by Pigeon Patrol | Apr 23, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services
When my husband was a boy he somehow had access to a rifle. He took this weapon and shot a defenceless little mourning dove. I think he even surprised himself by this act. When he told his mother about it she was not very happy. She asked him where it was and told him to bring it home. He looked for it in the bush in North Kildonan, found it and brought it home.
“Now,” she said, “I will cook it and you will eat it.”
That proved very difficult for him but he obeyed. I don’t think he shot a bird again after that.
Fast forward about 50 years, when we were in Paraguay as teachers. An invitation came for supper at our friend’s place for Tauben noodle soup.
“Tauben” is the German name for mourning doves. Apparently, every year the farmers’ fields are overrun with them, to the point that they ruin the farmers’ crops completely.
So, there’s a massive effort to get rid of them. Noodle soup is on the menu quite often at this time of year. I found it easier to eat the soup if I called it Tauben noodle soup rather than mourning dove noodle soup. (It’s also called “guiso,” but that’s another story.)
The Canada Goose here is in a similar position the mourning dove is in South America. But geese are not so tiny; in fact they’re quite plump and awkward looking, especially when they waddle across the road. And what a mess they leave behind.
My husband has suggested, in a hopelessly maudlin mood, that the authorities make it law that everyone eat goose for Christmas dinner this year. Not that it will happen, but it could make a difference in the winged population next year. Who knows?
We used to have many, many pigeons here in North Kildonan apartment territory. No one knows, or else they are not telling, what happened to them but it does seem slightly mysterious.
The winged population has given rise to so much good poetry and songs about the life of our birds here in Canada. My favorite is Something Told the Wild Geese, by Rachel Lyman Field:
Something told the wild geese,
It was time to go;
Though the fields lay golden
Something whispered, “Snow!”
Leaves were green and stirring,
Berries lustre-glossed,
But beneath warm feathers,
Something whispered, “Frost!”
All the sagging orchards
Stemmed with amber spice,
But each wild breast stiffened
At remembered ice.
Something told the wild geese
It was time to fly —
Summer sun was in their wings,
Winter in their cry.
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 | Apr 22, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services
SINGAPORE – Every day for at least a year, pigeons that congregate outside Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh mosque will get an extra ingredient in their breakfast.
They will be fed a corn-based feed containing a drug called nicarbazin, which will either prevent the female birds from developing eggs or cause them to lay eggs that do not hatch.
This is a new method being tested by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) at a field outside the mosque along Palmer Road near Shenton Way. The trial was started on Oct 13 this year.
This new trial coincides with increasing number of pigeon-related feedback received by the AVA. About 3,400 were received from January to October this year, more than some 2,500 they received in the whole of 2014 and some 2,100 in 2013.
Feedback on all birds have also grown from around 4,400 in 2013 to around 6,100 in the first 10 months of 2015 alone.
The field outside the mosque has an estimated pigeon population of around 400, a number which has doubled since three years ago. So far the AVA has caught 13 feeders.
Mr Mohamed Idris, secretary of the mosque’s management board, said the pigeon problem has always been around but worsened over the last 10 years.The pigeons fly into the mosque compounds, making them a nuisance to staff and people who go to the mosque to pray.
“They leave their droppings on the floor and you walk on it…they congregate at the food preparation area as well,” said Mr Mohamed.
The persistent and growing problem has led the AVA to choose the mosque as the first area to trial the method.
During a demonstration of the method on Thursday (Nov 5), Ms Janet Chia, executive manager of the Operations (Wild Animals) section at AVA, said that it will take about a year to see a drop in the pigeon population there.
Around five mosque volunteers will be in charge of feeding the laced feed to the pigeons. The method could be rolled out to other areas in Singapore if the trial proves successful.
When tested in Italy, the method was found to reduce the pigeon population there by 30 to 40 per cent over four years.
The drug does not harm the birds and is only toxic to cats or dogs if 40kg of the feed is consumed. For it to be toxic to a child, 60kg of the feed will have to be consumed.
The AVA urged the public not to feed birds as it causes them to congregate and increases their population.
Feeding pigeon is illegal and those found to flout the rules face a fine of up to $500.
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 | Apr 21, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting
Culling pigeons is becoming an attractive solution for local authorities but is ineffective in dealing with the root of the problem, according to an ornithologist.
“Shooting pigeons is a temporary solution,” Natalino Fenech told the Times of Malta. “The only solution is to introduce contraceptive feed while also ensuring that the dilapidated buildings where pigeons nest are shut.”
The Sliema local council angered some residents last week by carrying out a pigeon cull, which continues.
Mayor Anthony Chircop said the cull was the only solution to the “uncontrollable infestation” and that other methods – including contraceptive feed – had been tried but proved ineffective.
Dr Fenech, however, said the effect of contraceptive feed wore off after a few weeks, so the measure had to be sustained to yield a noticeable result and serve as a long-term solution.
Martha Vella Kane, a Sliema resident and former member of the locality’s animal welfare committee, blasted the council for not working with residents to find a solution and called the cull a “massacre”.
You have to work with those feeding the pigeons, not against them
“You have to work with the people feeding the pigeons, not against them,” she said. “For an animal lover, putting up signs saying not to feed the pigeons has no effect.”
Ms Vella Kane said feeders would be ready to switch to contraceptive feed and added that residents had similarly spent a year neutering cats in the area, which greatly reduced the stray population. “At the same time, you don’t want to eradicate pigeons altogether, just keep the population down,” she said.
“Imagine St Mark’s Square, in Venice without pigeons.”
Sliema is not the only locality facing problems due to an overpopulation of pigeons, which can spread disease and damage street furniture and buildings with their waste.
Birkirkara mayor Joanne Debono Grech said that her council had recently tried an innovative approach using a non-toxic repellent gel, which tricked the birds into thinking buildings were on fire.
However, Ms Debono Grech added, the approach was not effective enough and the council was considering other options, although she had no intention of opting for a cull. According to the mayor, the area around the church had been worst affected and some residents had resorted to their own remedies.
Culls have also been carried out by the government’s animal welfare department in Balluta in St Julian’s and at St Luke’s Hospital in Pietà in recent years.
A spokesman for the Pietà council said further measures were being studied after “daily” complaints by residents but there were no immediate plans.
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 | Apr 14, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
This pigeon is giving pizza rat a run for its money.
A photo uploaded to Reddit by user connierubirosa on Sunday shows a pigeon perched outside a park wearing a bagel around its chest like a necklace.
It’s not clear where exactly the photo was taken, but the image was uploaded to the NYC subreddit forum with the caption, “Most New York photo I’ve ever taken.”
It’s also unclear why the pigeon is donning the unusual fashion statement, but Gothamist and other websites have posted other photos of pigeons wearing baked goods around their necks in the past.
It’s the latest in a string of humorous sightings featuring New York City’s wildlife with some of the city’s iconic foods.
Mets, Royals Meet in World Series
Last month, social media users were fascinated by the now-famous pizza rat, which was caught on camera dragging a slice of pizza down a set of subway stairs. Video of the rat garnered more than 8 million views on YouTube.
And last week a picture of a raccoon chowing down on pizza in Central Park looked to become the Big Apple’s latest culinarily inclined rodent star
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 | Apr 11, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes
A petition to protect homes in Deal from an “infestation” of pigeons has gained more than 200 signatures.
It has been set up by Sean Gabb, of Middle Street, Deal, as he claims the town, and particularly the High Street, has become infested with pigeons and their waste.
He said: “We have done everything possible within the law to deter pigeons. It isn’t working. The financial cost for property owners is huge, as they’re spending money on painting their houses.
Dr Sean Gabb hands the petition to Deal’s deputy mayor Wayne Elliott and town clerk Lorna Crow“It’s polluting the town, as you walk around you can sometimes smell the pigeons or see piles of pigeon dung.”
He claims the number of pigeons in the town has increased in the past five years and their waste is damaging historic buildings and private homes in the area, as well as St George’s Church. Dr Gabb, 50, is now calling on the district council to create a by-law which would make it an offence for people to feed pigeons, as he believes this is encouraging the population.
He would also like the council to urge shopkeepers and cafe owners in the High Street to tell customers not to feed them.
The petition also calls on the council to use its existing powers to make property owners clean up overgrown gardens, or derelict buildings which have become nesting places for the birds.
The petition was handed to deputy mayor Cllr Wayne
Elliott on Tuesday, who presented it to Dover District Council’s Cllr Trevor Bartlett, portfolio holder for property access and property management.
This comes after Peter Jull, chairman of Deal and Walmer Chamber of Trade, raised the issue with the district council in July.
He said traders had been forced to spend thousands of pounds on spikes to deter pigeons from their businesses and clean up the mess.
Speaking at the time, he said: “The nuisance of these feral animals is costing thousands of pounds for business owners who are continually paying to clean, repair and protect their buildings from damage by pigeons.”
The petition will now be discussed at the district council.
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 | Apr 10, 2016 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
Nearly £10,000 is being spent cleaning up a dingy, pigeon-infested railway bridge in Leicester.
The city council wants to clear the birds out of the bridge over All Saints Road as part of its Waterside regeneration scheme.
Councillors have said the bridge, as it is, make the area feel unsafe, because it is poorly lit.
Councillor Patrick Kitterick said: “The one area that does hold it back is the All Saints Bridge.
“It just doesn’t feel safe when you go down there at the moment.
“The bridge over All Saints Road is like permanent midnight.
“It is also a pigeon sanctuary with the unpleasantness that brings.”
Messy
David Beale, the council’s senior development manager for Waterside, said work was imminent to sort out the grotspot.
He said: “This is a key gateway into the Waterside regeneration area, so we want to ensure it creates a good impression and encourages further private investment in the area.
“Because this bridge used to carry trains, there are more than 20 steel beams spanning it underneath.
“Each of these beams has two ledges, which makes a lot of roosting space for pigeons.
“We’ve appointed a contractor to clear up the pigeon mess and glue spikes along these beams – it will be more than kilometre of spikes in total.
“The contract value is around £9,000 and will also include cleaning the walls under the bridge, which are white glazed brick. This will lighten up the area considerably.
“We’ll also talk to our lighting team to see if we can improve lighting under the bridge.”
One person who works near the bridge said: “It’s totally grim but then again it is a railway bridge and you’ll never make it a thing of beauty.
“I reckon it is home to every pigeon in Leicester. It’s streaked with muck and I try to avoid walking through under there because there’s not much chance of avoiding a showering.”
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)
