Stop the pigeons – new netting stops birds roosting in historic bottle oven

Stop the pigeons – new netting stops birds roosting in historic bottle oven

pigeons1102aPESKY pigeons who set up home in a museum’s bottle oven have been forced to find another place to roost.

Scores of the birds had been settling down in one of the four ovens preserved at Gladstone Pottery Museum, in Longton, causing disruption for workers and volunteers.

Now – after Stoke-on-Trent City Council approved an application to put up camouflaged nets – the pigeons have been blocked from staying at their favourite nesting spot.

Staff at the museum say they are relieved as the potbank ‘coo’ has seen fewer birds target the area.

Museum manager Angela Lee said: “It seemed to be a feature of this year, in that the pigeons were looking for somewhere to roost and they took a liking to one of our bottle ovens.

“I think once a few thought that this was a good idea, lots of others then liked it and followed them, and it started to become a bit of a problem.

“Obviously, we were concerned that it could become a health and safety issue, from the birds themselves and from the mess they create. We had to do something about it.

“There has been a noticeable difference since the nets went up.

“We still have the odd pigeon flying around the yard, but they’re not coming in en masse like they were before.”

Paul Niblett, from Longton Road, Trentham, is one of the original volunteers who helped to save the former Gladstone Pottery Work in the early 1970s.

He is relieved the pigeons have now been pushed to the margins.

He said: “It has been happening for quite a while now, and they were quite well-established.

“Three of the four bottle ovens that have been restored in the last few years have a big glass disc on the top, which stops birds getting in there. But the fourth one, which hasn’t been restored yet, is still open.

“Pigeons being pigeons, I think they flew over it and thought ‘that’s a lovely place to nest’, and then more of them came.

“Putting a top on it is seriously expensive, as it involves a lot of work and scaffolding, but the nets are a good alternative to that.

“I think it’s distinctly improved since they’ve gone up, and it’s good to see fewer pigeons.”

Paul Buttery, a pigeon fancier from Kidsgrove, said the preventative measures taken by the museum should be enough to keep the pigeons from coming back to roost.

The 53-year-old added: “If they start going somewhere to nest then they will keep going back there – they’re very territorial.

“They won’t leave by choice, the only they will leave is if they you put a net or fence or something like that in the way to stop them getting in there.

“If they persist in being a problem then the only thing that could be done would be to have a cull.

“That’s the ultimate solution, but it shouldn’t need to come to that.”

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

New hot gel used to keep away pesky pigeons

New hot gel used to keep away pesky pigeons

Bird deterrent gelPESKY pigeons could get hot and bothered after gel which burns like chilli was put on roofs to deter the birds.

Witham Town Council called in experts from Rentokil to hear options for shooing the growing numbers of birds away from buildings in the town centre.

Solutions ranged from netting, electrical bird deterrents and special gel with an active ingredient found in chillies to “burn” pigeons’ feet.
The idea of feeding pigeons contraceptives mixed with grain was also put forward by a resident.
The environment committee met to hear suggestions after complaints had been made to the council about slippery pigeon droppings.

Worst hit are the areas outside Greggs, in Newland Street, and outside businesses in Guithavon Street, where pigeons roost on the rooftops.

Sean Byrne, specialist service consultant at Rentokil, told the committee: “The electric deterrent system, similar to an electric fence, gives them a short shock and within five to seven days, the birds don’t land on the building anymore.

“It’s humane and does not harm the birds, but it does work well.”

He also suggested spraying a protective gel on to buildings which causes a burning sensation on pigeons feet when they land.

The gel sits at 9,000 SHU on the scoville scale, making it roughly twice as hot as a jalepeno pepper.

Luke Roberts, a surveyor for Rentokil, told the committee: “It gives the sensation of burning, but doesn’t actually burn.

“As a bird brings up its legs, it touches its genitals and the rest is history. They don’t come back.”

Councillors also made reference to a story in a Barcelona newspaper, brought in by a resident, describing how authorities there had started feeding pigeons contraceptives to stop them breeding.

Lee Fribbins, pigeon enthusiast and director of UK Belgica racing pigeon clinic in Wyncolls Road, Colchester, warned there is only one way to move the birds on.

He said: “Ideally the only scientific approach that will work is to stop feeding them.

“It’s a bit disappointing when people use harmful things to stop pigeons roosting.

“We have had pigeons brought in that have sticky substances on their skin, some have been stuck on windowsills and have had to rip their toes off to move.

“Pigeons get a bad rep if you think what they have done for us in two world wars and they are an important past time for 40,000 people, like myself.”

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

CLOVIS PD SEARCHES FOR HOME INVASION SUSPECTS

CLOVIS PD SEARCHES FOR HOME INVASION SUSPECTS

TDB_DeltaExteriorCLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) — Two armed men are on the run after Clovis Police say they broke into a home and robbed an elderly couple. It happened Wednesday morning near Willow and Alluvial.

There were officers on every corner with a helicopter in the sky but only one person was able to confront the thieves – a woman named Marilyn Williams, “I heard my husband and he was like, ‘get the gun, get the gun…shoot him, shoot him,'” Williams said.

She was defending her home with a rifle and the men, she says were in her backyard, “I got up and went right out to them and they took off.”

Before this confrontation started, police say the thieves smashed a window to get into a home down the street and held an elderly couple at gunpoint.

“The assailants were armed with handguns and were wearing hoodies, masks and bandanas,” said Janet Stoll-Lee who is with the Clovis Police Department, “fortunately no one was hurt.”

She says the men took off with jewelry and a gun from the couple’s home.

Williams says they ran through the neighborhood, jumped some fences and landed in her backyard. That’s when she pulled out a rifle and she says they dropped a pillow case full of jewelry.

“Everybody is ok but they wouldn’t have been had I got to my gun soon enough,” Williams said.

Investigators recovered the stolen gun and jewelry but they need help finding the two home invasion suspects. If you have any information, you should call Clovis Police.

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Whose job is it to clean up pigeon poop at Metropark?

Whose job is it to clean up pigeon poop at Metropark?

KT95102-06It’s bad enough when a pigeon treats your Toyota like a toilet. It’s worse when you have to run a gauntlet of dead birds and poop while dashing for your morning train. Who’s going to clean up this mess at Metropark station?

Commuter Joe Yospe emailed us about a problem he encounters on his commute from Iselin in the walkway between the third floor parking deck and the station.

“The walkway is full of pigeon excrement, feathers, other unknown filthy objects and for a two-week period, two dead pigeons (were) just sitting in the walkway,” he said. “No one cleans up that area, as well as the area on the platform itself which is full of bird excrement.”

Q: Whose job is it to clean up the pigeon poop and remove the dead birds and what’s being done?

A: NJ Transit hires contractors to run some of it’s parking facilities and that is the case in Metropark, said Jennifer M. Nelson, an NJ Transit spokeswoman.

“The parking deck is run for NJ Transit by Nexus. We have responsibility for the platform and it was just power washed this past Friday,” she said. “We did a walk through with a pest (bird) control representative, with Nexus, and with our staff to discuss how to best address the ongoing bird-related issues at the station and parking deck.”

NJ Transit expects to have a proposal from the pest control representatives in the next few weeks to address the issue around the station and parking deck, she said.

“(We) will implement an agreed upon course of action as soon as possible,” Nelson said.

Let us know how the battle of the birds shakes out, Joe.

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Pigeon ‘stools on bridge are a health hazard

Pigeon ‘stools on bridge are a health hazard

Exclusive-street-p_3586674bPigeon ‘stools’ on the Craigavon Bridge are imperilling pedallers and pedestrians alike with one Waterside Councillor calling for netting to be erected to help address the problem.

Waterside SDLP Councillor Martin Reilly said the problem of ‘unpleasant and unsafe’ pigeon deposits, which are causing distress to cyclists and pedestrians in the area, needs to be tackled immediately.
“I have been contacted by people who use the cycle path along the lower deck of the Craigavon Bridge who are annoyed at the gathering of pigeon mess which makes cycling and walking in this area unpleasant and unsafe,” he said.
He explained that the section of the crossing is not wide enough for Council vehicles to access.

“Unfortunately this part of the bridge is too narrow for Council cleansing vehicles – and in the past Council worked with Transport NI and Sustrans to close this stretch to carry out the necessary cleaning works. While this cleaning work is welcome the effects do not last long and a more permanent solution is required,” he added.

Whilst bird droppings are found throughout the city a pigeon hang-out close to the steps near the Waterside end of the bridge is where the problem is most pronounced. Layers of pigeon droppings millimetres thick have been allowed to accumulate and when slick with rain it poses a serious hazard for walkers and cyclists.

The ordure is creating serious disorder.

Mr Reilly said: “Transport NI previously suggested installing netting in this area to prevent pigeons from roosting. I am therefore calling on these statutory agencies to work together to find an adequate solution which would encourage further use of this key walkway and cycle route.”

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

The £1,000 price of feeding the birds: Pensioner fined after dozens of pigeons, jackdaws and seagulls flock to her garden

The £1,000 price of feeding the birds: Pensioner fined after dozens of pigeons, jackdaws and seagulls flock to her garden

Brenda Hawkins, (pictured) 74, was hauled to court after neighbours complained about flocks of pigeons, jackdaws and seagulls descending on her home dailyA pensioner has been left with a £1,000 court bill for feeding the birds in her back garden.

Brenda Hawkins, 74, was hauled to court after neighbours complained about flocks of pigeons, jackdaws and seagulls descending on her home daily – likening it to a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.

After being fined £1,000 for ‘nuisance’, she was told the penalty would be as much as £2,500 next time if she continued putting out food – and a refusal to pay could result in a jail sentence.

 

Brenda Hawkins, (pictured) 74, was hauled to court after neighbours complained about flocks of pigeons, jackdaws and seagulls descending on her home daily

Ms Hawkins was fined £1,000 for 'nuisance' and she was told the penalty would be as much as £2,500 next time if she continued putting out food. A refusal to pay could result in a jail sentence

Ms Hawkins was fined £1,000 for ‘nuisance’ and she was told the penalty would be as much as £2,500 next time if she continued putting out food. A refusal to pay could result in a jail sentence

Locals in the seaside town of Rhos-on-Sea, North Wales, said up to 100 birds arrived in Mrs Hawkins’s garden every day, causing an intolerable mess and racket.

But yesterday, the retired personal assistant complained that Conwy council had punished her in a ‘draconian’ manner. Mrs Hawkins, who has lived in her semi-detached bungalow for more than 25 years, said: ‘I think it’s disgusting. The council has gone over the top to make an example of me.

‘My difficulty is that when feeding small birds, it’s inevitable that larger birds such as seagulls join in. I have no control over which birds turn up.’ She added: ‘I enjoy nature but now that’s been taken away from me. It’s a sad day for bird-loving people.’

Diane and Harold Fredman (pictured) live next door and their garden backs onto Brenda Hawkins. They said they see the birds all the time

Magistrates in Llandudno were told how around 80 to 100 pigeons, jackdaws and seagulls descended on Mrs Hawkins's lawn and garden wall to eat seeds and other food she put out each morning

Magistrates in Llandudno were told how around 80 to 100 pigeons, jackdaws and seagulls descended on Mrs Hawkins’s lawn and garden wall to eat seeds and other food she put out each morning

Neighbours said their cars, along with clothes on their washing lines, were regularly spattered with droppings

Neighbours said their cars, along with clothes on their washing lines, were regularly spattered with droppings

Magistrates in Llandudno were told how around 80 to 100 pigeons, jackdaws and seagulls descended on Mrs Hawkins’s lawn and garden wall to eat seeds and other food she put out each morning.

Neighbours said their cars, along with clothes on their washing lines, were regularly spattered with droppings. They claimed they felt threatened by the birds, which sometimes ‘dive-bombed’ residents in the otherwise quiet street.

The council first received complaints in May 2014, and Mrs Hawkins was offered advice on reducing the number of larger birds. But she refused to change her behaviour, and in June she was issued with a Community Protection Notice – similar to an anti-social behaviour order. She denied failing to comply with the notice, but magistrates found her guilty after hearing evidence from neighbours including Diane and Harold Fredman, whose garden backs onto Mrs Hawkins’s.

Mrs Fredman, 69, said: ‘The noise from the flapping of wings and the seagulls was horrendous. Putting that amount of food out with no consideration for neighbours is ridiculous.’

Her daughter Alex Harvey, 35, added: ‘It’s like a scene from the Hitchcock horror film The Birds when huge flocks swoop into the garden.’

But Mrs Hawkins’s husband Derek, 78, said there had been no complaints until the Fredmans moved in, describing the couple as having a ‘vendetta’.

Mrs Hawkins was fined £200, also paying costs of £409, a criminal court charge of £520 and a surcharge of £20, leaving her with a £1,149 bill.

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Brightly-coloured pink pigeon spotted in Worcester city centre

Brightly-coloured pink pigeon spotted in Worcester city centre

pigeon27PIGEONS are no stranger to the Worcester streets, but most of the time they are the usual dull grey variety.

But one brightly-coloured visitor added an unusual splash of colour.

Worcester News reader Becca Rammell sent in these pictures of a pink coloured pigeon she spotted in Worcester High Street near WHSmiths at about 4pm on Saturday, September 19.

This may be one of a flock of unusually brightly-coloured birds spotted throughout the country earlier this year.

A number of reports of pink pigeons were made during the summer in areas including Stockport in Greater Manchester, Milton Keyes, West Yorkshire, Surrey and Northumberland, leading to a number of theories including a new breed or the after effects of eating pink food.

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But it later emerged pigeon keeper Sher Singh from Bristol had been painting his bird’s feathers in pink fabric dye to protect them from falcons, claiming it would make them difficult to spot for the birds of prey. But he later agreed to stop the practice after learning it could be harmful to the 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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Window strikes increase during migration

Window strikes increase during migration

pigeon4Walls of glass that blur the boundaries between indoors and out may be an appealing design feature for homeowners, but for birds, it’s deadly.

That telltale thud against a window is a horrible sound to bird lovers. Millions of birds die each year from flying into windows. And these incidents happen more frequently during spring and fall migration.

“It’s a conservation issue that everyone can immediately act upon to make a difference,” said Christine Sheppard, Bird Collisions Campaign manager for American Bird Conservancy and one of the nation’s leading experts on window strikes. “Everyone can make their house friendly to birds.”

The problem is that birds can’t see glass. They see a reflection of their habitat and strike the glass as they attempt to fly through.

The most vulnerable are songbirds, which already face threats from climate change and habitat loss. “Unfortunately, hummingbirds are killed in large numbers from window strikes,” Sheppard said.

To help prevent window collisions, the experts at American Bird Conservancy have designed translucent ABC BirdTape. Most birds will avoid windows with vertical stripes spaced four inches apart or horizontal stripes spaced two inches apart. When the tape is applied according to these guidelines, birds will see a barrier to avoid, not space to fly through.

“The good news is that after you put tape up, you’ll forget it’s there,” she said.

There are also a variety of prefabricated decals that can be used as an alternative to tape as long as they are placed according to the above guidelines, she said. Tempera paint, which is available at most craft stores, is an inexpensive solution. It can also be used to create window designs that have the same effect as tape. The paint stays on even in the rain, but will easily come off with a damp sponge.

“Birds are accurate judges of their body size,” she said. They fly through tight spaces in their habitat, so the tape or decals have to be placed according to the guidelines to be effective.

“Window screens are the simplest solution,” Sheppard said. “Even if there’s a bit of a reflection, it’s less dangerous because they tend to bounce off.” Bird netting when stretched a few inches in front of a window can have a similar effect.

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

 

Blind faith

Blind faith

shutterstock_23675925725India and her neighbours ought to remember that from superstition to intolerance is often a short step

We’re in a sort of skiff under a small bridge over the river Ravi in Lahore. Heavy traffic, incessant honking, and all the expected city noises fill the air. The river itself is sluggish, and, like the Yamuna in Delhi, more a drain than a river. As our little boat makes its way from one shore to another, a strange packet floats down from the bridge into the river. I think resignedly how alike we are across borders: stand anywhere, and chuck anything overboard without a thought about the consequences.

But I’m wrong — in one thing at least. This is not rubbish as I soon discover: a bunch of kites parked on a small mud island quickly wing it across and pick at the packet. Later, standing on the bridge, the story unravels. Dotted here and there along both sides of the bridge are men and women holding plastic bags. They’re poor, some are disabled and what they have in their hands is meat — the offal and leftover bits of meat that humans don’t eat, which they purchase from butchers for cheap.

Here, on the bridge, the meat-sellers stand and offer this to anyone who wants to leverage some good karma by feeding the birds. So, the rich and the middle-class stop by, and they or their drivers step out and buy, and then cursorily chuck it over the side. Good deed done, they can get on with life. Meanwhile, as an environmental activist tells me, the birds suffer, they grow fatter and fatter, and sometimes this kills them and their numbers fall.

I’m struck by how alike we are — no matter that we are across the border. And no matter that there may be differences in religion. Here, in Delhi, every day when I drive to work, I see a similar sight.

Turning off the main road to the lane that leads to my office, I traverse a small traffic island on my right. Here, every morning, a young man arrives bearing two large sacks of grain and chana, and a number of light metal plates. He sets himself up with four or five plates and, soon enough, cars stop, oblivious to the vehicles of office-going people they are blocking. They buy a plate and then chuck its contents right there. Then, there’s a great flapping of wings as hundreds of pigeons descend onto the food and begin to eat it up. Meanwhile the grain-throwers get on with life, secure in the knowledge that they have earned their brownie points for this life and the next.

The scattering of grain on the ground goes on all day. By evening, the pigeons are stuffed and disinterested, the young entrepreneur (what else can you call him?) is still there, and sometimes a desultory customer will show up and he’ll get some more business. One day I watched a young girl arrive in a large limousine. While her rich parent sat in car, the girl stepped out, ayah in tow. Instructions relayed from parent to driver to ayah to the supremely bored girl, who followed those nonetheless. Perhaps she had an exam to clear or an engagement in the offing.

Elsewhere there may be people feeding monkeys, or cows, or crows. It’s a strange thing: we destroy their habitat, and then feed them silly to gain good karma.

I’m struck by many things about this phenomenon: there’s the spirit of entrepreneurship. For the poor, whether it’s in Lahore or Delhi or elsewhere, it’s a way to trade on people’s blind faith and make a rupee or two out of it. You have to admire that.

But then, there’s also this question that bothers me every day: how have we become so deeply superstitious? Where does that come from? And why are we unable — or unwilling — to see that the pigeons and kites and other sundry animals and birds are being overfed?

There are other concerns too: it’s easy for me to laugh at the pigeon-feeders but this isn’t just funny. It’s precisely this kind of superstition and blind belief that kills the Dabholkars, Pansares and Kalburgis of this world. From superstition to intolerance is often a short step: you can convince yourself that, say, eating beef will bring you bad karma — even if it’s your neighbour eating it — and you then take law into your own hands and kill them. Or you can convince yourself that a woman is actually a witch and you destroy her life (and sometimes take over her property too).

Increasingly, in India today — and who knows, perhaps across the border too — using superstition and blind belief, or exploiting the human need for faith, have become weapons in the hands of cynical politicians and corporates.

If a builder can conduct human sacrifices to appease the evil spirits in a building where people will live and love and give birth and die, there has to be something seriously wrong with us.

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Fury over dead pigeons: Great-gran finds 14 birds killed in suspected poisoning attack

Fury over dead pigeons: Great-gran finds 14 birds killed in suspected poisoning attack

1A woman was horrified to find pigeons, doves and blackbirds lying dead under trees in Witham in a suspected poisoning attack.

In recent weeks, great-grandmother Teresa Dawson, 77, of Collingwood Road, made 14 grim discoveries under trees in her garden, in Newlands Drive car park and Holy Family Church yard off Guithavon Street.

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

 

Adelaide ‘cat farm’ owner found with 100 cats pleads to keep animals

Adelaide ‘cat farm’ owner found with 100 cats pleads to keep animals

TH_racoon_distemper_2660___ContentA backyard cat breeder found guilty of animal cruelty charges has pleaded with an Adelaide magistrate not to allow the RSPCA to remove her remaining cats.

Glynne Sutcliffe, 75, was found guilty of several charges of mistreating an animal after more than 100 cats were seized from her Chandlers Hill property in 2011.

The Adelaide Magistrates Court has heard the cats were kept in appalling conditions and many had untreated medical problems including the feline AIDS virus.

RSPCA prosecutor Ronan O’Brien asked the court to impose a hefty fine and order her to pay close to $17,000 in legal costs, vet bills and boarding fees.

He also wants her banned from owning any animal.

“The conditions that the cats were living in [were] quite simply appalling,” Mr O’Brien said.

Please don’t let [my cats] go to the slaughter house.
Glynne Sutcliffe
“The defendant has not shown any remorse for the conditions at the property. She remains indifferent to the plight of the cats.

“The cats in the matter weren’t pets, they weren’t part of a rescue operation where it all got too much.

“The sole purpose of these cats were to make the defendant money — $400 a piece.”

Mr O’Brien said he would expect that a person making money from the sale of cats would look after that investment by providing adequate living conditions for them.

“She is purposefully breeding these animals to make money and yet the animals that are providing that income aren’t receiving even the most basic living conditions. This is a cat farm.”

Sutcliffe told the court she still owned about 20 cats, and pleaded with Magistrate Paul Bennett to allow her to keep them.

She said if she was forced to give up the cats, she should be allowed to sell them, not the RSPCA.

“There’s a lot of smearing, a lot of assumptions, a lot of hypocrisy,” Sutcliffe said.

“I wasn’t in it for the money. I was in it because I quite like kittens and giving them to people.

“The RSPCA has entirely ruined my life without malice.

“The notion that I was making money off cats … the RSPCA makes money any which way off animals.

“They are ruthless destroyers, they kill without mercy.

“Please don’t let [my cats] go to the slaughter house.”

She has promised to appeal against her conviction in the Supreme Court before being sentenced next month.

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Stray cat problem

Stray cat problem

stock-photo-48149480-ginger-tabby-cat-sitting-on-suburban-fenceDebate is raging online over how to deal with street cats following the recent death of a “cat mom” in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

A cat mom refers to a person who provides food to stray cats. The police at first suspected that the Yongin woman was killed by one of her neighbors who hated people taking care of stray cats, given that she was hit by a brick while setting up a shelter for feral cats in a garden at the apartment building.

But the suspect identified by the police on Friday was a 10-year-old boy who confessed he dropped the brick from the rooftop of the apartment building while playing with his friends.

While the cat mom was found to have been killed for reasons having nothing to do with stray cats, her death nevertheless highlighted the escalating tension between cat moms and residents.

These days we hear more frequently about people going to court due to conflicts over street cats.

Cat moms say there is nothing wrong with looking after alley cats. They even argue that feeding them contributes to keeping the neighborhood clean, as no trash bags would be dug into by hungry cats.

But they turn a blind eye to the problems that street cats can cause. Among other things, they pose health risks for residents as they can carry diseases.

Although stray cats present risks, getting rid of them in a merciless method is totally inappropriate in ethical terms.

But it is also problematic to let them proliferate without taking action. Seoul alone is believed to have more than 250,000 street cats.

The most effective method to stabilize stray cat populations is known to be the Trap-Neuter-Return program, which involves humanely trapping stray cats and having them spayed or neutered before returning them to their outdoor home.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government launched a TNR program in 2008, leaving its implementation to the 25 ward offices.

The Gangdong District ward office has been operating the TNR program successfully. The office set up community cat feeding stations as part of the program and managed to stabilize the feline population in the district.

The office says the feeding stations are also effective in reducing conflicts between residents over stray cats as they themselves play the role of cat moms.

The problem with feeding stations is that it takes money to operate them. Neutering also costs more than 100,000 won ($88) per cat. This is one reason other ward offices have difficulty maintaining the TNR program. But if conflicts over stray cats worsen, it would be worth the expense.

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Australia’s Feral Cat Problem

Australia’s Feral Cat Problem

93215c04b2c830dc072e47c4febed1fdTo Brigitte Bardot, it is nothing less than “animal genocide.” To the singer Morrissey, it is “taking idiocy just too far.” Indeed, Australia’s plan to kill two million stray cats — “two million smaller versions of Cecil the Lion,” in Morrissey’s poignant formulation — is a jaw dropper. In a fast urbanizing world, the only cats most people come in contact with are the family pet, an animal to be pampered and scratched, not fed poisoned carrion.

Australia’s vast population of feral cats is nothing like that. These descendants of domestic cats brought in by European settlers have evolved into efficient predators far bigger than the average house pet, and they devour an estimated 75 million native animals every day. They are responsible for a real animal genocide, having wiped out about 28 native Australian species — including the desert bandicoot, the lesser bilby and the crescent nailtail wallaby.

Australia’s environment minister, Greg Hunt, announced the plan to eradicate a tenth of the estimated 20 million wild cats by 2020, calling them “a tsunami of violence and death.” That’s one way of saying they are an ecological threat that Australia must confront. Introduced species like the Australian cats, or the Burmese pythons in the Everglades or the lionfish in the Atlantic, are major threats to native plants and animals, and since they were usually brought in by humans, humans have a responsibility to deal with the problems.

Animal-rights advocates like Ms. Bardot or Morrissey are right to protect animals against cruelty or abuse, and they should insist that Australia use the least painful methods to cull the cats. And those responsible for controlling introduced species must do so with utmost care. But we cannot deny the realities of protecting the diversity and health of the species with which we share our planet.

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Laws that could ruin your next trip

Laws that could ruin your next trip

Exclusive-street-p_3586675bTraveling can be an incredibly freeing experience, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re free to do whatever you want. Tourists often find themselves in hot water with locals or law enforcement for being ignorant of laws or cultural norms.

At best, this can be embarrassing. At worst, illegal. Switching into relaxation mode is essential for most vacations, but don’t let it make you blind to some crucial information about your destination. Try making a must-not-do list in addition to your to-do list. In some places, chewing gum is illegal. In others, throwing out your metro ticket breaks the law. Here are a few weird laws to watch out for.

Feeding the pigeons in Venice

Throwing birdseed in Venice’s Piazza San Marco may seem like an innocent pastime, but Venice has banned feeding the city’s massive pigeon population. Some people do still feed the birds, but the practice is punishable by a fine since the pigeons damage statues and require cleanup.

Pigeons perching on seed-throwing tourists used to be the square’s trademark, but if you want to stay on the city’s good side and avoid getting pooped on (even though it is, surprisingly, considered good luck), opt for wine at a patio and watch the birds milling around instead. That sounds more appealing anyway.

Taking gum to Singapore

The import of chewing gum has been illegal in Singapore since 1992 due to the damage it caused to the public transit system. While your bubblegum may seem harmless, Singapore’s government says the nation spent $106,000 (U.S.) per year cleaning up gum litter and damage before the ban, and can punish those caught importing or selling gum with a fine or even jail time.

Some gum is now permitted for “therapeutic” purposes, i.e. nicotine gum and sugar-free gum with dental health benefits, but sugary bubble gum is still a no-go.

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Blind faith

Northamptonshire town calls in falcons to get rid of problem pigeons

shutterstock_236759257Birds of prey are being drafted in to help deal with problem pigeons posing a health risk in a Northamptonshire town centre.

Peregrine falcon Grin and saker falcon Jackson will patrol the skies above Daventry while Harris hawks Goose and Ruby are walked around the streets in an effort to scare the pigeons away.
The action is being taken by Daventry District Council in response to concerns over the growing number of pigeons creating a mess in the town, particularly Bowen Square and Foundry Place.
As well as looking unsightly, bird droppings carry disease and can erode stonework on buildings and block gutters.

During an intensive fortnight-long programme, experienced handlers from NBC Bird and Pest Solutions will fly their falcons in a wide arc around the town centre, deterring pigeons from roof tops and balconies. The Harris Hawks will be walked around the town to move the pigeons from paths and walkways.

The birds of prey will then be brought back to the town periodically to deter the pigeons from returning.
Birds of prey are increasingly being used as an effective deterrent to pigeons and other unwanted birds. Rufus, the Harris Hawk, has been keeping the Wimbledon tennis championships pigeon-free for many years, while NBC have carried out their falconry programme in a number of town and city centres in the East Midlands as well as at Luton Airport.

Jon Bailey, of NBC Bird and Pest Solutions, said: “Our falconry response programmes create a visual deterrent, letting the pest birds know that the area is no longer safe.
“The presence of a hawk or falcon quickly makes an area undesirable to feral pigeons and encourages them to establish a new pattern of behaviour.

“This is a natural method of bird control which utilises nature’s instincts to move the pigeons on – they will not roost in an area where they know there is a predator and over time pigeons will leave the area.”

Environmental Health Officers from DDC are urging people to support the programme by not feeding the pigeons. Those who do so are being reminded they risk a £75 fixed penalty notice for littering.

People are also being given an opportunity to meet the birds of prey and find out more about the falconry programme at an information event this Saturday (October 24). It will run from 9am to about 4pm in Bowen Square, ahead of the falconry programme starting on Monday, October 26.
Councillor Mike Warren, Health and Housing Portfolio Holder on Daventry District Council, said: “Unfortunately despite our efforts to stop people feeding the pigeons their numbers continue to grow, creating a mess in the town centre and posing a health risk to our residents.

“Falconry programmes such as this offer a natural way to rid the town centre of this nuisance and have proven effective in other areas. We would also urge people to support our efforts by not feeding the 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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Uckfield’s Jesus in Jeans saved from pigeons

Uckfield’s Jesus in Jeans saved from pigeons

An Uckfield church spent many years trying to prevent pigeons messing on their statue depicting a modern-day Christ but at last it seems a solution has been found.

The Catholic church of Our Lady Immaculate and St Philip Neri was the focus of world attention when their sculpture, dubbed Jesus in Jeans by the media, was unveiled in 2009 but pigeons soon made it their favourite perch.

jesus-in-jeans-jon-alan

Alan Duncan who, with a colleague, helps with maintenance issues was at the end of his tether after spending considerable funds and much research on different possible solutions to keep the statue clean.

Even anti-bird spikes on the statue’s halo didn’t do the trick but what has worked is a gel fixed to the statue which appears to the birds as flames and deters them from landing.

The sculpture hangs on the front face of the church tower above what was once a disabled access ramp.

At one stage there was so much excrement on the area, from the pigeons roosting on the sculpture above, that the ramp underneath the statue became slippery and dangerous.

And so, as an alternative access was available, the area was re-designed as a flower bed with conifers.

It was Cleankill Environmental Services, which has extensive expertise in controlling pest birds, which came up with a solution after being called in to assess the problem.

Jon Whitehead, director of Cleankill Environmental Services, explains: “The sculpture has a hollow back which created a perfect home for around 20 pigeons. They would nest inside and rest on the halo creating an unsightly and unhygienic mess.”

Cleankill used a special product called Bird Free Gel which they fixed to the statue at certain points, including the halo. The gel appears as flames to the birds so they are discouraged from landing.

Alan Duncan said: “We are all so pleased that Cleankill has solved the problem. We were at a loss as to what to do next. At one point we put anti-bird spikes on various resting places, painting them gold to match the halo. Unfortunately, the pigeons were ‘most comfortable’ with the additions.

“The service from Cleankill was excellent and very professional, including many after-care visits.”

The statue, by Lewes-based sculptor Marcus Cornish, attracted interest from across the globe when it was revealed in 2009. It was unveiled by The Pope’s ambassador to this country, the papal nuncio Archbishop Faustino Sainz Munoz, and the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton blessed it.

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Brightly-coloured pink pigeon spotted in Worcester city centre

Garden executioner is gradually getting rid of those pigeon pests

pigeonThe mangy pigeons that congregate around Dúlra’s house like a gang of street drinkers are an eyesore. At least six sit on the roof waiting to be fed. When the first one arrived six months ago, Dúlra wasn’t bothered – it’s nice to have an extra species in the garden. But word of Dúlra’s generosity must have spread in the bird world, and soon there were half a dozen.

They know they’re on to a good thing – regular feeding with Dúlra’s high protein (and high cost!) bird mix.

Neighbours probably think he’s got a pigeon shed – but instead of prize-winning homers and racers, these birds are the common city feral type that you have to step over in Belfast city centre. The ‘rats with wings’ so derided by city dwellers the world over.

Dúlra spreads bird food liberally on the path every day for the finches, robins and other small birds. The pigeons sit on the roof like sentinels, the white-stained slates proof of their presence. And as soon as Dúlra’s magic mix of seeds, husks and peanuts is scattered, they’re down before the back door has even been shut.

At first Dúlra resented them. These birds are mongrels rather than pedigrees. They originated from the wild rock doves and stock doves, which bred with racing pigeons who never made it back home. Over time, they’ve come to depend on people like no other bird, their populations being most dense where our own populations are most dense – city centres. But truth is, while we may think there are a lot of pigeons, there are probably not much more than 10,000 in Belfast. Because we see them so often, they appear more common than they really are.

As the summer went on, Dúlra’s cold heart began to thaw. These birds were loyal. They weren’t heading to the hills any time soon, like the finches. And they were patient. They would sit staring at the garden for hours, waiting for their patron to spread his rich bounty. Probably more than anything else, their confidence was contagious. If these pigeons were landing in the garden and not nervously flying away at the first gust of wind, then other birds tended to stay put too.

One pigeon in particular was prettier than the rest. It looked just like the wild rock dove which it was obviously descended from. The rock dove is now very rare, its population having been diluted by breeding with feral doves. Dúlra saw one once on a cliff-face on Tory Island off Donegal, a solitary bird incubating its eggs.

This one in Dúlra’s garden had the same two black bars on its wing, and a healthy iridescent green sheen on its neck. The oil-rich mix of seeds that Dúlra offers will do its plumage no harm at all.

In the street Dúlra would have blanked it, but now that it was a regular in his garden, he found himself admiring the perfect plumage.

Tragically, it was those same feathers that he found scattered on the lawn this week after they’d been ripped asunder. Dúlra needn’t have minded about the pigeons becoming pests – the local sparrowhawk is his unpaid Rentokil agent.

One by one the pigeons have been picked off with the precision of a sniper. Dúlra actually saw the sparrowhawk stooping for her kill this week – it was certainly a ‘her’ because only the female sparrowhawk is big enough to kill a pigeon. She was hovering near the house, being pestered by a crow, when she suddenly folded her wings and fell like a stone into Dúlra’s garden. And a bit like the kids’ song ‘ten green bottles sitting on the wall’, Dúlra knew there would be one less pigeon in his garden.

Today there are just two pigeons on the roof. Dúlra feels like a guard on death row, fattening the two remaining birds up for their inevitable date with the executioner.

But now he’s on the side of the pigeons. Hopefully, somehow, he’ll help them see through the winter.

Glengormley Reader: I saw a flock of about 40 geese this week arriving in from the north, flying in a V-shape and honking excitedly.

Dúlra: They are probably white-fronted goose, gé bhánéadanach, which arrive from Greenland.

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Women assaulted after ‘asking man to stop feeding pigeons’ in Finsbury Park

Women assaulted after ‘asking man to stop feeding pigeons’ in Finsbury Park

imageTwo women were allegedly assaulted after asking a man to stop feeding pigeons in Finsbury Park.

Police and paramedics from London Ambulance Service were called to the park at about 8.30am on Friday after two women sustained head and facial injuries.

A woman in her 30s had been at the park with her daughter and saw a man feeding the birds.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the woman asked the man to stop before she was allegedly assaulted.

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

A second woman, who is in her 20s, intervened and was also assaulted, police said.

Most pooed on man in Britain demands action from his local council

Most pooed on man in Britain demands action from his local council

Exclusive-street-p_3586674bA HOME-owner says his garden has become a no-go zone because it is inundated with birds – making him the most pooed on man in Britain.

Fed-up Daniel Norman has got so sick of the raining excrement every time he steps outside he is demanding his local council takes immediate action.

He claims he is constantly plagued by a barrage of bird poo from pigeons roosting in a derelict building next door.

The 25-year-old is now wants council chiefs to board up the old pool hall which has become home to dozens of offenders.

Daniel lives behind the former Pot Black building in Plymouth, Devon, which has been left severely dilapidated after a fire ravaged it nine years ago.

He says pigeons have been nesting in the grade II listed property, which is now owned Plymouth City Council (PCC), and constantly drop their faeces in his garden – meaning he cannot even hang his washing out to dry.

Daniel lives in social housing owned by Sanctuary Housing but, according to the driver’s mate and warehouse worker, the housing association says it can’t do anything to rectify the problem.

He said: “I’ve been fighting this case for the last five years.

“Because the building is not boarded up, the pigeons are going in there and roosting. If it was boarded up, it wouldn’t be an issue.

“But that seems to be too much to ask.”

Daniel contacted the council and an inspector from environmental health visited his property offering to send a team “every week” to clean up the mess – but made no offer to board-up the windows.

In July, the council pushed through a compulsory purchase order to take responsibility for the sale of the building, previously belonging to the Mechanics Institute.

Labour’s Councillor Chris Penberthy, responsible for housing, said at the time that the interior was in a “filthy state” and inhabited by breeding pigeons who were “making a mess everywhere”.

Since the order, which was not contested by the owner, went through, it is now the council’s responsibility to maintain the building.

A Plymouth City Council spokeswoman said: “We are currently in the process of an enforced sale action under the Law of Property Act 1925.

“This process works in the same way as a mortgage company selling a property to recover mortgage arrears. This means that the council does not take ownership of the property, but it gives us the ability to sell it.

“We understand the frustrations of local residents over the state of the building which is why after repeated requests to the owners to sort out the building we took tough action.

“Whilst the sale is going through we will review the current situation of the building to see if there are any additional steps we can take to secure the building.”

A spokesperson from Sanctuary Housing said: “We sympathise with those living nearby and have repeatedly arranged for the garden to be cleaned.

“Our contractors also attempted to clear the area earlier this month, and we are speaking to Mr Norman in order to arrange an appointment so that the work can be carried out.”

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Plenty of Pigeons populate Platzl

Plenty of Pigeons populate Platzl

pigeon airUp until a few years ago, Kimberley was free of Columba livia domestica, the domestic pigeon. But suddenly, you could spot one or two in town, and now you can seldom walk through the Platzl without seeing them.

The image of people tossing crumbs to pigeons is fairly iconic — picture St. Mark’s Square in Venice. But not everyone appreciates the presence of pigeons. At their regular Council meeting last week, Council was asked by a local business owner, Michelle Forbes, of City Bakery, to do something about people feeding pigeons in front of hers and a neighbouring business.

Forbes says feeding attracts more and more pigeons and they are becoming a problem.

“Initially there were three or four pigeons, which is not a problem, but as he has persisted feeding the pigeons every morning, this has grown to about 30 birds that have taken up roosting on the bakery roof and surrounding roofs. This is a health issue, as the large number of birds leave bird feathers and droppings, with feathers ending up inside of food establishments, which could actually have businesses shut down.”

Forbes told Council she had spoken with the bylaw officer and City staff, but doesn’t feel there is a satisfactory solution yet.

She believes pigeons should be added to Kimberley’s Do Not Feed Wildlife Bylaw.

Mayor Don McCormick says Council had quite the discussion about where pigeons fell into the city’s wildlife bylaw.

“How broad is the bylaw? We’re going to review that,” he said. “At the end of the day, people know you shouldn’t feed pigeons.

“There is not a lot a municipality can do to stop something people know they shouldn’t do. But if you see it, speak up. Peer pressure associated with behaviour can have an affect.”

McCormick says there are a lot of restaurants in the Platzl, many with outdoor patios.

“People eat outside, crumbs are dropped. If there’s less of that, the pigeons will go away. It may not be a major issue, but we’ll pay attention.”

However, McCormick says there is a broader aspect to this beyond pigeons or deer, and that’s the notion that if there’s a behaviour you don’t like, the city has to stop it.

“There is no way one bylaw officer can cover everything,” he said. “Our bylaw enforcement does respond to complaints coming through. It’s the only realistic thing we can do and for the most part it works well.”

 

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.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)