by Pigeon Patrol | Dec 28, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
MONDOVI, Wis. (WEAU) — It looks like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s famous movie “The Birds,” pigeons flying from building to building in downtown Mondovi.
“I look up and the pigeons are kind of swooping around and I have to dodge in the door really quick because they’re really creepy,” said Heidi Michels of Mondovi.
People aren’t taking issue with pigeons’ creepiness, but rather what they are leaving behind.
Tuesday night, the Mondovi City Council will meet to talk about some options to get rid of the birds.
“The droppings were getting dragged into my business on my carpet and it’s just a mess and it’s really gross,” said Lorie Larson.
Larson has owned Petal Pusher Floral and Gifts for five years.
“I would have to clean my sidewalks at least twice a week with bleach water because the pigeon droppings were so bad,” Larson said.
“They like to roost and sit at the very top,” Brian Evans explained, talking about the top of his building.
“We had a lot of issues with droppings and being on the sidewalk and having to scrape them up,” Evans said.
This isn’t the first time the city has had an issue with pigeons.
“We tried Owl decoys, we had some stuff you painted on the sills (window sills) downtown. It was supposed to give them discomfort in their feet,” said City Administrator Dan Lauersdorf.
Lauersdorf explained the city is also dealing with a geese dropping issue.
“They’re dropping their droppings all over the park; I don’t know how you get them out of there,” Lauersdorf said.
No decisions will made at Tuesday night’s meeting, but Lauersdorf says cost will be a factor in the option the city chooses.
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 27, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services
If it seems there are a lot less pigeons in Washington Square Park, it’s because there are.
Earlier last week, on Tuesday afternoon, birdnappers were reportedly out in force on the park’s far west side. In an orchestrated maneuver taking just minutes, the peaceful pigeons were lured to a spot near the Washington Place park entrance, where they were captured by net — they netted three batches — and then whisked away in a van.
Larry the Birdman was near the fountain and missed the abduction of possibly more than 200 birds.
“It happened so fast,” he said. “It was a silver-colored van.”
One member of the cadre who hang out on the park’s western side near the Holley monument said, “We know these birds and some of us have relationships with individual birds.”
Doris Deither, a Community Board 2 member, is among the F.O.B. (Friends of the Birds). She said the pigeon she calls Opal likes her and comes to her as she walks assisted by a walker. Deither said, thankfully, “her bird” is still in the park.
“But they got two of William’s birds,” she said, explaining that William cares for pigeons that are injured.
Seven years ago, the New York Post wrote about “pigeon netting,” the black-market act of snatching pigeons off the streets and selling them for $5 and $10 each, mostly to legal, out-of-state (frequently Pennsylvania) pigeon shoots.
It was believed that the purloined Washington Square pigeons were destined for a similar fate. Diether said word was that the van had New Jersey license plates.
Phew! Some of the lucky survivors, thanking their tail feathers they weren’t scooped up by the birdnappers.
Phew! Some of the lucky survivors, thanking their tail feathers they weren’t scooped up by the birdnappers.
Saturday afternoon at the Holley bust, a memorial service was held for the avian abductees organized by Tina Trachtenberg, an artist and animal advocate. She creates the felt pigeons at Washington Square.
Days later, flowers marked the memorial site and a weathered sign read: “This park is a safe haven for many animals. Today we mourn the tragic death of 200-300 resident pigeons. We loved and cherished their magical presence. They will be deeply missed.”
By Tuesday, flowers and sign were gone.
Joyce Friedman the New York City coordinator at The Humane Society of the United States, read on social media about the memorial and came to the park to learn more.
“I reported it to the N.Y.P.D. Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad,” she said. “We can’t give out any more detailed information, because now it’s an ongoing investigation.”
She reiterated that the investigating officers take it seriously, also mentioning that the same sort of birdnappings took place a couple months ago on the Upper West Side and are also under investigation.
For four days, Tuesday through Friday, security at the Parks Department office at Washington Square Park, the bicycle police on patrol and police in a van watching on Sunday morning were totally unaware of the birdnapping. As of this Tuesday, not all the local patrolling police or Parks employees were aware of the nefarious netting.
However, on Tuesday, Parks spokesperson Crystal Howard warned the pigeon pluckers to beware.
“Don’t steal our animals!” she said in a phone interview. “Pigeons are core to the character of New York City, and it is illegal and dangerous to remove animals from New York City parks.”
Friedman also emphasized that birdnapping is illegal.
“If you see someone doing it, take a picture of the license plate,” she said. “Then call 911. If you become aware afterward, report it by calling 311.”
Early Sunday evening, Haley, a friend of Larry, swung by the park to see if he was all right.
Larry now sits on his usual bench, but no longer bedecked with birds, keeping a vigilant eye on the park’s Washington Place entrance to see if there are any more lurking vans.
“There are surveillance cameras,” he said, hoping they would have caught useful information to bust the birdnappers.
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 26, 2015 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, UltraSonic Bird Control
A gullA gull
If you are about to take a holiday in Cornwall beware – the gulls there are said to be on the warpath. Local papers in the south west are full of stories about them robbing people of ice-creams and other snacks, and generally making a nuisance of themselves.
At first sight there is nothing really unusual about this. So far as I am aware gulls have always behaved like this, both here and in other parts of the world. They are very general feeders and instinctive raiders, taking food not only from us but also from other birds. What seems to be different in this case is that most unfortunately (and unusually) they are said to have killed both a small dog and a tortoise. This is enough to involve the Prime Minister: David Cameron has said, somewhat patronisingly, that we need a ‘big conversation’, whatever that is, about the issue.
This was in response to local MPs who are demanding a change in the law so that gulls and their nests can be destroyed. Not only will this not help (more gulls just move in) it is not necessary. The law already provides for control of otherwise protected birds through a licencing system. The answer lies in making buildings and other places where the birds nest or roost unwelcome to them. This is already done with both pigeons and starlings by the use of strips of spikes where they would otherwise perch.
Of course, people being people, whilst some want to kill the gulls others encourage them by feeding. In West Bromwich town centre a large flock of pigeons, boosted by this, has become a mixed flock of pigeons and gulls. This is something I have not previously seen, although the species do have a lot in common. Feral pigeons are rock doves and, as the name suggests, they originally nested on cliffs alongside gulls.
You may have noticed that I have not described the birds as ‘seagulls’, a name never used by ornithologists, and rightly so. Gulls are at home almost anywhere in Britain, witness the breeding colonies in Birmingham city centre and elsewhere locally, where the buildings are just surrogate cliffs to them. Guard your lunch box carefully if you take your break in St. Phillip’s churchyard!
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 25, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes
Carnegie Library project manager Jack Sandezer had the gathering on Monday all agog.
He was taking the Patchogue-Medford Library staff, Friends of the Carnegie Library, Greater Patchogue Historical Society members and Legis. Rob Calarco and his staff, as well as library trustees, through some of the building’s areas.
“We’ve had the demolition contractor in and there were things revealed,” said Sandezer, who works for the Facilities Management Group, of some of the surprises.
For example, he pointed out a support issue that needed tackling.
“It’s hard to tell what’s original and what’s changed,” he said of the building’s past lives. “This would be a header, but it’s not shored up and we have some framing issues.” Sandezer was standing over by the rear entrance. “We had pigeons living on the upper story,” he added. The pigeons have been vacated humanely.
Patchogue-Medford Library director Lauren Nichols said they were now hoping for a winter or spring grand opening.
The Patchogue Carnegie Library opened in 1908 and led the state in circulation in 1915. Tritec, who owned it, donated it to the village and paid for its move to its current location in August 2012. The library’s new address, on the corner of West Avenue and West Main Street, was secured by Calarco. The village turned it over to the Patchogue-Medford Library two years ago for use as a young adult library; it will also be the home of the Greater Patchogue Historical Society. The library board committed to allow $1.5 million for renovations and Nichols said funds were achieved through the Knapp-Swezey Foundation and Priscilla Knapp Teich’s own private donations, as well as grants and fundraising from Friends of the Carnegie Library.
“I spent many an hour here as a kid,” reminisced Teich, who was looking at the gutted interior.
Historian Hans Henke was also among the interested parties. “One of the most important details was the interior woodwork,” he said.
Sandezer pointed out where there will be a wheelchair lift. “The floor will get demolished and dropped two feet,” he said, pointing to the side that faces Main Street.
The balusters made of mahogany that encircled the main entrance steps will be replicated. “I enjoy the details the old craftsmen have done, and it’s interesting to talk to people who can replicate them,” Sandezer said. “With these balusters, I’ll look for something close.”
The next steps would include redoing the outer brickwork and trim and the remainder of the demolition work.
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 24, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting
A mystery surrounding a missing flock of pigeons and a white van has been unfolding in Washington Square Park.
The Washington Square Park Blog reported Monday that a group of approximately 300 pigeons were lured with bird seed before being scooped up by a net and loaded into a white van by two unidentified men on Tuesday, July 21 at around 3 p.m. The NYPD Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad is currently investigating the case.
Pigeon trapping on private, commercial or public property without a permit is illegal in New York City, however the city does not accept complaints about netting, “the use of nets to collect large amounts of pigeons,” according to NYC.gov.
Artist and pigeon enthusiast Tina Trachtenberg, who is known for the felt pigeons she creates and sells in the park, initially informed the blog of the alleged abduction.
Trachtenberg, who also goes by the name “Mother Pigeon,” says she learned of the incident from a man named Larry, “a constant presence in the park,” who claims to have seen the pigeons placed in the van and taken away, according to the blog. Trachtenberg and her family held a memorial for the 300 missing pigeons on Saturday, July 25.
Trachtenberg believes the motive for the bird-napping is clear, though this has not been confirmed by authorities.
“The person who did this will transport them to Pennsylvania where they will have their wings clipped and be put into a mechanism that will shoot them in the air and men will shoot them for sport,” Trachtenberg posted on Facebook. “Our hearts are crushed.”
There have been reports in the past of pigeon brokers trapping and sell pigeons to people who participate in legal pigeon shootings in Pennsylvania. At these shoots and hunts, pigeons are propelled from a mechanical launcher and shot in midair.
Although these practices do not occur legally in New York, activists are alleging that there is a pattern where large quantities of pigeons are disappearing about a week before these scheduled Pennsylvania shoots take place.
In an interview with the Washington Square Park blog, a spokesperson for the NYC Parks Department pleaded with New Yorkers: “Don’t steal our animals! Pigeons are core to the character of New York City, and it is illegal and dangerous to remove animals from NYC Parks.”
Real estate agent and pigeon owner William Macleod has observed the pigeon flocks in Washington Square Park for eight years. Macleod regularly takes his birds to the park to fly alongside the wild birds and said he noticed a significant decrease in the park’s pigeon population after the July 21 incident. He said four of his banded pigeons are missing.
“I’m absolutely devastated. When I started letting my original two out, Jacko and Jix, I knew I may never see them again,” he said of his red belgian racers, whom he rescued eight years ago from a park garbage can three days after their birth. “But to know that they may be killed is what really upsets me.”
Joyce Friedman, NYC coordinator of the Humane Society of the United States, said there are ways for witnesses to report pigeon netting. “If you witness the netting in action, call 911; try to record license plate, and description of perps and vehicle,” Friedman said. “Witnesses to the recent Washington Square pigeon netting or any other pigeon nettings learned about after the fact should contact 311.”
There is also a $500 reward poster that was created by a concerned NYC photographer, Andrew Garn, looking for anyone with information about the Washington Square Park nettings.
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 23, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
According to the blog, on July 21st, in the afternoon, a van pulled up next to the park and netted between 250 and 300 pigeons. The blog states that the NYPD is investigating this issue, but a spokesperson from the police stated: “There was no crime committed. Animal Cruelty Unit is not going to investigate something that isn’t a crime.”
This isn’t the first time pigeons were snatched from the streets of New York City. There have been reports for more than 10 years of pigeons getting netted by men in vans (usually white). These pigeons are then allegedly taken to Pennsylvania, where they are clipped and sold to be used in live canned shooting events.
If you think a couple of New York’s flying rats won’t be missed, you don’t know the power of nature. A memorial service was held last Saturday for the pigeons at the park. Tina Trachtenberg, artist and animal rights advocate, was behind this memorial.
Trachtenberg told the Washington Square Park blog: “You can’t go into a park and take a tree, take a squirrel. That’s not there for us to take.”
Park regular William MacLeod has rescued and raised number of pigeons since they were babies. He had a few trained to fly to his apartment window at night, and could call them to his shoulders just by walking through the park and calling their names.
“My pet birds,” he told the blog, “my five flyers are gone. There are 300ish birds in the park at any given time. I’ve counted about 30 are left.”
Taking wildlife from NYC is a crime, but the city seems to be turning a blind eye to this. The NYPD seems aware that “this happens” from time to time, but has not been willing to open any investigation into the issue.
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)
MONDOVI, Wis. (WEAU) — It looks like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s famous movie “The Birds,” pigeons flying from building to building in downtown Mondovi.
