Authorities in the Spanish city of Cádiz have come up with a plan for their booming pigeon population – relocating some 5,000 birds.
The city is plagued by thousands of the birds and their associated waste – but officials did not want to poison them.
Instead, the plan is to capture thousands of pigeons and relocate them hundreds of miles away in a different region – and hope they do not return.
Local officials said it was a “more respectful and sustainable” solution.
Speaking to local newspaper Diario de Cádiz, councillor Álvaro de la Fuente said “managing the population of existing pigeons does not imply the eradication of them within the urban area.”
Instead, he said a “logical balance” between the birds, humans, and other city-dwelling species was the goal.
The common pigeon is known for its location awareness – the famous homing pigeon used to carry war-time messages is a variant of the species.
But unlike their trained counterparts, the wild birds are often happy to settle in one local area – and officials in Cádiz hope that will be the case when all 5,000 pigeons are placed in their new home.
The thousands of birds to be relocated will be trapped, catalogued, and tested before being carried at least 170 miles (275km) away for release. Every bird will also get a health check along the way.
But pigeons breed quickly – so the city plans to print thousands of leaflets reminding the public not to overfeed the remaining flock, which helps to inflate the population.
In London’s Trafalgar Square, where the tradition of deliberately feeding the birds was immortalised in Disney’s Mary Poppins film, the birds flocked in great numbers until the early 2000s.
A combination of banning the feed sellers and a hefty fine on those who feed the flock anyway was part of the solution – while the introduction of hawks was another.
Today, a professional falconer accompanies a Harris hawk or peregrine falcon to Trafalgar Square several times a week – a natural predator which warns off the less welcome, smaller bird.
The same technique is used at a number of other London landmarks including BBC Broadcasting House and the Wimbledon tennis complex. It scares the birds away from one area and disperses them more widely – but does not affect the actual population much.
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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
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South Africa ranks as one of the top birding destinations in the world, offering an unbeatable combination of variety of birds, well developed transport systems, and a user-friendly and supportive birding tourism industry.
Birders from around the world come to experience both the great variety of typically African birds, migrants, and endemics – those birds found only in South Africa. These birders enjoy excellent birding, whether they are with an organised commercial birding tour or are touring independently.
Of the 850 or so species that have been recorded in South Africa, about 725, or 85%, are resident or annual visitors, and about 50 of these are endemic or near- endemic to South Africa, and can only be seen in the country.
Apart from the resident birds, South Africa hosts a number of African migrants such as cuckoos and kingfishers, as well as birds from the Arctic, Europe, Central Asia, China and Antarctica during the year.
The birding seasons
The southern winter tends to be dry over much of the country, but wet in the extreme southwest around Cape Town. At this time, excellent birding can be had in the bushveld and lowveld areas of the northeast, complemented by outstanding game viewing, while huge numbers of seabirds that breed on sub-Antarctic islands move north.
Pelagic trips, especially those run out of Cape Town, offer the chance to see large numbers of albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels and storm-petrels.
The spring season brings the first of the breeding migrants from further north in Africa, and also heralds the start of the breeding season for the resident species. As the weavers and bishops emerge from their winter browns, so the cuckoos arrive from warmer parts and the breeding season bursts into action.
With the progression of spring into summer, the non-breeding migrants start to arrive from distant climes, mainly from Europe. Are these South African birds that have gone overseas to breed, or overseas birds that come to South Africa for the northern winter?
Well, arguably the former, for two reasons: firstly, they spend more time in South Africa than on the breeding grounds, and secondly, the breeding grounds only became available fairly recently in evolutionary terms, following the last ice age.
At this time of the year birding reaches its peak, with widespread breeding activity and most of the migrant species around. It is no co-incidence that BirdLife South Africa organises its Birding Big Day, when teams around the country compete to see the most birds in a day, during November.
The summer highs continue into the New Year, until migrants start to leave during April and winter is not far away.
Key birding areas
The endemics, those birds found only in South Africa, are obviously one of the major attractions for birders visiting the country. Many of these endemic species are found in the grasslands, mountains, arid interior and southwestern regions.
The following areas offer exceptional birding experiences, but really great birding can be had in many other parts of the country at any time of year.
Wakkerstroom: The central grasslands are a key area for birders, holding a number of special grassland and wetland species, and one of the most visited towns is Wakkerstroom, close to where Mpumalanga, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal meet. It is an area of high grassland, marshes, hills and mountain forest patches.
Wakkerstroom is visited by most of the birding tours that come to South Africa and as a result has well-developed facilities, including resident guides.
The special birds of this area are Rudd’s and Botha’s larks, yellow-breasted and African rock pipits, the bush blackcap, blue and white-bellied korhaans, Stanley’s bustard, the blue, grey-crowned and wattled cranes, the southern bald ibis, and the white-winged flufftail.
Cape Town: The Western Cape is another much-visited region with great birding, great wines, great scenery, great whales and great white sharks! Apart from the pelagic trips, which are good all year but best in winter, the province holds a large number of endemics and the best wader watching in the country.
The endemics include fynbos specials such as the orange-breasted sunbird, the Cape sugarbird, the Cape siskin, the protea seedeater and the hottentot buttonquail. The Cape rockjumper is found on the craggy mountainsides, Knysna and Victoria’s warblers in the damper valleys, and a variety of larks in the dry interior.
The West Coast National Park, which includes the Langebaan Lagoon, attracts huge numbers of waders from their Arctic breeding grounds during the southern summer, and is particularly important for the curlew sandpiper.
The Langebaan Lagoon is surrounded by the heath-like strandveld where the black harrier, southern black korhaan, and a variety of smaller birds such as the grey tit, Cape penduline tit and Layard’s titbabbler, are found.
Close to Cape Town, the Cape of Good Hope National Park offers excellent birding for species such as the hottentot buttonquail and a variety of seabirds, while the nearby Boulders Beach National Park at Simonstown has an accessible and thriving African penguin colony.
Zululand: The north-eastern part of KwaZulu-Natal is one of the most species-rich areas of South Africa, with a tropical feel and spectacular birds to match. The rich mosaic of forests, marshes, freshwater lagoons, flooded grasslands, tidal estuaries and acacia woodland supports a fantastic array of birds.
Specials of the area include the Woodward’s (green) barbet, known only from the Ngoye forest, the palmnut vulture, the African broadbill, Neergaard’s sunbird, Rudd’s apalis, Delegorgue’s pigeon, the Knysna and Livingstone’s turacos, and the southern banded snake eagle.
Birding facilities are exceptionally well developed in this region, as the Zululand Birding Route is centred on Eshowe. The Dlinza Forest in Eshowe has recently opened a forest boardwalk that takes you into the canopy, and from there you can eyeball canopy species such as Delegorgue’s pigeon, the grey cuckooshrike and the crowned Eagle. You can also peer down on the secretive spotted ground thrush.
Lowveld: This area is the low-lying tropical region in the northeast, largely taken up by the Kruger National Park, and bounded in the west by the Drakensberg escarpment. The low-lying bush areas hold large populations of game and birds typical of such African game reserves.
Raptors of many species occur here in good numbers, including the martial eagle, the tawny eagle, the brown snake eagle, the African hawk eagle and, in summer, Walhberg’s eagle, the steppe eagle and the lesser spotted eagle.
Other large and conspicuous species include the saddlebilled stork, the southern ground hornbill, the ostrich and the kori bustard. Along the western edge of the lowveld, the escarpment supports many forest- and cliff-dwelling species, including the taita falcon, the bat hawk and the cape parrot.
Gauteng: Despite being the most heavily developed area in South Africa, Gauteng offers exceptional birding for visitors who have some time to spare. Around 350 different species can be seen within easy reach of Johannesburg and Pretoria, and a wide range of habitats are easily accessible.
Of particular interest are: Marievale, a large wetland in the southeast; Suikerbosrand, a hilly area to the south; the Magaliesberg mountains to the north (actually in North West, but within easy striking distance of both Johannesburg and Pretoria); the Witwatersrand Botanical Gardens to the west; and the Dinokeng bushveld area north-east of Pretoria.
Even within the cities a great variety of birds may be found, and garden lists often exceed 100 species. Common species in the towns include the hadeda ibis, the red-eyed dove, the speckled pigeon, the grey loerie (or “go-away bird”), the bokmakerie, the green woodhoopoe, the black-collared barbet, the olive thrush and the Cape robin.
Birding facilities
Many of the hundreds of nature reserves and game reserves throughout South Africa provide excellent opportunities for birders of all descriptions. These facilities include trails, hides, information sheets and checklists, and trained bird guides.
In some areas specific birding facilities have been established, the Zululand Birding Route being a good example. In this case there is a central office that offers advice on itinerary planning and booking, including accommodation and the services of guides.
BirdLife South Africa operates a birding centre at Wakkerstroom and offers accommodation and local guides.
Local guides and birding experts can be hired in many places. Some companies offer specialist birding tours, lasting from a few hours to a couple of weeks. Pelagic trips to see the seabirds are offered mainly out of Cape Town and Durban.
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Roosting / 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
Study Shows Why Each Parasite Species Often Infests a Favorite Host Species
University of Utah biologists twirled louse-infested bird feathers on an electric fan and flew pigeons and doves like kites on strings in a study that found small lice stick to small birds and big lice prefer big birds.
The study also showed why size matters to parasites: Lice infest bird species with feather
s that are just the right size so the insects can hide between individual “barbs” – the hair-like branches that extend from the shaft of each feather. When lice can hide in the feathers, the birds cannot preen them off with their beaks.
Why should anyone care? More than half of all species on Earth are parasites, or bacteria and viruses that act like parasites. The great diversity of parasites is tied to the fact that many parasite species evolved so each usually infests only one species of host organism.
The study “is one of the best demonstrations to date of why parasites are often specific to a single species of host and under what conditions they jump hosts,” said evolutionary ecologist Dale H. Clayton, the study’s first author and an associate professor of biology at the University of Utah. “This is of strong interest to the public, particularly when it concerns parasites such as SARS and the West Nile virus.”
“Sometimes parasites from domestic animals switch to h
umans and sometimes they don’t,” says biology doctoral student Sarah E. Bush, a co-author of the study. “So looking at how parasites on birds switch to other species of birds may help us understand how parasites from mammals switch to humans.”
The study is being published online the week of Dec. 8, 2003, by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It was conducted by Clayton; Bush; former biology undergraduate Brad Goates, now a University of Utah medical student; and former postdoctoral researcher Kevin Johnson, now at the Illinois Natural History Survey.
SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which killed 916 people worldwide in a 2003 outbreak, is caused by a coronavirus that is believed to have jumped to humans from civets, which are nocturnal, cat-shaped creatures. The West Nile virus is spread from birds and mosquitoes to humans.
While the new study is not immediately relevant to SARS and West Nile, “if we know why parasites use some hosts and not other hosts, then we can begin to predict what hosts may get hit in the future by a given parasite,” Clayton says.
Genealogy for lice and birds
In one part of the study, the researchers analyzed genetic material from 19 species of lice and 24 species of pigeons and doves. That allowed them to construct evolutionary family trees for the lice and the birds, showing how each species was related to or descended from other species during the last 30 million years.
Those evolutionary trees revealed that louse species evolved in concert with various species of pigeons and doves they infest. As a result, “big birds have big lice, small birds have small lice,” says Bush.
“We have shown that something as simple as the changing size of a parasite’s environment – the bird feather – can cause new species of lice to form,” Clayton says.
“Our research suggests that humans don’t pick up lice from chimps and baboons because those lice evolved to hang onto to coarser hair. On an even broader level, the study suggests size matters in terms of what parasites infest a host. Size is one of the most fundamental properties of all living organisms. Something as simple as size even may be dictating what cells can be invaded by parasites like those that cause malaria.”
Experiments to learn why bird size matters to lice
After making measurements to confirm bigger birds have bigger feathers and smaller birds have smaller feathers, the researchers conducted three sets of experiments to learn why big lice could only survive on birds with big feathers.
Five species of birds were captured in Arizona, Utah, Oregon and Texas in accordance with federal and state permits: rock pigeons (average weight 21 ounces), which are the common pigeons seen in city streets worldwide; band-tailed pigeons (21 ounces); white-tipped doves (6 ounces); mourning doves (4 ounces); and common ground doves (1 ounce).
One louse species was used: the slender wing louse that normally infests rock pigeons.
— The first experiment disproved the hypothesis that lice couldn’t eat feathers of incompatibly sized birds.
Some abdominal feathers were plucked from all five species, weighed, and incubated for a month in test tubes with 10 lice per tube. Then the feathers were removed and weighed, revealing that the lice ate the same, no matter what size bird the feathers came from.
— A second set of experiments disproved the hypothesis that large lice would have trouble clinging to the small feathers of a small bird. The hypothesis is basically that “if you have evolved to shimmy up telephone poles, then you might have trouble climbing redwood trees or a clothesline pole,” Clayton explains.
Bush tested that idea by cutting a small, square piece of feather from each wing of several rock pigeons. On one wing, she used fabric glue to transplant a piece of feather from another rock pigeon. This was the control. On the other wing, she grafted a piece of feather from one of the other four pigeon and dove species. Then she placed two live lice on each feather graft.
“The idea was to see if rock pigeon lice can hang onto feathers from different species of birds,” Bush says.
Bush placed each bird on a tether made of fishing line and, one at a time, let them fly above a University of Utah football field until they landed. In a related experiment, she painlessly removed feathers with the transplanted feather piece and taped them to an electric fan rotating at 50 mph for 20 minutes.
Both parts of the experiment showed most of the rock pigeon lice stuck to feathers, no matter what species of bird was the source of the feather transplant.
“I had one louse on the fan for seven hours,” Bush says. “I gave up before it did.”
— The third and conclusive experiment revealed why a bird’s size matters to the lice that infest it. The experiment showed that lice of just the right size were able to hide in the feathers and escape being picked off when the bird used its beak to preen its feathers.
The researchers started with louse-free birds. Then they transferred 25 lice that normally infest rock pigeons onto each bird of four other species of pigeons and doves.
Some birds were allowed to keep their normal preening ability. Preening was blocked in other birds by placing a harmless C-shaped plastic bit – somewhat like a horse’s bit – between the upper and lower parts of the beak. Those birds couldn’t completely close their beaks. They could eat, but were unable to use the overhang of the upper beak to remove lice.
Normally, a bird’s beak “is like a guillotine,” Bush says. “It chops off parts of the lice and crushes or slices them to remove them.”
After two months, the scientists counted the number of lice on each bird, and found big lice couldn’t survive on small birds because they couldn’t hide in the feathers.
“This study suggests that birds and lice co-evolve in an arms race over time, with lice changing size as birds, their beaks and feathers also change size,” Clayton says.
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Roosting / 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
Are you a business owner or property owner that has a bird problem on your premises? Then this is the blog for you!
Here are reasons you should get bird netting!
Bird netting is set up to prevent birds from reaching certain areas, encouraging them to move on to an easier roosting place. Netting can keep birds off windowsills, rooftops, away from your ventilation and roof top air conditioning units. It can take a professional to know just where to place the netting so that it will be the most productive and the least noticeable for customers.
The benefits of using Bird Netting?
Netting is a great solution against pretty much any type of birds, especially the likes of pigeons and gulls, sparrows and starlings, who are known to cause problems
Bird netting is highly versatile and can be fitted to pretty much any size that you need to cover
Bird netting protect structures
Netting is environmentally safe and can withstand a wide range of environmental conditions
Netting can last many years
Netting is virtually invisible when installed correctly
Bird netting or anti-bird netting is a form of bird pest control. It is a net used to prevent birds from reaching certain areas.
Bird protection netting comes in a variety of shapes and forms, The most common is a small mesh (1 or 2 cm squares) either extruded and bi-oriented polypropylene or woven polyethylene.
The color most used is black (as the carbon black UV inhibitor offers the best protection against solar rays), but also bird netting may be available in other colors like white (usually white netting is woven or knitted and has an even smaller mesh size as it will serve as a double purpose anti-hail net for the protection of fruits during summer hail storms or late spring during flowering) or green (usually used in home gardening and mostly sold at retail outlets for the DIY farmers).
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon / Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Patrol / Bird Control / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ most common types of sparrows , Damages Caused by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests?de-fence, Pigeon Nesting and Breeding Patterns and Behavior What Do I Do With a Bird Trapped in My Wall? Professional Bird Control Company Keep The Birds Away From Your Business Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests?
The Canada goose, pigeons, starlings, seagulls and house sparrows are the most common pest birds in our area. Pest birds are responsible for millions of dollars of damage every year. Bird droppings are highly caustic and eat away at roofing and other structural material. They contaminate food, water, and anything they touch. They release airborne spores that can be inhaled by customers, workers and family members. They also carry disease-causing parasites, fleas, ticks, mites, lice and other biting insects.
Are They Dangerous
Pigeon’s droppings and nests are of medical concern because they have over 50 diseases associated with them. Some of these include histoplasmosis, chlamyiosis, and salmonella. Their droppings are also acidic and may mar many different surfaces. The Canada goose is aggressive at protecting its territory and airport safety is jeopardized as many airport bird strike collisions result from geese roosting in open areas near airports. House sparrows and starlings can be a major nuisance in urban areas due to their nesting, eating, and living habits. Gutters and drainage pipes clogged with sparrow or starling nests can back up and cause extensive water damage. Furthermore, numerous fires have been attributed to electrical shorts from machinery housing sparrow or starling nests.
How To Get Rid Of Them
Controlling these birds can be difficult. That’s why our services may include a combination of products and techniques. Corrective landscaping, barriers, and exclusion methods may all be used to rid your home or business of these nuisance birds. source
Can You DIY?
Due to the complexity of treatment and the time required, pigeons, Canada geese, and house sparrows are generally not a pest many people have success in eradicating on their own. Beware when purchasing products online, as many are not effective. Pesticides are not typically effective against birds and can be harmful to people and pets if they are misused or mixed improperly.
How Soon Can We Come?
Our customers are our top priority. The Pigeon Patrol team will help you as soon as we can
Are These Treatments Safe?
Pigeon Patrol uses the least amount of materials possible while still resolving the problem. We utilize natural products, baits, and mechanical means as a form of treatment whenever possible keeping you, your family, employees, and customers safe.
How To Prevent For The Future
Pest bird problems can be difficult to prevent. Many of our clients choose year-round service against pest birds for the protection of their home or business.
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon / Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Patrol / Bird Control / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ most common types of sparrows , Damages Caused by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests?de-fence, Pigeon Nesting and Breeding Patterns and Behavior What Do I Do With a Bird Trapped in My Wall? Professional Bird Control Company Keep The Birds Away From Your Business Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests?
Bird control technicians’ nightmare – what to do when we are asked to do the impossible? The straight answer is that there is really nothing we can do when pigeons land on your roof, but there is much more to know.
Many customers ask: “Why? Why my roof, what’s so special about my roof that they have to land there?” Believe it or not you are asking the right question: Why? Once you understand why, you will also understand why is it hard to provide a solution in this situation.
Almost always, the primary cause of such problem is the availability of food nearby, plenty of it on a regular basis. Probably someone is feeding the birds or there are lots of garbage in the area or open garbage bins/containers. They could also nest or roost in close proximity and simply they use your roof as a comfy perching spot having a nice vantage point over their feeding area.
What could we do? Install hundreds of feet of spikes on your roof? Put up scary owls? Maybe speakers on the roof peak? Unfortunately none of them are viable. It is simply not feasible to protect large, flat (horizontal or sloped) roof surfaces, such as the entire roof of a victorian house for example.
Lady feeding the pigeons in College Park – every day.
First, we need to find ways of eliminating food and water sources nearby. Then we must find their nesting/roosting areas – which will most likely be on another property, otherwise you would see them somewhere else on your house/building, (in which case it would be very easy to resolve the issue,– that provides sheltered structural configurations to establish a protected area where they can stay at night. Pigeons don’t see well at night and usually they go to their roosting spots before nightfall and stay there during the night.
If protecting these areas are not possible (because they are on someone else’s property) we can look at strategically installing Bird Spikes or exclusion Bird Netting or the combination of both, maybe Electric Tracks at critical areas to discourage them from landing on your roof.
You can see now that there aren’t any straightforward solutions in the case of house roof tops and that it is very time consuming to address the issue holistically. The best thing you can do is to call up a professional and get an opinion, you might have missed something that a pro will notice that could help resolve the issue.
Some other options for bird repellent would be the Ultrasonic Sound Repellent which makes noises that can only be heard by pigeons and scare them off with the sound or the laser beam which can be activated by movement or you can time when these lasers come on. These lasers are too strong for the pigeons vision to handle and they will fly elsewhere. You can purchase these here : https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/product/laser/
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon / Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Patrol / Bird Control / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest /
Bird netting is one of the most common methods used to deter birds from a variety of properties and structures. Check out these tips to make bird netting installation a breeze.
Avoid making these mistakes when installing bird netting
Follow these tips to make bird netting a breeze
Bird netting is one of the most common methods used to deter unwanted birds from a variety of properties and structures. While this method may seem easy for DIY property protection, it can become a time-consuming chore if not done properly. It’s also important to properly install the netting in a way that does not cause damage to materials, properties or birds. Here are some bird netting do’s and don’ts to help make the process a bit easier.
NO:
Assume All Bird Netting is the Same
Bird nettings come in a variety of sizes, weights and materials. Before making a purchase, make sure you are choosing the appropriate netting for your needs. Questions to ask when browsing bird netting include:
What type of property are you protecting? Net types will vary based on different types of properties. The kind of nettings used for buildings and structures is not the same as netting used for gardening or crop protection.
What bird species are you trying to deter? Weights, materials and mesh sizes will differ depending on the size of birds you are trying to deter.
Install on a Windy Day
It can be tricky to install bird netting on even the calmest of days. The long, thin nets can easily become tangled or knotted if not handled properly. Trying to install netting when it’s windy will make the process much more difficult than if you waited for a day with less wind.
Expect a Permanent Fix
While netting will prevent birds from easily accessing your properties, don’t expect the fix to last forever. Over time, netting will deteriorate, leaving holes or gaps that pest birds can easily slip through. For long-lasting results from bird netting, be prepared for regular maintenance and updates.
YES:
Research
Before you begin, research the best type of bird netting for your needs. Compare the types of netting, sizes, weights and equipment needed to install. Once you’ve found the right type, shop around to find the best-priced deal.
Stay Organized
As you begin installing your bird netting, make sure to stay organized. Stretch out the net to full size, find all the corners and determine which side is up. This will help to minimize tangles and will make the process a lot easier and manageable.
Give Yourself Inside Access
If using bird netting to protect your fruits or vegetables, remember to make a small access hole for harvest. While the net is built to keep birds out, you’ll still need to be able to get in to pick or tend to your plants. Make an incision large enough for you to fit your hand through to access whatever crop you are harvesting.
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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Ultrasonic pigeon & bird scarers are electronic devices that produce high pitch emissions known as ultrasound. Ultrasonic pigeon & bird scaring systems have been introduced into the pest control marketplace due to the fact that ultrasound is too high-pitched for human hearing but falls within the hearing range of most species of birds. Most sonic bird scaring devices produce a sound that is audible to the human ear and therefore may cause human disturbance if used in an area of human habitation.
Pest birds can quickly become a costly problem to property owners and managers. The birds will gather in increasingly large flocks to deface and damage property and equipment. Lethal means of bird control—poisons, pellet guns and inhumane traps—are illegal in many areas, since many birds are protected by law. Today’s advanced sound bird deterrents can be highly effective as a humane way to deter pest birds.
How It Works
Ultrasonic repellents work differently than other deterrents. They use high frequencies (which the human ear cannot hear) to deter birds and other pests. When the birds or pests hear the sound being produced, they become disoriented or irritated by the noise. Birds also quickly learn to avoid areas where they have felt the ultrasonic sound waves
There are many ultrasonic devices to choose from depending on the coverage you need. Typically, they are able to cover up to 3,600 sq. ft. With multiple speakers, you can customize coverage for even larger areas.
Distress & Predator Calls Intimidate Birds
Many types of birds such as pigeons and seagulls have a specific “distress call.” Birds will emit these sounds only when they are attacked by a predator. Sound bird deterrents intimidate pest birds by broadcasting these prerecorded distress and predator calls. The devices have been scientifically designed to fully exploit a bird’s natural alertness and sensitive hearing—hearing that’s similar to humans. Social and aggressive birds that communicate verbally within colonies will often fly towards theses distress calls to see if they can mob the predator and come to the aid of their fellow bird. When the calls temporarily cease and no predator is found, the arriving birds are frightened by the possible danger and disperse.
The Sounds Bird Hear
Sound bird deterrents operate within the normal hearing range of most birds—about 1 to 4 kHz—although birds can hear higher and lower frequencies to a limit of 20 kHz. Unlike the ultrasonic sounds emitted by some high frequency “bird deterrents,” the sounds emitted by sound bird deterrents resemble normal birdcalls to the human ear, which is why they won’t annoy pets or neighbors—only birds.
Programmable Output
Birds, like people, can get accustomed to sounds, even those they may initially perceive as threatening. This is why the best sound bird deterrents can be programmed to emit threatening birdcalls for several minutes, stop and then repeat the sequence every 10 minutes. These devices will also feature a volume control that allows the sound intensity of birdcalls to be adjusted—from 65-105 decibels.
Different Sounds for Different Birds
The best sound bird deterrents will have the flexibility to broadcast distress and predator calls for as many as 24 different types of birds. These systems allow users to target a specific bird or all birds. Such systems can even be programmed to turn on and off automatically. They will also allow additional speakers to be added to extend the effective deterrent range from one acre to five acres. source
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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Sound Deterrent For Birds
Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ most common types of sparrows , Damages Caused by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests?de-fence, Pigeon Nesting and Breeding Patterns and Behavior What Do I Do With a Bird Trapped in My Wall? Professional Bird Control Company Keep The Birds Away From Your Business Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests? Sound Deterrent For Birds
If you’re looking for the answer to the question “do anti bird spikes reduce pest bird problems?”, then you undoubtedly already have a problem with bird control. Birds are either landing or nesting on your property.
So lets see if bird spikes really work!
You need to look at why the birds are landing and possibly building a nest. Is it because you feed wild birds and other unwelcome species, such as feral pigeons or starlings, are having the lion’s share? Birds go to places where food is most abundant and easy to take. If you want to control what birds you attract to your garden, especially smaller ones, but not pigeons and starlings, make sure you only place food in feeding containers that make it virtually impossible for the larger birds to feed from. If there’s no readily available food, these larger birds will move on to somewhere else.
Secondly, if you have a bird control problem with the smaller birds then anti-bird spikes may not be effective in preventing them from landing and nesting. If you think about it logically, the smaller birds have feet which are designed to grab hold of small branches and twigs – spikes can give them this ideal landing perch.
However, larger birds, such as seagulls and pigeons don’t have feet adapted for landing on fine spiky branches and twigs and therefore anti bird spikes can be a very effective deterrent. If there are a vast numbers of birds, their droppings have been known to build-up on and around the spikes which then forms an ideal platform for them to build nests. SOURCE
Conclusion:
Anti-bird spikes can reduce pest bird control problems if you’re trying to humanely deter larger birds from landing or nesting. On the other hand, the spikes may be the ideal conditions for smaller birds; so you need to take a multi-faceted approach to control unwanted birds from making your property their home or landing site.
Do bird spikes hurt the birds? Bird and pigeon spikes do not hurt birds, they act as a visual and physical barrier. Bird spikes are a humane bird deterrent as the bird doesn’t come into direct contact with the bird spikes.
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon / Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Patrol / Bird Control / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ most common types of sparrows , Damages Caused by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests?de-fence, Pigeon Nesting and Breeding Patterns and Behavior What Do I Do With a Bird Trapped in My Wall? Professional Bird Control Company Keep The Birds Away From Your Business Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests? BIRD SPIKES WORK
Few people can resist the dangerous amount of cuteness of raccoons. The narrow, pointy muzzle, the large black eyes ringed with white, the front paw fingers resembling human hands, and the striped bushy tails make the little buggers hard to resist. Not to mention their extraordinary intelligence and ability to get into almost any place, pick locks, pull out drawers, and open door latches in search for food, rightfully earning their reputation as the “masked bandits.”
But as awesome little animals as they may be (sometimes competing with dogs and cats for people’s affection), raccoons remain wild animals with a destructive nature. Due to the major property damage they cause to the house and garden, they are usually not welcomed on people’s property and considered pests. So Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests?
Damage to House
Stink up the place: During spring, females will start looking for a safe place to stay and give birth to their babies, and the warmth and comfort of your house can easily make it a perfect substitute for a natural den. And although they aren’t out to ruin your home or endanger your health, they can do both by moving into your attic, getting inside the chimney, or taking residence inside wall voids or under decks.
Destroy insulation: Since they are large mammals (weighing between 11 and 14 kg), raccoons can easily trample insulation just by walking on it. Pregnant females will compact large areas to sleep and nurse their babies, causing extensive damage and reducing the insulation’s effectiveness in keeping the house cool in summer and warm during winter.
Damage roofs: To gain access inside a structure, to obtain bedding material, or sometimes just for fun, raccoons will rip off shingles, break or chew fascia boards, chew holes into soffits, rip apart ducts, or break attic vents. A small opening (usually no larger than 4-6 inches) is enough for the rascals to get inside.
Damage to Garden
Damage crops: Raccoons are particularly fond of a sweet corn garden, which they will invade a couple of days before harvest. They rarely damage corn until mid-June, which marks the beginning of the corn reproductive stages (the milk stage of development). Depending on the size of the plant and the height of the animal, raccoons will either feed standing up or climb the stalk to get to the higher ears. For the affected crops, this type of damage often results in 90-100% yield losses.
Kill poultry: Raccoons can reach through the wire of cages and pens to get to the poultry kept inside, and many times they mutilate the birds by trying to pull them through the wire by their head or legs. Their MO involves biting off and tossing adult birds’ heads, chewing the contents of the crop and sometimes the chest, and throwing the rest away.
Dig up soil and damage lawns: Raccoons, as well as skunks, can turn out to be a real problem for homeowners, particularly in the spring and fall, when they start looking for earthworms, grubs, and other soil insects through the freshly laid turf. This is usually done by young raccoons that are learning to find food on their own or during periods when other food is scarce.
Use your woodpile as their latrine: Raccoons typically dump their feces in communal sites called latrines, and they usually prefer to leave their droppings at the base of a tree, on logs and stumps, or inside a woodpile. If you’re storing firewood outside, and your house is often visited by raccoons, chances are they either use the woodpile as a latrine, endangering the health of anyone who comes into contact with their contaminated urine and feces, or use it as a temporary den.
How Can You Stop Them?
Raccoons in many urban and suburban environments are learning that residential properties are safer, warmer, and more comfortable than the usual hollow trees they use as denning sites; moreover, they also provide a seemingly infinite supply of food and water. Convincing them to leave is, thus, a rather challenging task, especially considering their persistence and resourceful nature.
If you have been noticing raccoon damage around your house and outbuilding, the best thing to do is let professionals handle the difficult, and sometimes outright dangerous, task to deter the animals from your property. A combination of exclusion techniques, scare tactics, and trapping will likely be used to eliminate existing populations and limit raccoon nuisance on your property. Contact your local company to schedule an inspection and determine the size of your problem and the best course of action.
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon / Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Patrol / Bird Control / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ most common types of sparrows , Damages Caused by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests?de-fence, Pigeon Nesting and Breeding Patterns and Behavior What Do I Do With a Bird Trapped in My Wall? Professional Bird Control Company Keep The Birds Away From Your Business Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests?
Mud, cliff or barn swallows flock to homes, buildings and structures, building their mud nests with a mix of sand, grasses, hair and feathers. The little nests can be very prolific, with colonies of several hundred nests lined up vertically. Female swallows can lay as many as six eggs at a time, beginning as early as March. The eggs will hatch in 12 to 17 days. Here’s how swallows have become such a pest bird.
Appearance Problem
Swallows’ bowl-shaped nests under the overhangs and ledges of a building can create a real distraction. Businesses, especially those that serve food, can lose customers when these nests are scattered overhead and bird droppings cover floors and walkways. Fail to remove these mud nests and they will stain virtually any surface. This defacement and damage can result in costly maintenance and repairs.
Health Problem
For businesses that store, process, display or serve food, swallow droppings can easily contaminate these areas, especially if food is served or displayed outdoors. The bacteria, fungal agents and parasites found in swallow droppings and nests can carry such serious diseases as histoplasmosis, encephalitis, salmonella, meningitis, toxoplasmosis and more. Health inspectors can shut down a business that suffers from too many bird droppings and nests.
Slip-and-Fall Problem
Another problem with swallows around any building is the dangerous slip-and-fall hazard their droppings create. Besides wet droppings, dried droppings freshened by rain, dew or sprinklers can result in a very slippery surface. Failure to address this issue can create serious legal problems should someone trip, fall and become injured.
Gutter/Airflow Problem
Swallow droppings, nests and feathers can also interfere with the flow of rain in gutters, resulting in roof leaks. This debris can even block a chimney or air vent, creating a potential fire hazard and unsafe levels of carbon monoxide in the home.
Removal Issues
As many businesses have discovered, getting rid of migratory birds like swallows can get complicated. Swallows are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which makes it illegal to intentionally capture, kill or disrupt any migratory bird or the nests and eggs of such birds. The goal should always be proactive through humane and effective bird deterrent methods to keep these birds from nesting in the first place. Source
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon / Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Patrol / Bird Control / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ most common types of sparrows , Damages Caused by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, de-fence, Pigeon Nesting and Breeding Patterns and Behavior What Do I Do With a Bird Trapped in My Wall? Professional Bird Control Company Keep The Birds Away From Your Business Why Swallows Are Considered Pests
Birds and businesses are two words that do not go well together unless of course, you own a pet store. Pest bird infestations can and often do lead to damages to facility, machinery and even product and also create serious safety hazards and health issues for companies. Starlings, pigeons, and sparrows are just a few of the pest birds that roost on commercial facilities in Vancouver, BC
Because of the issues mentioned above as well as the negative impact birds can have on a company’s image, it is very important for all business owners and managers to know how to keep birds away from their facilities.
Not only are birds and unsightly addition to facilities but it is the threat of disease, injury, and contamination that is the biggest problem. There are over 40 confirmed diseases that can be carried by birds as well as their droppings and nesting materials. Clearly, these are not animals that you want to be anywhere near your place of business. Thankfully there are a few ways in which you can protect your business from the negative impact of pest birds.
Limit their ability to find food, shelter, and water for nesting. This means avoid heavy gardening as some plants provide a great food source for birds. Also, steer away from the use of fountains or other water features which will inevitably become more like a bird bath.
Keep the doors and windows of the facility closed at all times unless they have a secured screen. An open door is after all an open invitation for anything to fly or crawl in. Once inside, birds can severely contaminate surfaces and cause damage to machines.
Be sure that birds do not have a chance to nest on your facility. They favor things such as close by trees and shrubs, corrugated roofing, entryways, and open beam structures. Once there is a nest in place, birds are likely to come back for generations. source
Along with precautionary measures listed above, it is a good idea for businesses to partner with a bird control provider to find a long-term solution to a pest bird problem.
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon / Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Patrol / Bird Control / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ most common types of sparrows , Damages Caused by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, de-fence, Pigeon Nesting and Breeding Patterns and Behavior What Do I Do With a Bird Trapped in My Wall? Professional Bird Control Company Keep The Birds Away From Your Business
Pigeons are most often seen during daylight and will seek cover at night. They tend to flock while roosting, sunning, and feeding, and form loose colonies for nesting. Early winter is a time of courtship for pigeons, with nest building following in late winter and breeding in spring. In warm climates, however, breeding may occur throughout the year. Each pair of mates will average two eggs per season.
European Starlings
Immense flocks take shape most often during fall and winter, as starlings are highly sociable by nature. Their breeding season begins in spring and ends in early summer, with each pair typically producing five eggs per season. When they search for a home, they will seek out crevices or holes in buildings as nesting sites.
Note that two specific behaviors of European starlings mark them as pests. First, they can damage agricultural crops and berries. Second, they pose a threat at airports (especially on runways) where flocks may get sucked into airplane engines, causing significant and costly damage to transportation.
House Sparrows
Like European starlings, they look to crevices on or inside buildings as sites to establish nests and usually assemble their nests between February and May. Breeding season is February through August, and each pair of mates averages five eggs.
House sparrows are known to act more aggressively toward other bird species that enter their territory. In fact, they’ve been seen to threaten or even attack over 70 kinds of birds. For gardeners or farmers, this bird acts as a pest by eating large quantities of seed. source
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today. source
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon / Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Patrol / Bird Control / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ most common types of sparrows , Damages Caused by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, de-fence, Pigeon Nesting and Breeding Patterns and Behavior What Do I Do With a Bird Trapped in My Wall?
Pigeon Patrol is A Professional Bird Control Company Based In Vancouver thanks for tuning into our blog!
Many people don’t think about hiring a company to take care of bird problems, but with the help of bird control companies, variety of businesses can reap the rewards. Birds can be nice to look at, but over time, they can become a nuisance and potentially even affect the success of your business appearance. Here are five benefits of hiring a bird control service:
Why You Should Hire A Professional Bird Control Company
Humane Bird Control
You might be wondering if hiring a bird control service brings harm to the birds, but it certainly does not have to. A new technology called electronic bird repellent uses sonic and ultrasonic frequencies to deter birds without causing them any harm. The birds will simply hear these frequencies in the form of predatory calls or bird distress signals, and they will instinctively avoid the area. Plus, the frequencies used are out of the range of what humans can hear, so you do not have to worry about the deterrent itself being a nuisance! We also have the option of capturing the birds in a cage (with food and water) and bring them into the wild for them to live a new life
Cleaner Appearance
With a bird control service in place, you do not have to worry about bird droppings piling up on your company mailbox or awning (or even falling on an unsuspecting person’s head!). These droppings can drastically affect the aesthetic appeal of your building, which can turn customers off from doing business with you. Particularly if your building has any historical value, that value can become diminished by the abundance of droppings. We will clean your property with the right equipment
Less Health Risks
Birds carry all kinds of diseases, including salmonella, E. coli, and meningitis, and many of those diseases can be transferred to humans through the birds’ droppings. Humans do not have to come into contact with the droppings to contract these illnesses; the pathogens can be inhaled if a human is even in close vicinity to the droppings. It is best to not even take the risk of sickening any of your employees or customers when affordable bird control is an option. source
Preventing Damage
If you choose to not hire a professional bird control service, you will save some money in the short-term, but it could cost you in the long-term as the acid in bird droppings starts to erode any stonework or metal on your building. Of course, if you clean the droppings regularly, you likely will not have issues, but cleaning the droppings requires dedication, time, and money on a regular basis. With a bird control service, you can have preventative measures put in place once and never worry about it again.
Peace of Mind
In addition to eliminating the unsightly droppings, physical damage, and health issues that birds can cause, hiring a bird control service can also make your building simply more pleasant to be around. No longer will you have to worry about any unpleasant smells or distracting noises when you want to open a window or eat your lunch outside. The only thing you might miss is the birds chirping in the morning, but there’s an app for that!
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today. source
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon / Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Patrol / Bird Control / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ most common types of sparrows , Damages Caused by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, de-fence, Pigeon Nesting and Breeding Patterns and Behavior What Do I Do With a Bird Trapped in My Wall? Professional Bird Control Company
It starts as a slight scratching. You suspect mice or rats at first until you hear the faint tweeting that means only one thing: A bird has become trapped behind your wall. Unfortunately, getting the bird out is a lot harder for you than it was for it to get in. Accept that it will probably mean cutting a hole in your wall. You also need to figure out where the bird got in and cover the hole with a metal screen to prevent it from happening again.
Lure It Out
Luring a bird out of a wall sounds logical. The bird got itself in, therefore it should be able to get itself out. This can work in some cases, but usually the bird becomes trapped between two walls and doesn’t have enough room to fly. If it sounds like the bird is moving up and down in the walls and you know where it entered, you can try luring it out. Place a bright light near the entrance to the wall since birds often fly toward light. Open any windows in the room and close it off to other areas of your house. Playing recorded birdsong near the entrance can help assure the bird that it is safe to come out; otherwise keep it very quiet in that room. Placing birdseed near the hole won’t work because birds have a poor sense of smell. If the bird is not out within a few hours, it probably can’t get out on its own.
Cut It Out
If you have the right tools and some construction experience, you can try to free the bird yourself by cutting a large hole in the wall above the bird. Cut shallowly into the drywall to avoid cutting into the electrical wires. Make the cut neat to make patching the wall easier. Once the piece of the wall is removed, the bird may fly out suddenly. Open any windows and doors to the outside to allow it to escape. If it doesn’t fly out, reach in with a gloved hand and carefully pick it up. Don’t release it until you are outside.
Call In an Expert
The safest, simplest method of dealing with a trapped bird is to call in a professional wildlife control expert. Look in the phone book under “pest control” or “animal removal services” to find one. Although they will charge a fee, they will get the animal out with the least amount of damage to your wall and home. In some cases, the cost of paying for animal control is less than paying a contractor to repair the damage done to your home.
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today. source
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon / Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Patrol / Bird Control / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ most common types of sparrows , Damages Caused by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, de-fence, Pigeon Nesting and Breeding Patterns and Behavior What Do I Do With a Bird Trapped in My Wall?
Pigeons are incredibly complex and intelligent animals. They are one of only a small number of species to pass the ‘mirror test’ – a test of self recognition. They can also recognise each letter of the human alphabet, differentiate between photographs, and even distinguish different humans within a photograph.
Some pigeons can pass the mirror test after training in the prerequisite behaviors. In 1981, American psychologist B. F. Skinner found that pigeons are capable of passing a highly modified mirror test after extensive training. In the experiment, a pigeon was trained to look in a mirror to find a response key behind it, which the pigeon then turned to peck to obtain food. Thus, the pigeon learned to use a mirror to find critical elements of its environment. Next, the pigeon was trained to peck at dots placed on its feathers; food was, again, the consequence of touching the dot. The latter training was accomplished in the absence of the mirror. The final test was placing a small bib on the pigeon—enough to cover a dot placed on its lower belly. A control period without the mirror present yielded no pecking at the dot. When the mirror was revealed, the pigeon became active, looked in the mirror and then tried to peck on the dot under the bib. However, untrained pigeons have never passed the mirror test.
Pigeons are renowned for their outstanding navigational abilities. They use a range of skills, such as using the sun as a guide and an internal ‘magnetic compass’. A study at Oxford University found that they will also use landmarks as signposts and will travel along man-made roads and motorways, even changing direction at junctions.
Pigeons are highly sociable animals. They will often be seen in flocks of 20-30 birds.
Pigeons mate for life, and tend to raise two chicks at the same time.
Both female and male pigeons share responsibility of caring for and raising young. Both sexes take turn incubating the eggs and both feed the chicks ‘pigeon milk’ – a special secretion from the lining of the crop which both sexes produce.
Pigeons have excellent hearing abilities. They can detect sounds at far lower frequencies than humans are able to, and can thus hear distant storms and volcanoes.
Despite the social perception as dirty and disease-ridden, pigeons are actually very clean animals and there is very little evidence to suggest that they are significant transmitters of disease.
Pigeons and humans have lived in close proximity for thousands of years. The first recordings of this date back to Mesopotamis, modern Iraq, in 3000bc.
Although pigeon droppings are seen by some as a problem in modern society, a few centuries ago pigeon guano was seen as extremely valuable. It was viewed as the best available fertiliser and armed guards would even stand by dovecotes (pigeon houses) to stop others taking the droppings.
Pigeons can fly at altitudes up to and beyond 6000 feet, and at an average speed of 77.6 mph. The fastest recorded speed is 92.5 mph.
Pigeons are fed by many members of different religions including Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs for spiritual reasons. Some older Sikhs will ceremoniously feed them in honour of Guru Gobind Singh, a high priest who was renowned as a friend to pigeons.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon / Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Patrol / Bird Control / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ most common types of sparrows , Damages Caused by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, de-fence, Facts About the Pigeon
Nest building is very simple and often consists of a few stiff twigs. The male will pick the site. They prefer small flat areas away from the ground. Look for nests along building ledges, bridge supports, air conditioning units, window sills, and the like. In crowded flocks, pigeons will even forgo nest building and lay eggs directly on a protected ledge. The young are fed pigeon milk, a liquid/solid substance secreted in the crop of the adult (both male and female) which is regurgitated. More eggs are laid before the first clutch leaves the nest. Breeding may occur at all seasons, but peak reproduction occurs in the spring and fall.
Pigeon Breeding
Pigeon are monogamous and a mating pair will typically have three or four broods a year. The female will usually lay two or sometimes three eggs at a time. The eggs are a solid bright white color. The eggs take roughly 18 days to hatch and then another 35 days before the fledglings leave the nest. Breeding may occur at all seasons, but peak reproduction occurs in the spring and fall. A population of pigeons usually consists of equal numbers of males and females.
Pigeon Cycles
Pigeons are not migratory. Their natural instinct is to stay near their birth site. This trait gives the pigeon a very determined personality when it comes to roosting at a particular site, much to the dismay of the inexperienced pest control technician. The daily cycle of a pigeon is to roost at night, feed in the morning, and loaf in the afternoon. The seasonal cycle begins with courtship in the early winter, then nest building in late winter and breeding in the spring. However, in warm climates, breeding will occur year round. Pigeons molt once a year in late summer.
Life Expectancy: Varies greatly from 3-5 years through to 15 years dependent on many factors, including natural predation and human interference. Predation: The wild pigeon is predated upon, almost exclusively, by the peregrine falcon, a bird that is also found living and breeding in coastal regions.
Behaviour
As gregarious animals, feral pigeons tend to nest in flocks. Once they settle, they tend to nest at the same place for the rest of their lives. Pigeons are extraordinarily intelligent. Even when removed from the nest, they will return back to it. The distance doesn’t play a role—pigeons have “built-in” compasses in their bodies which provide tremendous help with orientation. No matter how far away from their home they are released, they will still find their way back.
Feral pigeons breed rapidly. They lay two eggs, up to six times a year—depending on the food available. If a local population is decreased, pigeons from other areas flock to take advantage of the abundance of food. Thus, poison often causes population boom rather than decrease. source
What Attracts Pigeons
Basically there are two things that attract pigeons to your house or garden:
Food: Pigeons are not very pretentious when it comes to food. They could eat various scraps, leftovers, seeds, your dog/cats food, anything left behind. So don’t leave anything food-worthy in your garden.
Living space: the attic or the air space between last floor and roof is the perfect place for a pigeon to live. Close all entrances if you don’t want to have pigeon droppings and insects feeding with them.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon / Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Patrol / Bird Control / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ most common types of sparrows , Damages Caused by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, de-fence, Pigeon Nesting and Breeding Patterns and Behavior
Pigeon houses, columbaria, culver houses, pigeon cotes, dove houses
A dovecote or dovecot, doocot or columbarium is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be free-standing structures in a variety of shapes, or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pigeonholes for the birds to nest.
Widcombe Manor Farm Dovecote
Dovecotes were a common sight throughout Britain and across mainland Europe between the 16th and 19th centuries, but today few remain and of those that do, many are now in ruins. Dovecotes are specially constructed pigeon houses where pigeons were kept for a variety of purposes, but in the main as a source of food. Other uses for the domesticated pigeon were as quarry for falconry and as a target for shooting matches that were common in the 19th century and in which as many as 120 birds were shot for sport in each match. Dovecotes can be constructed of virtually any material (although early dovecotes were constructed exclusively of stone) and can be free-standing structures or provided as part of an existing structure or as a ‘lean-to’ addition.
Ancient Dovecote at Embleton
The earliest dovecotes may have been introduced to Britain by the Romans based on the fact that pigeon rearing was common in Italy with dovecotes being provided close to villas and farmsteads for the purpose of food. Over half a century ago C.D. Chalmers suggested that a number of unexplained foundations on Roman sites in Britain were the remains of ancient dovecotes, but his views have never been corroborated. Due to the lack of any firm evidence that dovecotes were introduced into Britain by the Romans it is likely that it was the Normans that first introduced the dovecote and as a result domesticated the rock dove from which the feral pigeon of today is descended.
One of the earliest British examples is believed to be a 12th century dovecote that was uncovered during archaeological works in Raunds, Northamptonshire. This early dovecote is circular and commonly known as a ‘rubblestone dovecote’. A number of these early rubblestone dovecotes, dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, have been uncovered throughout southern England in recent years and with quite a significant geographical spread ranging from Devon in the south-west through to Lincolnshire in the east. These early dovecotes were built mainly to service the culinary needs of monasteries, castles and manors but were the sole preserve of the wealthy and almost certainly beyond the means of the poor. In Medieval and Norman times the building of a dovecote was a feudal right restricted to lords of the manor, abbots and barons with these privileges eventually extending down to the humble parish priest. Today very few of these structures remain intact.
Much Marcle Dovecote
It was in the 16th century that dovecotes became popular in Britain with a huge variety of different designs and types being constructed. Ancient dovecotes are believed to be round in shape but later in the 17th century square, rectangular and octagonal dovecotes were built, some with incredibly intricate designs. Further designs and types include ‘lectern’ dovecotes, ‘in and out’ dovecotes, ‘polygon’ dovecotes and even caves have been adapted for the keeping of domesticated pigeons. Lectern dovecotes are shaped like a reading desk, hence their common name, and normally consisted of a 4-sided building with a single pitched roof with raised parapet walls on 3 sides. In and out dovecotes, sometimes known as Irish dovecotes, consisted of tiers of breeding cubicles together with perching ledges that were built into the exterior wall of a house or building. Polygon dovecotes (polygon, in this context, meaning a building with more than 5 sides) are more often than not octagonal structures ranging dramatically in size and often housing large numbers of birds. Caves, both coastal and inland, have been used to house domestic pigeons but their use is less common than the conventional dovecote.
Breeding Cubicles,
Shobdon Court Dovecote
The interior of a dovecote is usually a large open space with the breeding cubicles or ledges being offered in rows around the internal walls. Pigeons would enter the dovecote in a variety of ways, depending on the size, shape and type of structure, with the most common entry/exit point (known as the flight entrance) being provided beneath a cupola on the roof of the structure. The birds would be encouraged to roost and breed within the structure and as pigeons are quite prolific breeders, bringing up to 8 young into the world each year, competition for breeding cubicles would be high.
As the main purpose of a dovecote was to provide food, and as the pigeon squab (or chick) was seen as a delicacy, squabs would be ‘farmed’ when they achieved a certain age and size (normally 4 weeks of age). In the 16th century eating pigeon meat became much more popular with ‘pigeon pie’ becoming a delicacy and often described as ‘food fit for kings’ – this rather dispels the myth that pigeons are disease carriers! As a result of this popularisation, pigeon meat not only graced the tables of the monarchy and the rich, it became a standard food for the masses and it was commonly said that every family should eat squab at least once a week. Some squab ‘farms’ were believed to house anything from 10,000 to 30,000 birds to satisfy this demand.
Cross-section of
Classic Dovecote
In order to access breeding cubicles and remove squabs an ingenious system had to be designed based on the inaccessibility of nests and the sheer height and size of some of the larger dovecotes. For smaller dovecotes a free-standing ladder was used for access but for larger structures a ‘potence’ was used, although more commonly for round rather than square or rectangular dovecotes. The potence consisted of a large vertical wooden pole situated in the centre of the interior and which was pivoted both at the base and at the top, allowing the pole to rotate 360°. Several lateral arms were joined to the vertical post at right angles to which ladders were attached. As the main pole was rotated the lateral arms and ladders also rotated around the interior allowing access to all the breeding cubicles.
Dovecote at Godminster
Although the provision of food was the main purpose of the dovecote, there was one interesting and highly valued by-product that had a dual purpose – pigeon guano! Pigeon guano was, and still is, considered to be one of the finest fertilisers in the world and was a highly prized commodity as a result. In the Middle East (where eating pigeon flesh was forbidden) dovecotes were built simply to provide manure for growing fruit and this practice continued for centuries. In France, Italy and Spain guano was used extensively on hemp crops and for the fertilisation of vineyards and in England it was considered to be an extremely potent manure. It was often said that pigeon guano was worth 10 loads of other sorts (manure).
Dovecote at Weetwood Hall
In the 16th century pigeon guano was sought after for a different reason – it was found to contain saltpetre, which was used for the manufacture of gunpowder. This secret was brought across from Germany and sold for a payment of £300, which would have been a huge sum in those days. This dramatically changed the role of the dovecote in light of the fact that guano was potentially valued more highly than the birds themselves and to protect this resource armed guards were often placed outside dovecotes to stop thieves stealing the guano. Production of saltpetre from pigeon guano ended in the late 18th century when it was found to be naturally occurring in South America.
Dovecote at Kings Pyon
Although the commercial use of dovecotes died out in the 19th century with many magnificent examples being allowed to fall into disrepair due to neglect, they have experienced something of a re-birth in the 21st century with dovecotes being used for the control of the feral pigeon, a direct descendent of the domesticated dovecote bird. Dovecotes and pigeon lofts are now commonly used for the control of the feral pigeon in towns and cities all over the world, with the notable exception of the USA.
The principle of using a dovecote (or pigeon loft) as a pigeon control option was pioneered by the Pigeon Control Advisory Service International (PiCAS International) and can be loosely described as a form of birth control. Pigeons are encouraged into a dovecote by the provision of a dedicated public feeding area, sited immediately beside the dovecote, where the public will be asked to feed the birds at the same time as being asked to cease feeding elsewhere. Pigeons will then take up residence in the dovecote (based on the close proximity of a good reliable food source) and once breeding starts all eggs are removed, as laid, and replaced with dummy eggs. Where a pigeon loft is used for the purpose of control rather than a dovecote the facility would be sited on the roof of a building or even within the roof of a building, rather than at ground level. Pigeons would be encouraged into the loft by the provision of food and once breeding starts eggs would be removed and replaced in the same way as with a dovecote facility.
Bailiffscourt Dovecote
This humane, effective and cost effective method of control is rapidly replacing the extreme use of lethal control, commonly used to control pigeon populations in the 21st century. Schemes using dovecotes, or artificial breeding facilities as they are now commonly known, have achieved staggering results where provided as a control option, often reducing pigeon flock size by as much as 50% and in some cases by as much as 95%. Pigeons will readily use a dovecote facility for the purposes of breeding and providing that some basic rules are followed this method of control, based on a concept that is more than 1000 years old, will provide any property owner or local government body with a cheap, popular and highly effective means of controlling feral pigeon populations. Source
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon / Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Patrol / Bird Control / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ most common types of sparrows , Damages Caused by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, de-fence, What Are Dovecotes?
Picture this: you’re sitting on your living room couch, reading a book or dozing off, when you suddenly hear the sound of flapping wings. Intrigued, you look around, only to see a sparrow, a Mockingbird, or some other non-domesticated bird perched inside your fireplace. You barely manage to say “What in the world…?!” (or something a little less polite) before the terrified critter takes flight and settles on top of your mantle or a wall-mounted kitchen cabinet.
So, now you have an avian intruder inside your house, and neither of you are particularly pleased to see each other. What do you do?
Typically, when a bird winds up in a house via the chimney, it’s a direct result of either (1) the bird seeking out the warm/cold air that it senses emanating from the house and deciding to take shelter, or (2) the bird—especially if it’s only a fledgling—taking a tumble out of a nest that’s been built inside the chimney. In any case, while it’s really not a reason to panic or let your household descend into chaos, it is a situation that should be resolved as soon as possible!
What To Do About Birds That Get In Your House
If a single bird “drops in” unexpectedly, there are a few steps you can take to try to resolve the problem yourself:
1. Shut all interior doors leading into (or out of) the room where the bird is, and remove all pets.
Modern houses tend to have open floor plans with fewer doors and walls, so isolating the bird to one room may be a little tricky. But at the very least, closing off the area will limit the space in which the bird can flee. Getting pets out of the way is for both their safety and the safety of the stray bird; while dogs and cats may be inclined to give chase, interactions with wild birds can lead to illnesses or injury for both parties.
2. In the “bird room,” open up a single door or window and cover up all the others.
Remove any screens and close any curtains (or put up sheets) as necessary. The point is to make the bird think that there’s only one way out of the room. Covering up the other windows and doors will also decrease the likelihood that the bird will fly into a glass barrier, injuring—or killing—itself in the process.
3. Give the bird time to leave on its own.
If you’re lucky, it will notice the exit you made and see itself out. In that case, be sure to close the door or window immediately after!
4. Use a sheet to help guide the bird out.
If the bird seems hopelessly confused and can’t find the exit, you can hold up a sheet with two hands and try to shepherd the bird in the right direction. You are not trying to capture the bird inside the sheet; you’re simply using it as a tool to direct the bird’s movement. Holding the sheet in front of your face during this attempt can help you protect yourself from scratches or pecks if the bird lashes out in fear.
5. Check the chimney.
Hopefully, the bird that’s currently in your house is acting alone. However, it’s also possible that there’s an entire nest of birds living inside the chimney and this episode is just the tip of the avian iceberg. So take a look (and a listen) inside your fireplace; if you have any suspicions that there are more birds lurking within the chimney, then you need to…
6. Call for help.
If your attempts to get the bird yourself have failed, you may need to call a professional wildlife removal service and have one of their technicians take care of things. It’s also a good idea to get a professional involved if the bird appears sick, injured, or too young to fly on its own, as it may need help beyond simply relocating it outside. And, of course, if peeking into the chimney reveals evidence of a whole nest of birds instead of just a single stray, you’ll want to get professional backup ASAP.
Bird Blocking
Dealing with a stray bird isn’t as complicated or nerve-racking as dealing with a colony of rats or an ornery skunk, but it’s still not a great situation in which to find yourself.
Fortunately, you can reduce your risk by taking some preventative measures:
1. Have a chimney cap installed.
Birds can’t enter your home through the chimney if they can’t get inside (or build their nests) inside the chimney in the first place. Thus, adding a chimney cap (or replacing your damaged cap) is probably the more effective way to keep out birds and other animals.
2. Make sure the rest of your house is bird-proofed.
The chimney isn’t the only way that a bird can enter your house; exhaust vents and small holes in your roof are also prime targets. If you didn’t actually see the stray bird come out of your fireplace, check your attic to see if there are more of them living on your property.
3. Put screens on your windows and doors.
It’s not unheard of for birds to simply fly inside homes using these pathways instead of going through the trouble of breaching the walls or chimney. Sturdy screen doors and windows are a good way to enjoy the mid-spring breeze while keeping out birds (and bugs, too). Having a barrier in front of glass panes can also help prevent birds from accidentally flying into them, as well.
Generally speaking, people don’t really “fear” birds the way they do other pest animals. For full-blown infestations involving multiple birds, or any situation in which you find yourself feeling like you’re in over your head, Chimney and Wildlife Specialists is only a phone call away!
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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Avians aren’t the source of COVID-19, but some do harbor pathogens that can infect humans. Here’s what you need to know and how to stay safe.
COVID-19, the viral disease gripping the globe, is not bird-related. Researchers believe it likely came from bats. Still, this pandemic understandably provokes fear about wildlife diseases and so provides an opportunity to clear up confusion surrounding the question, “can birds get you sick?”
Karel Schat, professor emeritus of avian virology at Cornell University, says that birds generally pose a “very limited threat to humans,” at least not directly. If you want to admire the birds from afar in your backyard or your local park, you don’t have to worry about contagion. But if you are in contact with a bird with its excretions such as feces or saliva (that includes filling bird feeders), he advises observing common hygiene practices, including not touching your face and washing your hands right after. That’s because birds can carry some viral, bacterial, or fungal pathogens that cause human illness—think Salmonella or West Nile Virus. And if you see a dead bird, stay away from it and don’t touch it, he says (though you may consider reporting it to your state or local wildlife agency, which can come to remove it and may be tracking dead animal clusters).
Wild birds do also pass diseases to farm animals and vice versa, and that can pose the more indirect threat to human health. One of the most well-known examples of this is with avian influenza. A recent outbreak of a bird flu on a quail farm in the Philippines, for example, resulted in the culling of 17,000 quail to stop the spread.
Bird flu strains live in a bird’s gut and become exposed in fecal matter. Birds being birds, they may peck at their droppings and become infected that way. In more confined settings, like on an industrial farm or in a dense colony, airborne fecal particles can find their way into a bird’s eyes or respiratory tract, offering another avenue for infection. That is how bird flu spreads among birds.
Few strains of bird flu can cause serious harm to humans, and none are currently active in the United States, says Schat. “Fortunately, the transmission of those avian influenza virus strains from human to human has been fairly limited,” Schat says. “But it is a continuous problem that is in the chickens, it is in the ducks, and maybe in some wild birds, and it can always get to humans.”
The particularly deadly avian flu H5N1 strain, however, has occurred intermittently across Asia since 2004. It has led to 455 human deaths from about 861 recorded cases, mostly across the Middle East and East Asia, according to the World Health Organization (there have been no cases in the United States). These sporadic cases are largely in people who have close contact with infected live or dead birds, often before home slaughter— and spread from person-to-person is unusual, the health agency says. Still, health officials closely monitor for outbreaks and mutations of H5N1.
In general, it is contact with other animals, including humans, that gives any wildlife viruses— including coronaviruses and avian influenza— the best chance to mutate and shift into new strains. These types of interactions, however, mostly occur in settings that include many different species of animals in close proximity, like a live animal market. Habitat loss may also increase the amount of interaction between wild animals, farm animals, and humans. Even with these ample opportunities to interact with other species and mutate, avian influenza viruses seldom change into anything that poses significant risk for humans, says Schat. Still, given that deadly influenza outbreaks have occurred, the risk is always there, though it is lessened when birds are not kept with other species.
Birds, of course, do carry other diseases they spread amongst themselves (this is why it’s important to keep your bird feeders clean). For example, Newcastle disease, a virus common in chickens but also found in more than 200 bird species, is a well-known scourge that inflicts flu-like symptoms along with severe eye irritation in birds. Though it is mostly found in poultry, Newcastle was hampering Toronto’s Cormorant population as recently as 2018. While Newcastle is a nasty bug for birds, it does not pose a significant threat to humans. Birds also carry coronaviruses, but not the one that causes COVID-19. For example, the coronavirus that causes avian infectious bronchitis is a well-known scourge in the poultry industry, and many chickens are vaccinated against it, according to Schat.
Beyond influenza, the biggest virological threat birds can pose to humans is from the West Nile Virus, which has been in the United States since 1999. It is likely that an infected mosquito, surviving a flight from somewhere in the Middle East, brought the disease to the U.S., says Schat. Over time, this mosquito must have infected at least one bird by feeding on it, thereby making it a carrier for more mosquitoes to feed on and become infected as well. As the virus moved from this “mosquito zero” to birds, and to other mosquitoes feeding on those birds, particularly crows and jays, it eventually spread to humans. In 1999, hundreds of birds and seven people around the New York-New Jersey area died from the virus, but it continues to kill today. In the past year, per the CDC, 51 people died of West Nile in the United States.
So, while close contact with bird poop may not be a part of the everyday experience of most people, mosquitoes are a constant threat during the summer in many parts of the world, and they can serve as a conduit between birds and humans.
Overall, the lesson is: Whether you handle wild birds, or you admire them for afar, getting infected by one is something you probably don’t have to worry about, just as long as you maintain the same hygienic habits you’re probably already sticking to in this time of COVID-19. In other words, wash your hands and don’t touch your face. And please, unless you’re a scientist or trained worker with a purpose, leave the bird poop or any dead birds alone.
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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Widcombe Manor Farm Dovecote
Ancient Dovecote at Embleton
Much Marcle Dovecote
Breeding Cubicles,
Cross-section of
Dovecote at Godminster
Dovecote at Weetwood Hall
Dovecote at Kings Pyon
Bailiffscourt Dovecote
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