by Pigeon Patrol | Jan 18, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
Pigeons have plagued the parliament for years. When the building first opened, muck and feathers were blown through vents on to researchers’ desks and some birds even got into MSPs’ offices. Nets, wires and spikes were installed in a bid to keep the birds away.
Birds of prey were introduced in 2009 with a strict “no kill” policy. Last year, the Evening News revealed laser pens were also being used to frighten the birds away, prompting warnings by experts that birds could be blinded by such measures.
Today, pigeon experts said the parliament was wasting money by paying for any more action against the birds.
Monthly reports to Holyrood by contractors NBC Bird and Pest Solutions say they find an average of 14 birds present each time they arrive for their early-morning visits.
And the reports claim they successfully disperse about two-thirds each time.
But Emma Haskell, who until recently ran the Pigeon Control Advisory Service, said there was little chance of getting the numbers any lower.
She said: “These will undoubtedly be the same birds each time. They will return to base once the hawk has gone. You would need to fly the hawks 24/7 to deter the pigeons permanently.
“They are never going to be pigeon-free. That’s just unrealistic.
“Fourteen is a very small number of birds for an area the size of the parliament. Why are they spending any money on that number of pigeons? It’s a complete waste of money.”
Ms Haskell said the only time the pigeons would be absent from the building was when a hawk was flying and there was no reason to suppose scrapping such flights would lead to an increase in numbers.
Edinburgh Southern SNP MSP Jim Eadie said: “Given the size and importance of the building, it is appropriate there should be proper pest control measures in place.
“The public is entitled to expect that any expenditure is constantly reviewed and evaluated to ensure the taxpayer is receiving value for money.”
It is understood the parliament will consider cutting back hawk visits when the contract runs out in May next year.
A spokesman said: “While we are pleased measures have reduced the number of issues in recent times, we are aware the problem can never be fully eradicated. A decision on whether to continue with the existing approach will be taken early next year.”
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)
by Pigeon Patrol | Jan 16, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
A hawk – or hawks – once made the top of City Hall home. And, apparently, the birds of prey did yeoman’s work in keeping the pigeon population in check.
Those hawks, though, have found another place to rest their claws. No one knows why. Since then, the place has really gone to… the other birds.
With no predators around, the pigeon population proliferated. So did the amount of pigeon droppings that rain down from the ledges where they perch on the 12-story building.
The droppings have become such a problem that the city hired an animal control company to move the birds. The city has also paid to have the windows power washed three times. Some city staffers have relocated important meetings because of the unsightly office windows.
“It’s gross,” city spokeswoman Lori Crouch said. “You can’t have a meeting in your office when your windows are literally covered in poo.”
So far, the animal control and cleanings have cost $24,000, with another $6,700 job coming after the holidays, according to the city. The power washings, which likely will continue every week or two, cost $1,600 apiece.
City staffers see the humor in the ordeal. One joke involves a new nickname for the building. (Hint: It rhymes with City Hall.)
For a holiday gift exchange, Crouch received a “bird poop survival kit,” including Windex, a squeegee, wipes – and a bird ornament.
Another staffer got a bird feeder.
A company named ACME Animal Control has been trying to resolve the issue since August. But, in some respects, things have gotten worse.
ACME installed bird spikes around the top floors of the building where the pigeons roost to deter them from sticking around. While some have taken the hint, the rest have gathered on a panel just below the building’s roof.
“Every place we spiked pushed them up higher and higher,” said David Freeman, director of the city’s General Services Department.
“And as they started going higher, the poop problem started getting worse.”
Freeman described a “splatter effect.”
“It has a lot more intensity when it hits something,” he said.
The windows on the 10th and 11th floors on the north and east sides of the building take the worst of the waste.
After the holidays, the city will add another round of spikes and hope that does the trick, Freeman said. If not, it will look at other options.
“It’s been a cat-and-mouse game,” Freeman said. “We’re winning all these battles and eventually we’re going to end up winning the war.”
Of course, Freeman wouldn’t mind a little help. A hawk would be a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
“They certainly would not starve,” Freeman said. “There would be plenty of food to eat.”
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)
by Pigeon Patrol | Jan 16, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeons in the News
Thousands of pigeons have invaded a small town in Scotland – coating roofs, streets and pavements in droppings and feathers.
Frustrated residents in Alva, Clackmannanshire, have hit out at council officials for failing to take action to remove the birds after they claim they have been hit be a ‘plague of pigeons’.
It is thought the birds are looking for a place to roost after the demolition of a former pub, the Alva Glen Hotel, which had lain empty for years and where they had taken residency.
A small town in Scotland has been invaded by a swarm of pigeons, which have coated roofs and pavements with droppings and feathers
But it was recently knocked down after it was discovered that drug barons had been using it as a cannabis farm in 2009.
Residents have complained that persistent problems include pigeons taking to balconies and that roofs of buildings are being covered in feathers and droppings.
Frank Cairns, 45, a local publican who lives and works in Main Street where most of the birds have settled, said: ‘It’s an absolute nightmare. It’s like we’ve gone back to the Middle Ages with street hygiene.
‘It will harm trade, no doubt about that. It gives us a harder job to keep the place clean.’
His sister Katrina Cairns added: ‘We have had to clean the gutters three times to clean out the pigeon mess. It is all getting dragged in here.
‘School kids are walking along the street, walking it into shops, the school, their houses.
‘I know the council said they are sending a cleaner along the street, but the mess is still there. The disease it brings – they are not exactly clean animals.
It is thought the birds are trying to find somewhere to roost after their previous home – the Alva Glen Hotel – was recently demolished
The pigeons can be seen in their thousands as they sit on roofs of houses. Furious residents have complained the council has not done enough to remove the birds
‘It’s not great, you have to try to avoid it in the street.’
Graham Johnston owns a watch shop and has many of the pigeons roosting on his roof: ‘It is annoying. Someone must be feeding them or they’d be away by now.
‘There is droppings all along the pavement. It’s horrible. The mess gets brought into the shop from the pavement outside. There is nothing being done about it.’
James McDonald, 64, who lives opposite where the hotel used to be, added: ‘It’s not very nice, the mess in the street is horrible.’
George Horsburgh, former secretary of Alva Community Council, who is also part of the Alva Community Action Group, said: ‘This has infuriated many residents of Alva who are worst affected, in particular residents of the flattened dwellings in The Wynd.
‘The residents there have to put up with many of the pigeons roosting on their balconies overnight and part of the day, making them unusable to the residents, some of them have resorted to fitting strawberry netting across the front of their balconies to prevent the pigeons from gaining access.
‘One older lady constantly complains that they roost on her window ledges and wonders why no action has been taken.’
Residents have complained that persistent problems include pigeons taking to balconies and that roofs of buildings are being covered in feathers and droppings
The derelict former hotel was bought and flattened by construction firm Murdoch Smith last year after it was branded an eyesore, due to its state of disrepair and problems surrounding the maintenance of the building date as far back as 2006.
Local MP Gordon Banks agrees the pigeon issue is causing distress for many people, and believes the situation has been a long time coming.
He said: ‘There can be no doubt that there are hundreds of pigeons displaced from the old Alva Glen Hotel and such populations are an obvious result of buildings lying empty and falling into disrepair, so the problem has been a long time in the making.
‘Now that their roost has been destroyed these birds are in the open and can often be seen swarming in their hundreds in the area.
‘The council’s hope that they will naturally disperse does not seem to have much support and I hope there is some way that the council will rethink their position and investigate methods for dispersal.
‘This is a problem where buildings are allowed to fall into disrepair and impacts other areas of the county as well, so I look forward to the council being more proactive on empty buildings in the future.’
Another resident said: ‘As soon as they took the roof of the Alva Glen Hotel, the town was hit by a plague of pigeons flying around wondering where their home had gone. They had all been roosting in the attic.’
The birds had been roosting in the Alva Glen Hotel (pictured) before it was recently demolished after residents complained it was an ‘eyesore’
The small town of Alva in Clackmannanshire has been inundated with the pigeons and the local council has organised extra street cleaning
Clackmannanshire Council said it had been concerned about the potential for problems from pests from the site and, in advance of the demolition, had investigated options for culling the birds.
A spokeswoman for the council said: ‘Due to animal welfare legislation we were unable to net the buildings as it would have trapped the birds inside and due to the poor state of the building we were unable to gain access to poison the birds.
‘It was expected that the pigeon population of Alva would decrease as the air temperature dropped and the pigeons are forced to find new sheltered spots for roosting at night.
‘The persistence of birds during daytime is indicative of food being put out for the birds during the day.
‘The council has investigated a number of reports and spoken to those responsible.
‘To reduce the impact off the pigeon droppings on the pavements of Alva, the council has organised extra street cleansing and also arranged for high powered jet washing of the worst affected areas.
‘Council officers will continue to monitor the situation, and consider further action should the issue persist.’
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)
by Pigeon Patrol | Dec 16, 2014 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services
Affectionately known by most people as rats with wings, sky rats, gutter birds and flying ashtrays, pigeons must be one of the most unloved birds around.
The hatred can be extreme, with extreme pigeon fearing labelled as peristerophobia, but it is so widely shared several clothing manufacturers produce “I hate pigeons” T-shirts.
The mayor of New York’s latest operation in the Pigeon War, he is defending his ban on feeding in court. He opened hostilities several years ago, throwing money and some interesting tactics at the problem – a pair of Harris hawks being just one.
Pigeons are seen as the disease-ridden source of myriad droppings.
We will poop on everything you love
But when it comes to hating pigeons, the focus of most people’s dislike is the feral pigeon. It is a domesticated rock dove that has returned to wild or semi-wild conditions. It is usually grey and can be seen in most villages, towns and cities across the UK – and Europe.
They are known to be susceptible to some diseases like tuberculosis, although no more so than any other bird species or wild animals. But the fact there are so many of them means people have good reason to raise the point, argue critics. There are millions.
We share the UK with an estimated 18 million feral pigeons and they can breed up to up to six times a year. They are one of the few birds recognised by the government as a nuisance pest and can be controlled using humane methods and with a licence.
The sheer scale of numbers has resulted in two other commonly cited criticisms – they damage property and drive out other bird species.
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)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 24, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services
The feral pigeon mates for life and can breed up to 8 times a year in optimum conditions, bringing two young into the world each time. The frequency of breeding is dictated by the abundance of food. The eggs take 18/19 days to hatch with both parents incubating the eggs. Young dependant pigeons are commonly known as ‘squabs’.
Aww… Look at those squabs…
Both parents feed the young with a special ‘pigeon milk’ that is regurgitated and fed to the squabs. Each squab can double its birth weight in one day but it takes 4 days for the eyes to open.
“I will peck the soul from your face to feed my squab squad”
When squabs are hungry they ‘squeak’ whilst flapping their wings and as a result they are also commonly known as ‘squeakers’. At approximately 2 months of age the young are ready to fledge and leave the nest. This much longer than average time spent in the nest ensures that life expectancy of a juvenile pigeon is far greater than that of other fledglings.
Exponential growth as evident in the legion of 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)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 18, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeons in the News
Activities including the importing, breeding, trading in and translocation of pigeons are now listed as prohibited activities in terms of the Invasive and Alien Species List as published by the department of water and environmental affairs,” the National Council of SPCAs said in a statement.
The prohibition included “releasing of any specimen of a listed invasive species” which effectively meant that “releasing pigeons to race or as homing pigeons” was illegal.
The NSPCA said the new legislation was published in the Government Gazette on August 1.
Invasive
“Our concerns include the rate of attrition during races. That is, the high number of pigeons who simply do not ever reach their race destination for various reasons including exhaustion, and racing taking place in inclement or extreme weather conditions.”
Relevant industry role players had been informed about the new legislation and the NSPCA was obligated to report any violations to the department, it said.
President of the SA National Pigeon Organisation (Sanpo), Faunty Gillmer said they were seeking a meeting with the environmental affairs minister.
He said the new law, which had been in the pipeline since 2004, would do away with the 100-year-old sport of pigeon racing.
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)
