by johnnymarin | Nov 27, 2017 | Bird Deterrent Products
The council recently carried out a major overall of Forum Square and the Westgate shopping centre entrance with newly planted trees, paving, seating and performance spaces.
But some local and national media including the Sun carried reports criticising the council for installing spikes to keep the pigeons off the trees.
The council has hit back at the criticism, and issued a statement saying: “We are piloting some pigeon prevention methods across the town, along with a stop feeding the pigeons campaign, because they can cause mess and disease.
“This is a standard anti-pigeon measure used in towns and cities across the country. On shops, trees, churches, all sorts of places.
“They do not hurt pigeons, but deter them from roosting in a particular area.
“We aim to deter pigeons from roosting in the town centre, including this area where people sit outside to eat and drink on new benches and outside coffee shops.”
It added: “Pigeons can cause mess and transmit serious diseases including meningitis, E-coli, Salmonella and Listeria.
“These spikes were already in place on shop canopies in Stevenage and around the country, and have been for many years. We added these new ones after improving the square this summer with new benches, lighting and trees.”
But the town’s Conservative MP Stephen McPartland has hit back at the decision, saying: “It’s completely stupid.
“Trees are there for birds to use, but this is typical of the idiocy of Stevenage Borough Council. These trees have been there for years, they’ve never needed spikes before.”
In the advice it issues about living with pigeons, animal welfare charity the RSPCA mentions a number of methods of preventing them from landing including wire structures, netting and spikes.
On spikes, referred to by the RSPCA as ‘spines’, it says: “Anti-perching devices, such as spines, are considered to be one of the most humane ways of trying to minimise the problems these birds can cause. The spines are usually angled so that they are awkward to land on but will not impale the bird but some may also be designed to bend but be firm enough to provide an uncomfortable perching or roosting place for the bird. However, it is vital these are installed appropriately by trained professionals and inspected regularly.”
The RSPB gives advice on its website including: “Ledges can be protected by fitting specially designed spike strips or metal coil, or converting the ledge to a slope.”
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 johnnymarin | Nov 13, 2017 | Bird Deterrent Products
Gary Jennings will be bringing a good selection of pigeons from all his winning families, including sons and daughters of his best Hereman Cuesters from stock obtained K&K Homer & Williams of North Yorkshire, Wayne Doonan and Border Lofts, to the Winter Fayre. There will also be pigeons from his long distance family of Marijn Van Geels/Cyril Beattie bred pigeons. This line of birds has been responsible for the Jennings’ success from St Malo over the past number of years. There will also be a good choice of Stefaan Lambrechts available on the day from pigeons recently acquired from Ype Hemstra and a few directs from Stefaan. Anybody wanting any specific birds brought to Ballyclare should contact Gary for a welcome chat. At the Fayre take the chance to order your 2018 youngsters. Gary has received good reports this year from a number of fanciers who purchased birds earlier in the year.
TELFORD BROS – DOWNPATRICK Based in Downpatrick, the Telford Bros lofts house nothing but the very best. This comes as no surprise as over the past few seasons Alan has been a fearless purchaser at any of the major sales he has attended purchasing nothing but the best bloodlines possible. All the top winning families, Heremans Ceusters and more, are at stock but one of the main families at stock are the Colin Gibson stock. Alan attended the complete clearance sales of Colin Gibson and purchased nothing but the best, resulting in a number of the top racers and producers making their way to the lofts in Downpatrick. Telford Bros will be attending the Winter Fayre in Ballyclare and will have a top selection of their winning families on show plus taking orders for 2018 youngsters.
TOM CAIRNS WOODEN PRODUCTS Tom is better known to all as the guy that trains your French candidates every weekend. In the racing season (O/B Only) Tom trains most weekends (weather permitting) prior to the top French events and is known by all. Tom builds nest boxes, hampers, feeders, wooden silos and more for the fancy in his workshop. Tom will be attending the Fayre and will have on show a selection of his products
BENZING ETS Benzing will be in attendance at the Fayre. Dorothy Smyth (NI Rep) from Benzing will be in attendance to answer any queries and demonstrate and promote the present “ Benzing ETS “ system
HENRY McLAUGHLIN – PIGEON SUPPLIES Henry will be attending the Fayre and will, as usual, have a top selection of pigeon products on offer. Henry is agent for the Van Tilburg Pigeon Corn and there is a top range of mixes on offer and they will be on show for all to view at the Fayre. Henry is looking for local agents to supply the Van Tilburg range. If interested have a chat with Henry at the Fayre.
H BEATTIE & SON – CORN MERCHANTS H Beattie & Son will be attending the Fayre to promote their full range of top quality pigeon mixes. They are agents for the Versele Laga range of corns and products also. Come along and view the full range of mixes.
ANISAN PIGEON PRODUCTS Anisan will be attending the Fayre. They will be promoting their pigeon products and will have special show offers on the day. Everything to keep the lofts clean and healthy.
AUCTION AT THE FAYRE There will be a small select draft on auction on the day of the Fayre starting at 3pm (approx). More information and full details will be on the Pigeon Craic website www.pigeoncraic.com in the coming days plus full information in next week’s issue. The Northern Ireland Winter Fayre will be held on Saturday, October 14, at the Six Mile Leisure Centre, Ballynure Road, Ballyclare, Co. Antrim, BT39 9YU. Opens 9.30am-4.30pm (approximately).
GLENN BUCKLEY & SON – ANNAGHMORE – INFC NATIONAL CHAMPION 2017 I would like to send my heartiest congratulations to the top racing partnership of Glenn and Johnny Buckley, G Buckley & Son, on their outstanding achievements this season on being crowned INFC National Champions 2017. The Buckley family have won just about every top award that there is to win and this result puts the icing on the cake for one of the nicest racing families that you could meet in the sport of pigeon racing. Well done Glenn and Johnny.
LARNE & DIST PIGEON MOOT Larne and Dist HPS will be holding a night with the world famous Jos Thone on Friday, 13th October starting at 7.30pm. Tickets are £10 each (inc supper). Jos will have 15 youngsters for sale on the night to be auctioned, opening bid £100 each.
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 johnnymarin | Nov 11, 2017 | Bird Deterrent Products
FEED lots around Echuca are to blame for the pigeon plague which has been affecting local buildings.
In response to The Riv’s article last week, businesses are coming forward with their horror stories and ways they’ve tried to remedy the problem.
Campaspe College, a neighbour to the Uniting Church has been caught in a flap after calls to council fell on deaf ears.
General Manager Karen Hagan said how the weekly clean-up has been exhausting funds and staff members of the college.
“There are normally around 80 to 100 along the top of the pitched roof. Just outside the door from our kitchen there’s always a mess from the birds, it’s a real worry for us,” Ms Hagan said.
“We have staff members and volunteers come out and clean up the place, it takes three or four hours a week just to get the main areas clean, then we have to get people up on the roof.”
“I’ve tried contacting council and of course I haven’t heard back from anyone. We’re the early voting centre for the federal election, and our disability access doorway is just covered in pigeon poo, it doesn’t look very good.”
“We’ve moved the air conditioners from the roof down to on the walls because the pigeons were behind there, we had a staff member clean them out and he found 18 and a half dead pigeons in amongst everything.”
Council has said that it is up to residents to control their own problems, but local pigeon racer Dick Robb said that the sudden spike in numbers can be explained.
“It’s a pretty big problem and it’s sort of come out of nowhere. There’s a feed lot about five kilometres west of Echuca, so the birds have unlimited feed which means they can breed for 12 months of the year,” Mr Robb said.
“To put that in perspective, we race them, and we have them breed only once a year.”
“They’re a curse. They are a filthy bird, and you can’t very well poison them all.”
“The town is just saturated. There was an occasion last year where after heavy rain a shop got flooded because the pigeons had clogged up the guttering and downpipes, it’s a bit ridiculous.”
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 johnnymarin | Nov 9, 2017 | Bird Deterrent Products
HALIFAX – After receiving complaints from people in his district about neighbors who were feeding unwanted wild animals, a city councillor was surprised to learn there are no rules in place to stop the behaviour.
District 5 Councillor Sam Austin wants a bylaw enacted to restrict residents from feeding and leaving out food scraps that attract unwanted wildlife, including raccoons and pigeons.
He told the Rick Howe Show in addition to those animals becoming a nuisance, there are also health concerns.
“With raccoons, there is parasites and rabies,” said Austin. “With pigeons, there is a fungus in their droppings that can lead to a disease in people that can result in blindness.”
According to Austin, when residents contacted him about the problem, he was shocked to discover there was no bylaw to stop someone from feeding wildlife.
He said the department of natural resources was unable to do anything either and adds while enforcement may be problematic, the point is to stop extreme behaviour.
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 johnnymarin | Oct 12, 2017 | Bird Deterrent Products
If you feed them, they will roost.
And poop. They will definitely poop.
Nesting pigeons and the scat they leave behind have been a perennial and somewhat costly problem for Clark County. Complaints from residents are so common that Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak wants to discuss what can be done during Tuesday’s commission meeting.
“We’ve got a proliferation of pigeons in some of these areas,” Sisolak said. “There’s a lot of property damage as a result of pigeons roosting.”
The bird’s corrosive poop can damage paint, concrete roof tiles and air conditioning equipment. Their nesting material can clog a drainage system. There’s also a concern about the spread of disease from pigeon carcasses and waste.
Chris Bramley, who oversees the county government’s pest control management, said most of the county’s facilities “have some kind of a pigeon issue.” Flocks of 50 to 60 pigeons can be found living on some roofs.
But the problem has become exceptionally noticeable at the West Flamingo Senior Center, supervisor Diane Olson-Baskin said.
Despite the county’s efforts to dissuade the birds from roosting there — including a sonic repellent system — close to 30 pigeons have made the community center home, Olson-Baskin said. She believes the blame lies in some patrons’ delight in tossing piece of bread to the birds every morning.
“We try to discourage people from feeding the pigeons, but they enjoy it so much that all we can do is encourage them to feed them as far as possible from the building,” Olson-Baskin said.
Such is the stuff that makes up the passionate debate over pigeons. While some people see the birds as pests, others love them.
When county commissioners considered a law banning the feeding of feral pigeons in January 2012 they were inundated with opinions from both sides. A majority of commissioners voted against the proposed law.
Bramley said he has a hard time telling people they should not feed the birds. He understands it’s an enjoyable pastime for many.
Still, “if people want to feed pigeons they should feed them in small amounts,” he said. “Don’t let them learn that you’re taking care of them like they’re your children.”
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 johnnymarin | Oct 7, 2017 | Bird Deterrent Products
Most birdwatchers hardly spare a glance for the feral, or semi-domesticated, pigeons of our towns, strutting across pavements or flying above the streets with their wings held momentarily in a V-shape. Yet they are interesting birds with a long history.
Nearly all of them come from ancestors that passed through human hands. Some of these were kept for food in dovecotes many were trained as homing or racing pigeons in a competitive sport that survives.
They have hybridised, and a flock may contain birds of very different appearance. Among them, however, are numerous individuals that still look very like the wild rock doves of the coast. They can be picked out by their blue-grey colour and the two heavy black bars on each wing. These probably derive from wild birds once captured by humans for use in the shooting booths. Rock doves are very quick and agile on the wing, and were good; challenging targets for the gunners when released.
In the wild they live on rocky seaside cliffs, and the pure form is found mainly in northwest Scotland. However, the feral birds sometimes go back to their cliff habitat and interbreed with them, so they may eventually die out.
The town pigeons can look very scruffy and dirty, and one wonders what they have been eating, so they are not very popular. But a sudden panicky flight into the sky by a streetful of them when they are alarmed can be quite spectacular. These can be seen much more often now that peregrine falcons are found in town centres looking for pigeons.
The town pigeons’ note is a little rolling “coo”, much used in courtship, and one can often see a male walking rapidly, in a rather hustling style, behind a female in the hope of wooing her. They nest in sheltered holes and crevices in buildings, often under railway bridges. We may not greatly like them, but it seems that we shall always have them 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)
