by Pigeon Patrol | Jul 17, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News
WILMINGTON — A proposal to change the city’s zoning rules to prohibit keeping pigeons will advance to the city council.
On Wednesday, the city’s planning commission voted to recommend approval of the proposal.
The amendment would establish a mechanism to grandfather existing pigeon-keepers, who would be required to register with the city within six months of a rule change. Only two pigeon-keepers are known to the city.
The city council will have the final say.
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 | Jul 16, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News
Leaving bread for waterfowl or other animals in Wilmington could soon lead to civil or criminal penalties, a step city lawmakers hope will address a fowl problem at one park.
Wilmington council members voted Thursday to expand a ban on feeding pigeons in public locations to include waterfowl, other types of birds, and wildlife. The measure also applies to private property where permission has not been granted.
The bill, passed in a unanimous decision, was primarily crafted as a response to an increasing number of bird droppings from seagulls at Cool Spring Park. Residents have said at least one person leaves loaves or pieces of bread, attracting the waterfowl to the park and causing pavement, benches, and drinking fountains to accumulate bird feces.
However, the city’s existing laws only prohibited people from feeding or leaving food for pigeons and did not identify any other types of wildlife.
“This was a park where we just spent millions and millions of dollars and we had to be calling public works to clean it and there’s families there with children and it’s just one of those things we had to address,” said Councilman Charles “Bud” Freel (D-District 8), the bill’s primary sponsor.
The bill would be enforced by the city police department with civil penalties and possible criminal offenses doled out to violators.
The bill also contained language allowing homeowners to have bird feeders for “songbirds,” so long as they didn’t become public nuisances.
Many ornithology experts warn against feeding pigeons bread or other household foods. The National Audubon Society wrote last year that bread, fresh or stale, essentially serves as junk food for birds and does not benefit their nutrition.
Nonetheless, two council members weren’t convinced the bill was worth passing.
Councilman Robert Williams (D-District 7) said he felt the actions of a “rogue individual” in city parks shouldn’t prompt a policy that would could lead to criminal penalties for visitors who just want to feed the birds. He said it was hypocritical to ban feeding birds based partially on their nutritional needs while shooting down his proposal to ban smoking in city parks two years prior.
“I imagine the grandmoms and the grandpops taking their grandkids to the park to feed duckies and an officer having to tell them they’re breaking the law,” he said.
Supporters argued the problem is relatively isolated but still needs to be addressed.
“This is what happens when the neighbors call it in and they complain and they try to work with the city departments and nobody wants to be accountable for it,” said Councilwoman Maria Cabrera (D-At Large).
Some residents said it was unfortunate that the problem required legislative action but hope it will improve the condition the park.
Richard Caplan, a resident of nearby Rodney Court apartment building, said the park’s appearance has suffered because of the feces. He also said leaving food outdoors attracts rats and other rodents.
“I don’t see it as a very healthy or seemly practice,” he said.
Councilwoman Loretta Walsh (D-At Large) said the fecal matter left behind by waterfowl has caused thousands of dollars in damage.
“Like everything else in this country, it all comes down to poop, doesn’t it?” she said.
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 | Jul 15, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, UltraSonic Bird Control
SINGAPORE — The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) has issued a warning letter to a home owner who had suspended a live mynah from a string from his window to scare the bird after it defecated in his Yishun home.
The AVA investigated the incident after it was flagged by the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), which had responded to a call reporting the incident in November last year. ACRES had also shared a video on its Facebook page showing the hung mynah.
Responding to queries, the AVA said the mynah had flown into a flat and defecated inside.
“The home owner caught the mynah and suspended it outside a window by its tied legs, in an attempt to scare the mynah,” said an AVA spokesperson. “The home owner had intended to release the mynah.”
According to ACRES, the father of the caller who reported the case to ACRES’s Animal Crime Investigation Unit had approached the home owner asking him to release the mynah, but was told to “get lost”. The bird was released after the police were called in.
In its response, the AVA said the public can deter birds from entering homes by ensuring that food and refuse are properly handled and not left out in the open or by installing bird-proofing equipment such as screens or netting on windows.
When contacted, ACRES founder Louis Ng expressed disappointment at the AVA’s “light” response.
“Obviously we had hoped for stronger enforcement (beyond) just letting him off with a warning, especially considering the abuse was intentional,” said Mr Ng, pointing out that the Animals and Birds Act had been amended to take into account incidents of intentional animal cruelty.
Mr Ng, who is also a Member of Parliament for Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency, added that the incident might have psychological repercussions for the bird, and a stronger penalty could have acted as a deterrence to potential animal abusers.
In a Facebook post last Saturday (March 5) sharing that the AVA had taken action against the home owner, ACRES also suggested humane ways of scaring birds off, such as by hanging wind chimes, placing scarecrow or predator visuals, and applying non-toxic bird-repellent spray.
“We hope that, through education, people can learn to live in greater harmony with our native birds,” it said in the post.
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 | Jul 12, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News
Feathers are flying in Horncastle over calls from the town council for people to stop feeding the town’s ‘problem’ pigeons.
Councillors issued the appeal through the Horncastle News after expressing concerns about the damage and amount of mess the pigeons are causing.
They claim that people feeding birds are leading to an increase in the pigeon population.
Councillors have previously ruled out other suggestions to control the number of birds, including putting them on the pill or bringing in trained hawks to kill them.
The council was supported by the town’s History and Heritage Society and the local Federation of Small Businesses.
Some residents also backed the council but several others say the birds should be left alone.
And one pigeon – dubbed Percy by locals after taking up residence in the town centre – appears to have his very own fan club.
Pensioner Sylvia Petfield told the News: “I know the pigeons do cause damage to buildings but surely there are more important things to worry about in this town.
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 | Jul 11, 2016 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services
City of Wichita Falls staff said there are no easy solutions when it comes to the pigeon infestation under the overpasses along Broad and Holliday streets.
“It is an infestation, that’s the only word for it. Just like rats or mice, they can be a problem when we see them in the volume that there are on Broad and Holliday,” John Burrus, Director of Aviation and Transportation said Friday.
Burrus said the large number of pigeons that gather under the overpasses has been an ongoing problem for more than a decade.
First, the city asked the Texas Department of Transportation to address the issues. TxDOT told the city that they were not equipped to handle the problem, Burrus said.
The next step was city council approval, several years ago, for “Slinky-like devices” that were supposed to keep the birds out, but Burrus said they did not work at all. Then, Burrus said he had his welding crew members attach metal barriers along the underside of the overpasses.
“The barriers helped some, but it did not slow it (the gathering of birds) down at all,” he said.
After that attempt, Burrus said they backed off the issue for a while until there started to be an increase in bird strike reports at Wichita Falls Regional Airport.
A bird weighing just a few ounces can destroy a jet engine, so the city needed to address the bird problem for the safety of pilots and passengers.
The city and Sheppard Air Force Base regularly pair to divvy up areas of the city in an effort to control bird problems. The downtown Holliday/Broad area falls under the duties of the city, but there were still no departments equipped to handle the situation.
The city has about 35-40 metal cage traps that are baited and placed near trouble areas including Broad/Holliday area, near the Jasper Water Treatment Plant, Kickapoo Airport, and near the Regional Airport.
For a short time, the fleet maintenance department was setting traps, gathering the trapped birds and euthanizing them by hand.
Soon it was obvious that the task was more than they could handle along with their other duties. The health department and animal control services were both also asked to assist, but again said they were not equipped to handle the situation.
Because the pigeon problem affected air travel, the burden was placed on Burrus’ department.
He said they contracted with two different pest control companies, but had “bad experiences” with both companies not checking the traps regularly and several birds died of dehydration.
“That was unacceptable. I think we (the city) do a much better job that the private companies. It is a fine balance between humanely handling the birds until they are euthanized,” Burrus said.
The city teamed with a new company, Pond Pest Control out of Amarillo, about a year ago for the pigeon situation and Burrus said they have been great to work with.
The city fully cleans out the underpasses twice a year and Burrus said they have cleared out 18-inch thick layers of pigeon feces, dead birds and all manner of health hazards.
Other nuisance birds like cattle egrets and grackles can be scared away or relocated, but Burrus said the pigeons do not scare easily and come right back to their roosting area when shooed away.
“No one wants to do it (trap and euthanize the pigeons), but it’s a necessary part of the job. If we do not take care of it, there are going to be much larger problems at the airport.
A secondary issue, but still a huge, huge issues is the health problems where the birds drop feces,” Burrus said.
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 | Jul 10, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services
CARLSBAD N.M. (KRQE) – Saying their dirty and dangerous, a New Mexico town in cracking down on pigeons. Feed them and you can get in trouble.
People in the Cavern City say pigeons are everywhere.
“There are quite a few pigeons here around town and at the different businesses,” said Shayella Yarbrough, Carlsbad resident.
Now the city of Carlsbad has decided to take action. City council approved an ordinance that ban residents from feeding or providing environments that attract pigeons.
“It will help move them away from the city, move them out of the middle of this city. I get calls all the time about people wanting to know how to get rid of pigeons,” said Woods Houghton, Program Director for the Eddy County Extension Office.
The city says the ordinance will help eliminate some of the health risks associated with the bird’s droppings.
Also known as rock pigeons or rock doves, the city classifies them as birds not native to North America.
“They’re called trash birds because they communicate a lot of known diseases to both livestock and humans,” said Houghton.
Now people in Carlsbad caught feeding or harboring the birds could face fines up to $500 or even jail time but the city says it doesn’t want it to come to that. They just want people to stop making the birds feel so at home in Carlsbad
“You know in town it’s definitely a good thing to do, especially around restaurants, areas where there is food preparation for humans,” said Houghton.
A lot of people in town say they will be happy to see the birds gone. “It’s just really unsanitary and not really nice,” said Yarbrough.
The city also says people can still feed native birds and set up birdhouses just not for 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)
