal wire cage to cap your chimney is a wise idea because pigeons are well known for creating nests that can block this area of your home. A bird could die through getting trapped inside of the chimney as well, so blocking off the chimney is better all around!
In addition to this, you should use netting or mesh surrounding the nesting areas. This is advisable especially for those that have air conditioning units in their home. This is because pigeons love to create their nests on trays underneath the unit.
Of course, you can also hire professionals to make sure that there are some strategies in place so that pigeons are deterred from your property.
Source
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird
deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row.
Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosing / Vancouver Pigeon Control / Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / PIgeon Deterrent / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons / What to do about pigeons / sparrows, Damage by Sparrows, How to Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests / De-fence / Pigeon Nesting / Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping / woodpecker control / Professional Bird Control Company / Keep The Birds Away / Birds/rats/seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/pidgeon control/flying rats/pigeon problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/bird guard
by Pigeon Patrol | Jul 26, 2023 | Bird Spike, Pigeon Predators, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons, Pigeons in the News, Raccoons, Sparrows, UltraSonic Bird Control
While out in nature, we all enjoy watching for and spotting birds. Even within cities, songbirds perched in trees add an enjoyable taste of the pastoral within these urban settings. However, pigeons may not be as welcome wandering the streets of our cities. Pigeons are used to being around humans, and they can be quite brazen about coming up to people asking for food.
You likely wont think about pigeons being a problem until they become one. These birds can be found all over the country and are quite adaptable as they nest anywhere from warehouses and commercial buildings to cliffs. They reproduce quickly, and as they grow in number, their feces will become a problem. They also eat almost anything they can find including scraps of food.
Pigeons actually aren’t native to North America. They were introduced to this continent from Europe in the 1600s, and, throughout history, humans used them for food and entertainment. As a result, this bird is quite comfortable around people.
Problems Pigeons Pose
While pigeons may seem like a normal resident in cities, they can pose a risk and become a problem if their population grows too large. Pigeons are especially a problem pest for commercial property owners and business owners.
- Pigeon droppings cause buildings to deteriorate more quickly and are costly to clean up.
- Their droppings are toxic. They not only smell, but they can also kill plants.
- Pigeon droppings pose a health risk spreading bacteria and diseases including histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, psittacosis, and E.Coli.
- Pigeons can be an aesthetic issue making a building look unclean.
- Pigeons are bad for business as they will ruthlessly beg for and steal food.
- Lastly, pigeons sometimes get caught in machinery and roof vents which means costly repairs.
Overall, dealing with pigeons around your business will likely damage your property and your reputation.
Preventing Pigeons Around Your Business
One of the best ways to keep pigeons from posing an issue for your business is to prevent their population from growing around your building. There are some measures that you can take to keep pigeons away. Most effectively, you can eliminate areas where they like to roost or nest.
- Use netting to keep them from being able to nest.
- Prevent pigeons from landing using spikes or other methods.
- Use plastic snakes or scare balloons, although these are only a short term solution.
- Do not allow others to feed pigeons near your business.
- Use outdoor trash receptacles with lids.
However, because pigeons are so used to being around humans and are adept at making nests, it can be difficult to prevent them from becoming a problem once they start to gather.
Getting Rid of Pigeon Problems
Pigeons can be a problem year-long, and they can be hard to prevent and get rid of on your own. The best way to get rid of a pigeon infestation is to contact the specialists at Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators. We use effective methods such as netting and fogging to keep pigeons at bay.
Our pigeon control services also include a humane anti-roost system that keeps them from nesting using spikes, coils, and gels. In short, our services can remove pigeons while still keeping them alive.
Source
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird
deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row.
Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosing / Vancouver Pigeon Control / Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / PIgeon Deterrent / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons / What to do about pigeons / sparrows, Damage by Sparrows, How to Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests / De-fence / Pigeon Nesting / Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping / woodpecker control / Professional Bird Control Company / Keep The Birds Away / Birds/rats/seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/pidgeon control/flying rats/pigeon problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/bird guard
by Pigeon Patrol | Jul 20, 2023 | Bird Spike, Pigeon Predators, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons, Pigeons in the News, Raccoons, Sparrows, UltraSonic Bird Control
Brussels is massively dispensing contraceptive corn pellets to pigeons in the region in an effort to humanely reduce the ever-growing population.
Pigeons are a nuisance for many reasons, but their droppings, aside from being an eyesore, also cause material damage. The highly acidic excrement can erode materials such as marble, limestone and concrete, according to reports from Bruzz.
And the cost of cleaning excrements is no less eye-watering, costing between €16 and €23 per pigeon every year.
The region has tried various methods to control the pigeon population for decades but is now stepping up measures. Since the start of last month, the catching and killing of pigeons – a tactic used in the past – was banned. Another control method, the surgical sterilisation of pigeons by the City of Brussels was previously banned on grounds of cruelty.
The City of Brussels is now turning to the R-12 pigeon pill: a corn pellet coated with a medicine that helps birds against parasites as well as with a contraceptive component. It is already used in Laeken and Ixelles, as well as Leuven.
At Square Clémentine, where the first seed dispenser was installed in 2019, the population dropped by 30% from 180 pigeons in February 2019 to 130 pigeons one year later. By July 2020, it had halved.
Who Ya gonna Call!!
Targeted action
This method is already used in other European cities, such as Barcelona. To distribute the pellets, the municipality works together with Limburg-based Vets for City Pigeons.
“We work with maize pellets treated with R12 or nicarbazine,” the company’s vet Pieter Colla told Bruzz. “Nicarbazine is actually a product against intestinal parasites. But it has the side effect of making pigeons infertile because it prevents fruit from developing in the eggs.” He stressed that the pellets have no harmful effect on the environment, as they aren’t real hormonal products.
He added that this corn is only given to dominant pigeons, about 15% of the local colony, as they are the ones engaged in reproduction. This is done via automatic dispensers which switch on one hour after sunrise every day. The pellets are then dispensed to dominant pigeons that have been conditioned to eat them.
The effect of the pill disappears in around six days, after which the animal can reproduce, meaning the dispensers have to continually be refilled. If uncontrolled, city pigeons can have up to 12 young per year.
In the coming few weeks and months, more dispensers will be placed across the city, mainly in places where the city received the most complaints about the animals.
Source
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird
deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row.
Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosing / Vancouver Pigeon Control / Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / PIgeon Deterrent / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons / What to do about pigeons / sparrows, Damage by Sparrows, How to Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests / De-fence / Pigeon Nesting / Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping / woodpecker control / Professional Bird Control Company / Keep The Birds Away / Birds/rats/seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/pidgeon control/flying rats/pigeon problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/bird guard
by Pigeon Patrol | Jul 20, 2023 | Bird Spike, Pigeon Droppings, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Predators, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons, Pigeons in the News
Chickens bob their heads while walking. So do cranes, magpies and quails. In fact, head bobbing is a unique feature in birds and occurs in at least 8 of the 27 families of birds.
There are a few theories why some birds bob their heads when they walk:
- Assists with balance
- Provides depth perception
- Sharpens their vision
However, most studies suggest that birds in motion bob their heads to stabilize their visual surroundings. In comparison, we rely more on our eye movements, not our head movements, to catch and hold images while in motion.
Picture a pigeon on a moving treadmill. What do you think would happen as the pigeon walks with the speed of the treadmill and its environment remains relatively the same? Dr. Barrie J Frost (1978) did this experiment and the pigeon’s head did not bob.
Dr. Mark Friedman (1975) also conducted a series of experiments to test the head bobbing actions of birds, using doves. His research demonstrated that the head movement is controlled more by visual stimulation than movement of the body.
Scientists continue to research head bobbing in birds. For example, scientists are currently investigating question such as “Why do some birds exhibit head bobbing, while other do not?” For more information on this topic see the related Web sites section.
Source
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird
deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row.
Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosing / Vancouver Pigeon Control / Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / PIgeon Deterrent / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons / What to do about pigeons / sparrows, Damage by Sparrows, How to Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests / De-fence / Pigeon Nesting / Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping / woodpecker control / Professional Bird Control Company / Keep The Birds Away / Birds/rats/seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/pidgeon control/flying rats/pigeon problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/bird guard
by Pigeon Patrol | Jul 20, 2023 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Law, Bird Netting, Bird Spikes
We trap, poison or push these nuisance birds away from bridges and the ledges of downtown buildings, but perhaps pigeons are just misunderstood. At least, that’s what a group of university researchers think. They’re testing a new, er, old approach, really, to the problem of pigeon poop.
By this time next year, they’ll have at least one attractive stone “pigeon cote” to house the birds, attracting them to one place in order to concentrate the poop and use it as fertilizer. It works with nature, rather than controlling it, and aims to restore an ancient, mutually-beneficial relationship that modern society simply forgot.
Yuck. Yes, I know. But intriguing as well. As city council heads into a week full of tough environmental decisions, I wonder if there’s a broader wisdom here that can help.
But first, these pigeons.
Pigeons really are the flying kings of poop. One study found they poop up to 40 times a day, although English researcher Kristine Kowalchuk (’12 PhD) would put that closer to 10, based on what she saw from a rescued baby pigeon.
She was walking out of the Art Gallery of Alberta one afternoon in the spring of 2016 when she found the tiny bird sitting quietly in the gutter. She picked it up, carried it home and raised it in her spare room until it was too big and messy to keep any longer.
That’s what got her thinking about pigeons, and the many references to squab (young pigeon) and the excellence of pigeon droppings as fertilizer she found littered throughout 17th century cookbooks and farming manuals during her English PhD.
It turns out farmers across Europe and North Africa would create large houses for free-ranging pigeons in fields or above their homes so that the birds would roost in one spot. That way both the young birds and poop could be harvested.
Now Kowalchuk, along with UAlberta professors Debra Davidson, an environmental sociologist, Howard Nye (Philosophy) and Aidan Rowe (Art & Design) using a $7,500 grant to build their own pigeon cote. It’s being built on a farm near Camrose because none of the five organizations with pigeon problems they contacted here in the city would entertain the idea.
They’re hoping a year observing the cote in action will change attitudes.
“We have so many misconceptions and cultural bias,” says Kowalchuk, citing studies measuring the risk of getting sick from being around the poop as tiny, akin to getting sick from a pet dog or breaking a leg from slipping on a dandelion. The person shovelling it out periodically would simply wear a mask.
Plus, the cote itself doesn’t increase populations; only feeding them does that, she says. “Our parks and flower beds could all benefit. Another way of looking at pigeons is entirely possible.”
I love the simplicity of Kowalchuk’s approach. I love the way it turns our pigeon problem on its head, resets a relationship.
That’s why I’ll be pondering pigeons as council wrestles with the environment file next week: first with its greenhouse gas reduction targets on Tuesday, then with waste management Thursday and a proposed ban on single-use plastics.
Because pigeon control isn’t the only area where humans expect we can control and build our way out of a mess with technology. We pave large parking lots and wonder why we have flooding. We cut trees and seem puzzled at the heat and dust of the city. We set out one big bag of all our trash and wonder why garbage fees keep rising.
I don’t think a single-use plastic ban will help much. It’s too narrow and complicated to administer. I’d rather see small fees for bags at the grocery store combined with measures that actually change a culture – like neighbourhood-level composting with free soil in exchange for yard waste drop-offs.
As for curbing carbon emissions, city officials have a long list of actions needed, from incentivizing electric cars to expanding district energy. But I don’t think technology is enough to solve this issue, not without a cultural change. Perhaps the lessons of pigeon poop will help there, too.
Source
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird
deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row.
Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosing / Vancouver Pigeon Control / Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / PIgeon Deterrent / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons / What to do about pigeons / sparrows, Damage by Sparrows, How to Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests / De-fence / Pigeon Nesting / Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping / woodpecker control / Professional Bird Control Company / Keep The Birds Away / Birds/rats/seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/pidgeon control/flying rats/pigeon problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/bird guard
