Touched by Kevin’s amity, her bitterness subsides and, in a climatic display, she unleashes her pigeon flock against Kevin’s pursuers. Overwhelmed by the winged warriors, the robbers are taken down and, consequently feathered, are arrested. To show his gratitude, Kevin later gifts her one of a pair of ceramic turtle doves, which he’s told by the toyshop owner signify everlasting friendship.

Like their cinematic counterparts, the common pigeon—that squat, ash-grey bird with a shimmering neckline and (if you’ve cared to look closely enough) striking orange eyes, whose ancestry is traced to the cliff-dwelling Rock Dove—is indeed a symbol of fidelity and friendship, owing to its loyal and affectionate nature. Yet, like the Pigeon Lady, it’s been cast aside by humans who have revered, bred, and even depended on the bird they once dubbed the “athlete of the sky” for thousands of years. Now, on a daily basis, these gentle birds are kicked at, shot at, poisoned, and kept at arm’s length by all manner of insidious spikes and nets.

So what happened to these affectionate, docile birds, which have shown humans such loyalty, tenderness and trust for millennia, now advocated for by a limited few and persecuted by so many?

Pigeon symbolism runs deep through human history. The world’s oldest domesticated bird frequently appears across religious texts, where doves are famously a motif for peace and purity, idealized for their white feathers. However, doves and pigeons are all part of the same family, known as Columbidae. And as author Andrew D Blechman describes, the differentiation is all down to ‘linguistic bias.’ As he notes in his book, Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Reviled and Revered Bird, the word “dove,” in 14th century French, translates to “pigeon.”

Blechman explains that, although they’re essentially the same bird, the more delicate members of the Columbidae family are considered “doves” while the supposedly less graceful members are “pigeons,” giving rise to an old adage that “all pigeons are doves but not all doves are pigeons.” He gives the example that if a bigger pigeon (i.e. not delicate) is white, it may still be referred to as a “dove.” He continues: “Doves have come to mean petite and pure. Colloquial use of the word pigeon, on the other hand, emphasizes the dove’s docile nature and places it in a negative light.” Phrases like “stool pigeon”—which originates from the practice of tying pigeons to a stool to attract and trap predators—and “pigeonholed” are examples of how the word serves to describe inferiority.

In fact, Charles Darwin was among the first to demonstrate that the distinction between pigeons and doves is merely a biased interpretation of the same species. To support his argument for the theory of evolution, he selectively bred the birds in his backyard, often noting stark differences, like large fan-tails and feathery feet, all the while acknowledging their shared Rock Dove ancestor. He discussed his observations extensively in his famous 1859 work On the Origin of Species. Darwin’s fascination led him to join a pigeon fancier club, the Southwark Columbarium Society, in which members collected and bred “fancy” pigeons.

Appearances aside, people have observed remarkable tenderness in pigeons for millennia, regardless of color or size. This trait is especially noticeable in their mating rituals. When a female pigeon wants a male to care for her, and ultimately their children, she places her beak inside his. By graciously accepting this gesture, the male is committing to his paternal responsibility. Blechman describes the sexual act itself as “very gentle and completely consensual,” followed by “affectionate cooing and preening of each other’s feathers.”

It’s this exchange of affection and responsibility of successful mating pairs which gives rise to pigeons’ role as a symbol for chasteness and purity in many cultures—as well as the idiom “billing and cooing,” used to describe couples showing affection (or “PDA” in today’s terms).

The birds also share parenting responsibilities, including egg sitting and feeding. And, if this doesn’t already present a glowing example of gender equality, both males and females secrete a milk-like substance, produced by prolactin—the hormone behind lactation—in their throats (or crops), which is fed to newborn squabs and is crucial to their development. Pigeons are one of only three birds, including flamingos and penguins, who nurse their young in this way.

It’s these qualities that earned the birds reverence in antiquity. Historical records, including on stone tablets in Mesopotamia (the area known as Iran and Iraq today) from 3000 BCE, indicate the birds were sacrificial assets and frequently offered to gods, while also serving as a food staple. In fact, the ubiquity of stone temples meant rock pigeons were right at home, while historic dovecotes—earthen houses for pigeons—date back some 2,000 years in Egypt, suggesting the birds were intentionally domesticated.

Pigeons’ fine parenting skills also cast them as symbols of fertility. The Babylonian goddess Ishtar, “Queen of Heaven and Earth and of the Evening Star,” was often depicted holding a pigeon or as the winged bird herself. The Phoenecian goddess of love and fertility, Astarte, was also represented as a pigeon, as were the Greek goddess Aphrodite and her Roman counterpart, Venus.

Pigeons also appear in Judeo-Christian narratives, most memorably, perhaps, in the story of Noah’s Ark in which a dove is sent to determine whether the floods have subsided. The dove—or white pigeon to today’s ornithologists—returns with an olive branch to indicate dry land. This is in contrast to the first attempt by a raven, which does not return.

Appearances aside, people have observed remarkable tenderness in pigeons for millennia, regardless of color or size. This trait is especially noticeable in their mating rituals. When a female pigeon wants a male to care for her, and ultimately their children, she places her beak inside his. By graciously accepting this gesture, the male is committing to his paternal responsibility. Blechman describes the sexual act itself as “very gentle and completely consensual,” followed by “affectionate cooing and preening of each other’s feathers.”

It’s this exchange of affection and responsibility of successful mating pairs which gives rise to pigeons’ role as a symbol for chasteness and purity in many cultures—as well as the idiom “billing and cooing,” used to describe couples showing affection (or “PDA” in today’s terms).

The birds also share parenting responsibilities, including egg sitting and feeding. And, if this doesn’t already present a glowing example of gender equality, both males and females secrete a milk-like substance, produced by prolactin—the hormone behind lactation—in their throats (or crops), which is fed to newborn squabs and is crucial to their development. Pigeons are one of only three birds, including flamingos and penguins, who nurse their young in this way.

It’s these qualities that earned the birds reverence in antiquity. Historical records, including on stone tablets in Mesopotamia (the area known as Iran and Iraq today) from 3000 BCE, indicate the birds were sacrificial assets and frequently offered to gods, while also serving as a food staple. In fact, the ubiquity of stone temples meant rock pigeons were right at home, while historic dovecotes—earthen houses for pigeons—date back some 2,000 years in Egypt, suggesting the birds were intentionally domesticated.

Pigeons’ fine parenting skills also cast them as symbols of fertility. The Babylonian goddess Ishtar, “Queen of Heaven and Earth and of the Evening Star,” was often depicted holding a pigeon or as the winged bird herself. The Phoenecian goddess of love and fertility, Astarte, was also represented as a pigeon, as were the Greek goddess Aphrodite and her Roman counterpart, Venus.

Pigeons also appear in Judeo-Christian narratives, most memorably, perhaps, in the story of Noah’s Ark in which a dove is sent to determine whether the floods have subsided. The dove—or white pigeon to today’s ornithologists—returns with an olive branch to indicate dry land. This is in contrast to the first attempt by a raven, which does not return.

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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Best Types of Pigeon Repellent

1. Bird Spikes– Pigeons can’t land on surfaces with bird spikes—perfect for ledges, sills, signs, and fences.
   Shop Bird Spikes: https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/bird-spikes/
2. Bird Sound Deterrents / Ultrasonic Repellers– Emit high-frequency sound to drive pigeons away without harming them.
   Browse Ultrasonic Bird Repellers: https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/bird-repeller/
3. Pigeon Netting– Blocks pigeons from accessing nesting zones permanently.
   See Pigeon Netting: https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/bird-netting/

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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The post In Defense of Pigeons appeared first on Pigeon Patrol Canada - Bird Control Products & Services.

Feral pigeons (Columbia livia var. domestica) can be a nuisance and may cause significant damage to buildings.  If feral pigeons take up residence within a disused property they can seriously damage the interior historic fabric, contents and finishes.  It is vital to take measures to minimise pigeon activity in and around buildings in order to avoid additional maintenance issues and significant problems for renovation projects.

Rectifying the damage caused to the fabric of a property by pigeon guano (bird excreta) is expensive and in most cases avoidable.  There are many methods of pigeon control including bird proofing, wire deterrent systems, netting, bird spikes and a large variety of electrical and sonic bird deterrent solutions.

Introduction

Feral pigeons and other birds make nests regularly and roost outside and inside our buildings.  Architects, surveyors, construction professionals and maintenance staff are all familiar with the damage that can be caused by these birds sharing our environment.

History

Feral pigeons are believed to have descended from rock doves that interbred with racing pigeons and pigeons from domestic pigeon lofts.  Skyscrapers and similar tall buildings provide ideal habitats, very similar to the cliff homes of their pigeon ancestors.

These pigeons have thrived by adapting to life in and around our buildings and have learnt to roost and breed very successfully within this environment.  They thrive on a plentiful supply of our dropped and dumped food scraps.  As they have adapted so excellently to this style of living, they have sometimes been called “the flying rat”.  It’s no surprise that over recent years there has been a marked increase in the numbers of feral pigeons.

Adult Pigeons

The adult pigeon is about 33cm in length and weighs between 280 and 560g, an average of about 350g.  Its plumage can vary considerably, from a close resemblance to that of the original rock dove (with blue-grey plumage, double black wing bars and a white rump), through to various blues, reds, chequered and almost black types.  Colours vary considerably from blue-grey, through blues, reds, mottled patterns and charcoal to almost pure white (Simms, 1979).

The birds will roost and nest on horizontal building surfaces and any other structures that provide a small amount of shelter from the elements.  Balconies, flat roofs, ledges, loft spaces and empty buildings are often used if the birds have access.

Nests are constructed of twigs but can also contain pieces of plastic and other debris.  They may even be built on or near the dead bodies of other pigeons. Their natural food is grain and green vegetable matter but they will scavenge food and eat almost any foodstuff available such as dropped takeaway foods.

Life Cycle

The Feral Pigeon is capable of breeding throughout the year and nests may be found in any month.  However the peak occurs between March and July.  Usually, two white eggs are laid on consecutive days and incubation is shared between both adults.  Incubation lasts for about 18 days, with fledging taking place about 4 ½ weeks later.  A new clutch can be laid when the first young are just 20 days old.  Therefore up to nine broods may be produced per year by just one female pigeon and pigeons may live as long as thirty years (P Ehrlich et al, 1988)

Deterioration and Damage to Buildings

Pigeon droppings are not only unsightly; their acid content can lead to the deterioration of soft stone and cause long-term damage to buildings (Bassi and Chiantante, 1976; Howard and Oldsbury 1991).  The accumulation of pigeon droppings can deface the finishes of the exterior facade and the interior of the building.  Removal is not only difficult and expensive but can cause more damage than the droppings in the first place (D Channon, 2004).

Nest droppings and feathers block gutters and rainwater pipes causing water damage to buildings.  Their droppings can lead to hazards on pavements, especially for the elderly.  Pigeons are capable of lifting loose roof coverings, tiles and battens to gain entry into the roof voids.  This can significantly damage the structure by allowing water penetration, providing the ideal environmental conditions for the growth and proliferation of wood rotting fungi.  Wood boring insects are attracted to this damp, rotting environment, leading to substantial further decay (Singh 1995).

Pigeon nesting materials, feathers and faeces can block parapet gutters and hopper heads, allowing water penetration into the building fabric and providing the ideal environmental conditions for the growth and development of decay organisms (Singh 1994a, & Singh 1999).

In poorly maintained and unoccupied buildings, where significant undetected water ingress has occurred, major outbreaks of dry rot (Serpula lacrymans) and wet rots establish and thrive.  These include (Coniophora puteana, Antrodia xantha, A. searilis, A. vaillantti & Phellinus contiguus).  Thesubsequent deterioration to the historic fabric, finishes and contents is an inevitable consequence (Singh 1994).  Sometimes this deterioration is so dramatic that many of the important historical and architectural features are destroyed beyond repair.

Early-morning activity around nesting areas can cause a public nuisance, as can pestering for food. Around public and buildings of historic and touristic interest further problems can arise as the visitors start feeding pigeons.   Their numbers will increase dramatically, leading to extensive faeces and fouling.

Ladders and fire escapes coated in pigeon droppings become slippery and unsafe to use particularly in wet conditions.  Startled pigeons may take flight suddenly and cause a hazard to road traffic.

Pigeons and the Law

• Most birds, their nests and eggs are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
• The act allows the control of certain birds, including feral pigeons, by authorised people using specified methods.
• The use of spring traps, poisons, certain types of nets, gassing and sticky substances that may entangle a bird is illegal.

Health Hazards

Large populations of pigeons and other birds inhabiting buildings or living on the facade for many years may present a potential risk of disease to people in and around these buildings (Weber, 1979).

The organic, nutrient rich accumulation of pigeon droppings, including feathers, detritus and debris under a nest provides an ideal environment for disease.  This encourages fungi and bacteria to grow and proliferate.  External parasites may also become a problem when infested pigeons or bats leave their roosts or nests. These parasites can infest buildings and cause health problems to people.  Pigeons can also carry a number of potentially infectious diseases such as salmonella, tuberculosis and ornithosis (a mild form of psittacosis with pneumonia-like symptoms).

They are also a source of allergens, which can cause respiratory ailments like pigeon fancier’s lung, aspergillosis and allergic skin reaction.  There is potential for these illnesses to be spread to people through contact with pigeon droppings, dandruff and feathers, pigeon parasites, or where dead infected pigeons get into food or water sources.  Health and safety issues and site access problems are also caused by the build up of faeces due to the slippery and unsafe footing it provides on walkways and ledges, hindering proper maintenance.  This may be a particular problem during building works and renovation.  Pigeon faeces represent a health and safety hazard for staff working in contaminated buildings and for employees and operators who have to carry out remediation works. Pigeon infestation in and around buildings therefore represent an added problem in the renovation of buildings where large accumulations have been allowed to build-up, and this nutrient rich guano combined with moisture ingress in buildings provides an ideal environment for the growth and proliferation of moulds (Singh 1994a, Singh & Walker 1996).

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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Best Types of Pigeon Repellent

1. Bird Spikes– Pigeons can’t land on surfaces with bird spikes—perfect for ledges, sills, signs, and fences.
   Shop Bird Spikes: https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/bird-spikes/
2. Bird Sound Deterrents / Ultrasonic Repellers– Emit high-frequency sound to drive pigeons away without harming them.
   Browse Ultrasonic Bird Repellers: https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/bird-repeller/
3. Pigeon Netting– Blocks pigeons from accessing nesting zones permanently.
   See Pigeon Netting: https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/bird-netting/

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

Bird Gone, Pigeon Gone, Pigeon problems, pigeon spikes, 1-877-4NO-BIRD, 4-S Gel, Bird Control, Pigeon Control, bird repellent, Bird Spikes, sonic bird repellent, stainless steel bird spikes, bird spikes Vancouver, Ultra Sonic Bird Control, Bird Netting, Plastic Bird Spikes, Canada bird spike deterrents, Pigeon Pests, B Gone Pigeon, Pigeon Patrol, pest controller, pest control operator, pest control technician, Pigeon Control Products, humane pigeon spikes, pigeon deterrents, pigeon traps, Pigeon repellents, Sound & Laser Deterrents, wildlife control, raccoon, skunk, squirrel deterrent, De-Fence Spikes, Dragons Den, Pigeon, Pigeon Patrol, Pigeons Roosting, Vancouver Pigeon Control, Bird Spikes, Bird Control, Bird Deterrent, Pigeon Deterrent, Surrey Pigeon Control, Pest, Seagull deterrent  Vancouver Pigeon Blog, Birds Inside Home De-fence, Pigeon Nesting, Bird Droppings, Pigeon Dropping, woodpecker control,  Keep The Birds Away, Birds/rats, seagull, pigeon, woodpecker, dove, sparrow, pidgeon control, pidgeon problem, pidgeon control, flying rats, pigeon Problems, bird netting, bird gel, bird spray, bird nails, bird guard, Pigeon control, Bird deterrents, Pigeon deterrents, Bird control, solutions, Pigeon prevention, Pigeon repellent, Bird proofing, Pest bird management, Pigeon spikes, Bird netting, Humane bird control, Bird exclusion, Urban bird control, Anti-roosting devices, Pigeon removal, Bird barriers

The post Pigeon Infestation & Health Hazards in Buildings appeared first on Pigeon Patrol Canada - Bird Control Products & Services.

The infamous “Bird Poop Building” on Yonge Street has been vacant for 25 years, and surprise, surprise – it’s going to be turned into a condo…

If you know me, you know that I have a serious man-love for old, historic, Toronto buildings.

I’m fascinated by our city’s history, and while we simply can’t compete with the thousand-year-old structures in Europe, we do have our own little slice of history here in Toronto.

One of the most fun blog features I ever worked on was The Buildings of The St. Lawrence Market, back in 2009.  I did a three-part series on all the historic buildings in the area; a must-read for many of you who missed it!  You can read Part One HERE.

I’ve always admired the Bank of Commerce on Yonge Street, in between Queen & Shuter, but it’s a little…..ummmm……dirty, shall we say?

Over the years, this building has been used and abused by some of the most carefree and unpoliced members of our society: pigeons.

For some reason, pigeons love to empty their bowels (if birds have bowels…..any bird enthusiasts among my readers who can shed some light??) on this building and the neighbouring building immediately north.  Over time, these two buildings have simply become known as “the bird poop buildings.”

And seeing the photos I took below, can you argue?

Wow.  I don’t know what to say…

I’ve walked by these buildings many, many times over the years, and I’ve always thought, “I really wish somebody would do something with those buildings!”  It’s such a shame that a great piece of Toronto’s history is just sitting there getting crapped on by these guys:

Damn pigeons!

Well, time hasn’t been kind to the Bank of Commerce at 197-199 Yonge Street, but the future is bright!

I suppose it’s a bit of a double-edged sword, however.  I had always hoped that this beautiful building would be restored and turned into a library, museum, or event hall, but in actual fact, it’s going to be turned into yet another condo.  I suppose it’s the lesser of two evils; that is, it would be worse to see the building torn down or have it fall into even worse disrepair, although I’m not sure that’s possible…

Built in 1905, the Bank of Commerce has actually been abandoned since 1987!  It’s had many different uses over the years, and you can actually still see the words “DENTIST” on the second floor of the building where somebody probably practiced in the 60’s or 70’s:

Little-known developer, MOD Developments will be turning the historical building into a 60-storey condominium called “Massey Towers,” which already has a large advertisement up at the current site.  MOD Development’s only other project to date is FIVE Condos at St. Joseph’s & Yonge Street, but Massey Towers will be designed by renowned firm Hariri Pontarini Architects, whose projects are too many to name, but include One City Hall, Minto775, ART, Shangri-La, and my current residence, Vu Condos.

Like I said – it’s cliche that this site will become “yet, another condo,” but it’s better than letting it sit there and rot.

The article in this past week’s Globe & Mail, quoted the owner of MOD Developments, Gary Switzer, as saying, “What does it say about our city to have a building like this empty right on the main street?”

I couldn’t possibly agree more.

Yonge Street is famous!  It’s the best-known street in Toronto, and one of the most well-known streets in our entire country!

How could we let this happen?

Yet we have a poo-covered building sitting there, rotting away.

It reminds me of this:

Those of you that read my blog during its infancy in 2007 will recall the photos and blog posts from my trip to Serbia.

These buildings are on the Belgrade’s equivalent of Yonge Street, and the city doesn’t have the money to fix them, so they don’t.  These buildings have been sitting here in this condition for almost twenty years, and they’ll likely remain as such indefinitely.

Toronto is not Serbia, but yet the Bank of Commerce and its sister building at 205 Yonge Street, the Bank of Toronto, draw some eerie similarities to the photo above:

Two buildings, both beautiful and historic, and both ruined by time.  And poo…

The crazy thing is – the Bank of Toronto is an even more impressive structure!  I wonder what will become of that building?  Perhaps, phase two of the condominium development at Massey Towers?

Dare to dream…

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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Best Types of Pigeon Repellent

1. Bird Spikes– Pigeons can’t land on surfaces with bird spikes—perfect for ledges, sills, signs, and fences.
   Shop Bird Spikes: https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/bird-spikes/
2. Bird Sound Deterrents / Ultrasonic Repellers– Emit high-frequency sound to drive pigeons away without harming them.
   Browse Ultrasonic Bird Repellers: https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/bird-repeller/
3. Pigeon Netting– Blocks pigeons from accessing nesting zones permanently.
   See Pigeon Netting: https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/bird-netting/

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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The post Bird Poop! appeared first on Pigeon Patrol Canada - Bird Control Products & Services.

The message from an infantry soldier based at Ingersheim, written in German in a barely legible hand, detailed military manoeuvres apparently during the first world war and was addressed to a superior officer, said Dominique Jardy, curator of the Linge Museum at Orbey in eastern France.

The date is marked 16 July but the year is not perfectly clear, appearing to be written as either 1916 or 1910. The first world war took place from 1914 to 1918.

The message reads: “Platoon Potthof receives fire as they reach the western border of the parade ground, platoon Potthof takes up fire and retreats after a while.

“In Fechtwald half a platoon was disabled. Platoon Potthof retreats with heavy losses.”

At the time, Ingersheim – now in France’s Grand Est department – was part of Germany.

A couple found the tiny capsule with its well-preserved contents in September this year in a field in Ingersheim, said Jardy, who raved about the “super rare” discovery.

They brought it to the nearest museum, the one at Orbey dedicated to one of the bloodiest battles of the first world war.

Jardy had enlisted the help of a German friend to decrypt the message, he said.

The tiny piece of paper and capsule will become part of the museum’s permanent display.

Source

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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

Bird Gone, Pigeon Gone, Pigeon problems, pigeon spikes, 1-877-4NO-BIRD, 4-S Gel, Bird Control, Pigeon Control, bird repellent, Bird Spikes, sonic bird repellent, stainless steel bird spikes, bird spikes Vancouver, Ultra Sonic Bird Control, Bird Netting, Plastic Bird Spikes, Canada bird spike deterrents, Pigeon Pests, B Gone Pigeon, Pigeon Patrol, pest controller, pest control operator, pest control technician, Pigeon Control Products, humane pigeon spikes, pigeon deterrents, pigeon traps, Pigeon repellents, Sound & Laser Deterrents, wildlife control, raccoon, skunk, squirrel deterrent, De-Fence Spikes, Dragons Den, Pigeon, Pigeon Patrol, Pigeons Roosting, Vancouver Pigeon Control, Bird Spikes, Bird Control, Bird Deterrent, Pigeon Deterrent, Surrey Pigeon Control, Pest, Seagull deterrent  Vancouver Pigeon Blog, Birds Inside Home De-fence, Pigeon Nesting, Bird Droppings, Pigeon Dropping, woodpecker control,  Keep The Birds Away, Birds/rats, seagull, pigeon, woodpecker, dove, sparrow, pidgeon control, pidgeon problem, pidgeon control, flying rats, pigeon Problems, bird netting, bird gel, bird spray, bird nails, bird guard, Pigeon control, Bird deterrents, Pigeon deterrents, Bird control, solutions, Pigeon prevention, Pigeon repellent, Bird proofing, Pest bird management, Pigeon spikes, Bird netting, Humane bird control, Bird exclusion, Urban bird control, Anti-roosting devices, Pigeon removal, Bird barriers

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The first thing to do is to find out what species of bird is building the nest. Have a good look at them and see if you can identify the species. Understanding more about the birds themselves may help you accept their presence around your home – you might even find that you have a rare and interesting bird in your garden.

It is very difficult to relocate nests without disturbing birds, so we don’t recommend moving nests unless this can be done before any eggs have been laid. If the birds are still in the process of building the nest then you can destroy the nest and obstruct the area so they cannot build another nest in the same place.

Alternatively, you could let the birds build the nest and live with them until their babies have fledged. It can be fascinating to watch the birds sitting on the nest, the eggs hatch and then the young grow up and fledge. Baby birds grow at a very rapid rate so they will only stay in the nest (and around your home) for a short period of time. The babies then tend to fly away to find their own mates. The parents will often move on to another location as well.

You might then like to make the area less attractive to nesting birds before next spring/summer by putting up wire or blocking access to the area where the nest was.

Source

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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

Bird Gone, Pigeon Gone, Pigeon problems, pigeon spikes, 1-877-4NO-BIRD, 4-S Gel, Bird Control, Pigeon Control, bird repellent, Bird Spikes, sonic bird repellent, stainless steel bird spikes, bird spikes Vancouver, Ultra Sonic Bird Control, Bird Netting, Plastic Bird Spikes, Canada bird spike deterrents, Pigeon Pests, B Gone Pigeon, Pigeon Patrol, pest controller, pest control operator, pest control technician, Pigeon Control Products, humane pigeon spikes, pigeon deterrents, pigeon traps, Pigeon repellents, Sound & Laser Deterrents, wildlife control, raccoon, skunk, squirrel deterrent, De-Fence Spikes, Dragons Den, Pigeon, Pigeon Patrol, Pigeons Roosting, Vancouver Pigeon Control, Bird Spikes, Bird Control, Bird Deterrent, Pigeon Deterrent, Surrey Pigeon Control, Pest, Seagull deterrent  Vancouver Pigeon Blog, Birds Inside Home De-fence, Pigeon Nesting, Bird Droppings, Pigeon Dropping, woodpecker control,  Keep The Birds Away, Birds/rats, seagull, pigeon, woodpecker, dove, sparrow, pidgeon control, pidgeon problem, pidgeon control, flying rats, pigeon Problems, bird netting, bird gel, bird spray, bird nails, bird guard, Pigeon control, Bird deterrents, Pigeon deterrents, Bird control, solutions, Pigeon prevention, Pigeon repellent, Bird proofing, Pest bird management, Pigeon spikes, Bird netting, Humane bird control, Bird exclusion, Urban bird control, Anti-roosting devices, Pigeon removal, Bird barriers

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Combine all these conspiracies and you get Birds Aren’t Real, a nearly two-year-old movement that claims the CIA took out 12 billion feathered fugitives because directors within the organization were “annoyed that birds had been dropping fecal matter on their car windows.” The targets were eradicated between 1959 and 1971 with specially altered B-52 bombers stocked with poison. They were then supplanted with avian-like robots that could be used to surveil Americans.

Sounds extreme but also somewhat fitting, given the landscape of today’s social discourse. By surfacing murky bits of history and the ubiquity of Aves, Birds Aren’t Real feeds into this era of post-truth politics. The campaign relies on internet-fueled guerilla marketing to spread its message, manifesting through real-world posters and Photoshopped propaganda tagged with the “Birds Aren’t Real” slogan.

For much of its devoted fanbase, Birds Aren’t Real is a respite from America’s political divide—a joke so preposterous both conservatives and liberals can laugh at it. But for a few followers, this movement is no more unbelievable than QAnon, a right-wing conspiracy theory turned marketing ploy that holds that someone with high-level government clearance is planting coded tips in the news. Therein lies the genius of Birds Aren’t Real: It’s a digital breadcrumb trail that leads to a website that leads to a shop full of ready-to-buy merchandise.

The creative muscle behind the avian-inspired conspiracy (and thinly disguised marketing scheme) is 20-year-old Peter McIndoe, an English and philosophy major at the University of Memphis in Tennessee. McIndoe first went live with Birds Aren’t Real in January 2017 at his city’s Women’s March. A video from the event shows McIndoe with a crudely drawn sign, heckling protesters with lines like, “Birds are a myth; they’re an illusion; they’re a lie. Wake up America! Wake up!” The idea of selling Birds Aren’t Real goods, he says, came after the stunt gained traction over Instagram.

les all these accounts and fulfills every order for the Birds Aren’t Real goods he sells online. He declined to comment on how much money he’s made off the T-shirts, hats, and stickers, many of which are out of stock.

Exploiting conspiracists for profit is nothing new, says Mike Metzler, a social media influencer and viral-content creator on Instagram. Amazon sells dozens of styles of QAnon T-shirts that have become a fixture at Make America Great Again rallies around the country. What’s different is that while many QAnon believers wear their shirts in earnest, most Birds Aren’t Real fans seem to wear theirs to be ironic and on trend.

“Birds Aren’t Real is taking advantage of the meme-ification of previous conspiracy theories,” Metzler says. “People really want to believe in conspiracies—but more than that, people want to make fun of people who believe in conspiracies even more. Starting a conspiracy theory and selling Birds Aren’t Real merchandise allows them to sell to both sides,” Metzler says.

McIndoe’s movement got a free jolt of publicity on October 30 after Chicago-based journalist Robert Loerzel tweeted a photo of a Birds Aren’t Real flier he found on the street. The same flier also popped up on Reddit numerous times over the past month. The hectic and cryptic nature of the website makes it an incubator for conspiracy theories like QAnon. The Reddit forum r/conspiracy has 721,000 anonymous subscribers alone.

While some people will draw parallels between QAnon and Birds Aren’t Real (they were both launched in 2017, after all), their popularity on Reddit is the only true similarity, says Brooke Binkowski, managing editor of the myth-busting website TruthOrFiction.com and the former managing editor of Snopes. “Birds Aren’t Real is a good one, but it in no way ranks up there with the incredible complexity of whatever QAnon is,” she says over email. “QAnon has caught on because it’s interactive, it’s always evolving, and it’s completely vague—so vague that anything they say could be ‘true’ if you interpret it the right way.”

How could Birds Aren’t Real gain more dark-web cred then? “Conspiracy theories offer a way for the world to make sense, and they offer a sense of purpose to the purposeless,” Binkowski writes. “If Birds Aren’t Real hinted at some larger, dark pattern, it would really take flight.”

For now, though, this shallow conspiracy seems harmless and may even be a net gain for birds. Jordan Rutter, the director of public relations at the American Bird Conservancy, thinks the intricate history behind McIndoe’s movement is hilarious and thus, something positive. “Anything that gets people talking about birds is a good thing,” she says. “It’s definitely a way we can start a conversation.”

The filmmaker Oliver Stone once wrote that Kennedy’s assassination is “a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma.” Birds Aren’t Real, on the other hand, is a chimera of conspiracies that wraps satire, modern insecurities, and internet culture into a successful marketing scheme.

Source

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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

Bird Gone, Pigeon Gone, Pigeon problems, pigeon spikes, 1-877-4NO-BIRD, 4-S Gel, Bird Control, Pigeon Control, bird repellent, Bird Spikes, sonic bird repellent, stainless steel bird spikes, bird spikes Vancouver, Ultra Sonic Bird Control, Bird Netting, Plastic Bird Spikes, Canada bird spike deterrents, Pigeon Pests, B Gone Pigeon, Pigeon Patrol, pest controller, pest control operator, pest control technician, Pigeon Control Products, humane pigeon spikes, pigeon deterrents, pigeon traps, Pigeon repellents, Sound & Laser Deterrents, wildlife control, raccoon, skunk, squirrel deterrent, De-Fence Spikes, Dragons Den, Pigeon, Pigeon Patrol, Pigeons Roosting, Vancouver Pigeon Control, Bird Spikes, Bird Control, Bird Deterrent, Pigeon Deterrent, Surrey Pigeon Control, Pest, Seagull deterrent  Vancouver Pigeon Blog, Birds Inside Home De-fence, Pigeon Nesting, Bird Droppings, Pigeon Dropping, woodpecker control,  Keep The Birds Away, Birds/rats, seagull, pigeon, woodpecker, dove, sparrow, pidgeon control, pidgeon problem, pidgeon control, flying rats, pigeon Problems, bird netting, bird gel, bird spray, bird nails, bird guard, Pigeon control, Bird deterrents, Pigeon deterrents, Bird control, solutions, Pigeon prevention, Pigeon repellent, Bird proofing, Pest bird management, Pigeon spikes, Bird netting, Humane bird control, Bird exclusion, Urban bird control, Anti-roosting devices, Pigeon removal, Bird barriers

The post Are Birds Actually Government-Issued Drones? So Says a New Conspiracy Theory Making Waves (and Money) appeared first on Pigeon Patrol Canada - Bird Control Products & Services.

*****

Three billion birds in 50 years in this country. Why are they disappearing?

We believe it’s a combination of things. Migratory birds spend the majority of their year in the south, either the southern U.S. or in Central or South America. And so there’s all kinds of habitat issues there. And then when they actually migrate, they have what’s called stopover places, where they basically need to stop and fuel up again. If that habitat isn’t in good condition, or if they face threats there, then that could affect their migration.

Some new studies indicate that pesticides might prevent migrating birds from gaining sufficient weight. On these stopover points, they typically will gorge themselves and gain a bunch of weight so that they can fly — in some cases all the way up to the Arctic where they have their chicks. And then they come all the way back. It’s quite a gantlet that they go through. We think all of this is adding up into these declines.

Make the case for why bird life matters. People think aah, it’s just sparrows, aah, it’s just pigeons.

They’re actually a very good indicator of the overall health of the environment. When we see these bird declines, it’s an indication that in a sense there’s something out of balance. And we’ve seen certain habitats removed to a degree that the birds would become endangered. At the same time, we’ve had some very successful conservation efforts. We’ve brought the bald eagle back, for example. Its population is now increasing 10% a year, the result of banning DDT and other efforts to protect it.

Seventy years ago, Communist China crusaded against sparrows as “public animals of capitalism,” and killed billions. Without the sparrows to eat them, insects flourished, crops were destroyed and millions of Chinese starved. The earth needs birds. People need birds.

Birds play a crucial role within the ecosystem in terms of eating insects and other things and then also being eaten by other things. Part of the reason why the loss of the 3 billion birds is so significant is, that’s a huge loss of biomass that used to be in the system. We need to think about doing some things to try to restore balance.

What kinds of birds were foremost among those 3 billion that aren’t around anymore?

Really common birds, meadowlarks; grassland birds in particular seem to have taken a really huge dip. There have been some new studies showing significant impacts from pesticides. And an ongoing process called intensification with agriculture, where they’re using more and more of the land in a much more intensive fashion. And the result is there’s just less available for wildlife.

It really gets down to the price of corn in some ways. And then the subsidies for corn ethanol have actually been pretty bad for birds because they’re leading to the sod-busting and we don’t have a whole lot of original prairie left.

About a year ago the Natural Resources Management Act was signed into law by the Trump administration — a bundle of bills, and a lot of conservation groups had campaigned for them. Isn’t that something of a step forward?

It wasn’t a perfect deal, though. There was still a rider in there that prevents protection for the greater sage grouse, which right now is in severe decline. The sage grouse is a bird that lives all across the Great Basin, a little bit in northern California. That kind of desert country is where you’ll find sage grouse. They actually will eat the sagebrush and hide in it. They’re an excellent indicator for basically pristine, wide open spaces. They like big areas. They like it quiet.

As energy development and other things have descended upon that region, we’ve actually seen the grouse population decline by as much as 90%.

When we see species like the meadowlark start to disappear, species that were so common, that’s not a good harbinger for rarer species in more endangered habitats, is it?

No, that’s exactly the issue. We do carefully look at all the bird populations. There is a lot of focus on the birds that might become endangered; there’s a big effort to head that off.

But we’ve also found that once the bird is listed [as endangered], recovery efforts tend to be successful. We did an analysis a couple of years ago and found out that the biggest need for the Endangered Species Act was to increase this funding for recovery.

A number of birds have just been delisted. One of them was the Kirtland’s warbler up in Michigan, and that’s just a result of successful conservation efforts. There are some good success stories — the interior least tern and the Kirtland’s warbler and a few others are definitely at a point where they seem to be safe and stable in terms of avoiding extinction and on their way to recovery.

But others worry you.

Well, changes to the law itself are worrying me. There’s been some rule-making that can make it very difficult to get protection for new species or provide for adequate habitat protection.

I do think that the process has become politicized and we’re feeling it’s a real challenge to get a level of protection that the birds really need.

People know the phrase “canary in the mine shaft,” meaning an early harbinger of something bad about to happen. Now it seems like our whole wild bird population is the canary in the mine shaft.

That’s right, and they also are showing that they are a big indicator for global warming and climate change. You’re seeing range shifts; because it’s a little warmer, the birds are actually much further north and they’re literally following the climate band as it as it changes.

They’re fortunate in the sense that they can fly to the to a new ideal environment for themselves. Not every critter has that luxury.

As we expand, as our population gets bigger, our agricultural needs are bigger, people cut down forests for wood for myriad purposes, the birds— they gotta give.

We really do need to provide incentives to landowners to grow trees and to maintain their forests. If property values shift too far, they might go into real estate and all that land gets developed.

If we need to grow trees for climate [change purposes], we should make it a real lucrative thing for the landowner to do.

How successful is that?

We’re seeing some success. The California carbon market is really probably the greatest example where it allows for forest conservation projects. Most of them have either longer rotation, forestry or reforestation. And so either way, the environment is winning, because we’re growing trees and absorbing that carbon and providing for that habitat. The California market is something that we probably need to make national.

There was a conflict in the Pacific Northwest in the 1990s over loggers versus habitat and the endangered northern spotted owl; I think one bumper stickers said something like, “Save a logger, eat a spotted owl.” Is that the way our relationship with the natural world in general and birds and in particular is going?

It is kind of ironic because birds in general are very popular, but a couple of birds like the greater sage grouse and the spotted owl have been the flashpoint for these huge land use issues, whether it’s conservation of the many millions of acres of public lands in the sagebrush country or the old-growth forest in the Pacific Northwest.

The fact that these birds declined so far is really kind of an indication that the habitat was not being used and not being properly conserved.

There’s been, I think, a very successful effort to protect the old-growth forest under the Northwest Forest Plan, but it’s by no means a perfect plan. But it has brought an end to the worst type of old-growth logging that used to happen.

And we are actually seeing some real benefits in terms of improved water quality. The forests in the region are now a big carbon sink where they absorb carbon instead of being a source of emissions every year or so.

So the public has seen some real side benefit in addition to the conservation of the forests.

Unfortunately, we have some policymakers who are trying to open up the old-growth forest again to logging, whether it be in Alaska or in the Pacific Northwest or Northern California. And we’re trying to counter that.

A lot of the work that we do is in partnership with other conservation groups. We manage a coalition called the Bird Conservation Alliance, which has over 200 groups doing public outreach and events to raise awareness about our program.

People like the idea of birds — they just don’t perhaps make the connection between, Oh, that’s a bird, and I like to hear it, I like to see it … and what it takes to keep that bird alive.

And sometimes people don’t see how their actions might affect things. A couple of the biggest sources of mortality for birds are window collisions and cats.

With windows, it’s estimated about a billion [birds are killed] a year, and it tends to be on the glass facades and ground-level windows that reflect foliage. There are ways, despite how the landscape is designed or where the windows are themselves; there’ve been windows tested that reduce the number of collisions. We’re working on various pieces of legislation that encourage the use of bird-safe building designs and materials.

There’s actually solutions for homeowners. There’s glass products and films that they can put on the windows to treat them so that the collisions can be greatly reduced.

The same with cats. Keeping cats indoors is safer for the cat. And it greatly reduces the predation that would happen if they were outdoors.

Many people let their cats outside to roam around, not thinking about the devastation that cats can wreak by killing birds — not a pleasant thing for bird lovers or for cat lovers.

In the West, there’s there is a big problem for cat owners seeing their cats outdoors having all kinds of issues, whether it’s fights with other cats, getting hit by cars and that kind of thing.

But the big issue lately is coyotes. If you’re leaving your cat outside, particularly at night, it’s a huge risk to them.

How many birds are cats killing?

Well, it is estimated it’s in the billions. Particularly when you think about the fledgling birds, they tend to be very vulnerable for their first couple of months, before they’ve really gotten to be full size and full strength. There’s just a tremendous toll every year.

What about windmills? President Trump says windmills kill a lot of birds.

Windmills do kill birds. We estimate as many as a million birds a year are killed by wind turbines and associated infrastructure. There are guidelines in place right now that can reduce this mortality. Unfortunately, they’re not being used that consistently. We’re working on a [proposed] piece of legislation called the Migratory Bird Protection Act that we think eventually could lead to these guidelines getting into use more often.

The changes that are happening to the [landmark 1918] Migratory Bird Treaty Act by the administration right now — one of the biggest problems is the fact that it won’t encourage us to solve these problems any longer. The law was intended to encourage industry to find ways to stop killing birds accidentally. So whether it be [birds] falling into oil pits or running into communications towers, there has been a lot of effort over time to reduce that mortality.

As a result of this change that’s been proposed by the administration and already put in effect through a legal opinion a couple of years ago, we’re actually no longer seeing enforcement that we used to have.

So at the same time bird populations are declining, we’re actually seeing weaker enforcement and weaker protection.

With wind and also with oil and gas and pretty much on any aspect, they’ve basically said that they’re no longer going to enforce the law.

And this could even be in extreme worst cases of oil spills where, in the past, there would have been big fines applied. Now they’re basically saying there’s no law any longer.

We’re already fighting, as is the state of California. We’re hopeful to overturn their efforts to weaken the law.

The Migratory Bird Protection Act, sponsored by Rep. Alan Lowenthal from California, would actually kind of bring about these best management practices that I was just talking about. The bill has gone through a House committee and is awaiting a vote on the House floor. And people can express their support to their lawmakers to pass the Migratory Bird Protection Act.

It sounds like California’s doing a pretty good job of getting on top of this.

California has an outstanding legislature in terms of passing bills to protect the environment and fill in the gap while the federal government is kind of dithering about right now.

One area where California took the lead was in the phase-out of toxic lead ammunition. There’s now nontoxic alternatives available.

Most Americans live in suburban or urban areas now. I’m wondering about the urban bird population.

There’s actually a lot that we can do in our urban areas. Urban forests are very important. And each homeowner can do things with their own landscaping, things that that could actually really benefit wildlife, just in our own back yard.

Are you a birdwatcher? Is there a species that speaks to you?

Right now, I’d have to say the marbled murrelet is the species that really speaks to me. It’s right on the coast of northern California and Oregon and Washington state. And it’s a neat little seabird that goes out and forges on little fish and then it nest in the tops of old-growth trees. Those tend to be the very biggest trees that are like 200 years old or older. So there’s a huge overlap between the marbled murrelet and these really high-carbon forests that are valuable in terms of the fight on climate change. There’s all kinds of habitat protection and recreation.

Source

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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

Bird Gone, Pigeon Gone, Pigeon problems, pigeon spikes, 1-877-4NO-BIRD, 4-S Gel, Bird Control, Pigeon Control, bird repellent, Bird Spikes, sonic bird repellent, stainless steel bird spikes, bird spikes Vancouver, Ultra Sonic Bird Control, Bird Netting, Plastic Bird Spikes, Canada bird spike deterrents, Pigeon Pests, B Gone Pigeon, Pigeon Patrol, pest controller, pest control operator, pest control technician, Pigeon Control Products, humane pigeon spikes, pigeon deterrents, pigeon traps, Pigeon repellents, Sound & Laser Deterrents, wildlife control, raccoon, skunk, squirrel deterrent, De-Fence Spikes, Dragons Den, Pigeon, Pigeon Patrol, Pigeons Roosting, Vancouver Pigeon Control, Bird Spikes, Bird Control, Bird Deterrent, Pigeon Deterrent, Surrey Pigeon Control, Pest, Seagull deterrent  Vancouver Pigeon Blog, Birds Inside Home De-fence, Pigeon Nesting, Bird Droppings, Pigeon Dropping, woodpecker control,  Keep The Birds Away, Birds/rats, seagull, pigeon, woodpecker, dove, sparrow, pidgeon control, pidgeon problem, pidgeon control, flying rats, pigeon Problems, bird netting, bird gel, bird spray, bird nails, bird guard, Pigeon control, Bird deterrents, Pigeon deterrents, Bird control, solutions, Pigeon prevention, Pigeon repellent, Bird proofing, Pest bird management, Pigeon spikes, Bird netting, Humane bird control, Bird exclusion, Urban bird control, Anti-roosting devices, Pigeon removal, Bird barriers

The post Column: 3 billion birds have vanished from our skies. Can we ever bring them back? appeared first on Pigeon Patrol Canada - Bird Control Products & Services.

The town started renting out traps to residents today to capture pigeons, and police say that trappers will be responsible for the disposal of the birds, which includes a ban on throwing them in the garbage for curbside pickup. Successful trappers will instead have to take the pigeons for burial at the town dump.

“The OPP want to inform the residents that it is each individual’s responsibility to educate themselves on this topic and to ensure that they are acting within the laws, regulations and town by-laws,” says Constable Adam Gauthier.

The problem started, says Ashley Bilodeau, Kirkland Lake’s Manager of Planning and Land Development, when a few bird lovers started feeding the pigeons.

“We have a couple of residents that have been obnoxiously feeding pigeons to the point where we have some serious problem areas, so we passed a no-feeding bylaw back in the fall,” she told BayToday. “However, there is one individual who just continues to feed them despite the bylaw and has been charged. There’s been a few charges laid around town but there is one individual who is causing more headaches than normal.”

The fine for feeding is steep at $100, and that’s down from the $250 the town wanted to charge but the province wouldn’t allow it.

“So we’re trying to find different ways to combat the issue because it’s now causing problems to people’s properties and vehicles because there are so many of them.”

Bilodeau says the town has checked with the MNRF and it’s not illegal to kill pigeons although you are required to have a small game licence in order to trap and kill pigeons.

The town has not placed a limit on the number of pigeons people can capture, but police warn folks can’t use their guns to shoot the birds because discharging a firearm is prohibited within the Town of Kirkland Lake,

Bilodeau says poop is the problem.

“They’re also causing damage to buildings by trying to build nesting areas,” she adds. “We’ve got four traps here and people can come in and put in a deposit and take the trap for 10 days, and when they bring it back they get their money back.”

Pigeons were originally bred from the wild rock dove, which naturally inhabits sea-cliffs and mountains according to Wikipedia, so the bird finds the ledges of buildings to be a substitute for sea cliffs.

They have become abundant in towns and cities throughout the world. Due to their abilities to create large amounts of excrement and to carry disease, combined with crop and property damage, pigeons are largely considered a nuisance with steps being taken in many municipalities to lower their numbers or completely eradicate them.

Source

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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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In addition, during the summer season, it becomes extremely important to place pigeon netting for balconies to get rid of all the chaos they bring with them. You may wonder how these little pests can cause substantial damage to your family’s health and also to your property. Well, they can and that is the reason why various residential and industrial spaces in rural and urban areas rely on anti bird netting services.

With that being said, this write-up is specially dedicated to discussing why anti bird netting becomes crucial during the Indian summer season. The comprehensive guide will also shed some light on the key features of HiCare’s bird netting in Pune, Mumbai, and other Indian cities.

Birds are Dirty Beings

Yes, believe it or not, they are. And, if you don’t you can check out the surface of a car parking in the open space or benches of the park. Now, just imagine that a bunch of birds are enjoying the shade under your balcony. Once they leave, you are likely to spot their droppings. It is a treat for all the balcony gardeners as a large amount of their dropping can harm vegetation.

Birds Can Cause Illness

Diseases such as pigeon ornithosis, encephalitis, and salmonella food poisoning have all been linked to pigeons. However, determining the true incidence of illness transmission from pigeons to humans is problematic. Disease outbreaks that may be traced back to pigeon flocks are uncommon. Hence, another strong reason for subscribing to bird netting in Pune, Mumbai, or any other metropolitan city of India.

Pigeon excrement contains the causal agent of histoplasmosis, a systemic fungal illness that affects the human respiratory tract if allowed to accumulate for several years. Histoplasmosis can be lethal in extreme cases. Pigeons’ external parasites include a variety of mites, fleas, ticks, and bugs.

More than anything else, pigeons can be a threat to human safety. Thus, the elimination of feeding, watering, roosting, and nesting sites is important during summer, winter, or any Indian season. As birds pose serious concerns to gardeners and property owners, bird netting services can act as a barrier to letting them in your sweet home. With that being said, here are four benefits of Bird Netting installation in summer. Scroll down to take a brief look at each!

Top 4 Benefits of Bird Netting

1. Long-Term Protection
2. Durable and Sturdy
3. Cost-Effective
4. Simple to Use
5. Disease Prevention
6. Environmentally Friendly
7. Low Maintenance

1. Long-Term Protection

During summer, birds often come in their numbers to attack your balcony causing significant damage to the surroundings. To counter this, the net is an effective way to offer the right protection to complete your space from bird damage.

2. Durable and Sturdy

Nets are made of the strongest, highest-quality materials, come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and are UV-stabilized. Some nets have been estimated to last up to several years. Anti-bird netting pays off in terms of durability, which is important in any worthwhile investment. The setup is basic and straightforward.

3. Cost-Effective

Nets are made of the strongest, highest-quality materials, come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and are UV-stabilized. Some nets have been estimated to last up to several years. Anti-bird netting pays off in terms of durability, which is essential in any worthwhile investment.

4. Simple to Use

The netting is exceptionally simple to use and easy to install. The process is hassle-free and professionals can do it within a given timeframe. Once installed properly, it does not require any external force to come into action.

Many reasons and benefits can lure more homeowners to install pigeon netting for balconies. However, finding the best professionals that give Bird Netting Services in Mumbai or any Indian city could be a bit difficult. On the flip side, it is not impossible either. If your browser history is filled with the query – Bird Netting Mumbai, HiCare has a solution for you.

5. Disease Prevention

Bird droppings can contain harmful pathogens and bacteria. By keeping birds away from areas where people live and work, bird netting reduces the risk of diseases transmitted through contact with bird droppings. This is especially crucial in urban environments.

6. Environmentally Friendly

Bird netting is considered an environmentally friendly bird control method because it does not harm the birds. Instead, it provides a physical barrier that discourages birds from accessing certain areas without causing them harm. This makes it a humane and sustainable solution.

7. Low Maintenance

Once bird netting is properly installed, it requires minimal maintenance. Routine inspections to check for damage and repairs as needed are typically the only maintenance tasks required. This saves time and effort compared to other bird control methods.

Source

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or 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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row. 

Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca

Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosing / Vancouver Pigeon Control / Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / PIgeon Deterrent / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons / What to do about pigeons / sparrows, Damage by Sparrows, How to Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests / De-fence / Pigeon Nesting / Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping / woodpecker control / Professional Bird Control Company / Keep The Birds Away / Birds/rats/seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/pidgeon control/flying rats/pigeon problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/bird guard

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Common But Not Harmless

Pigeons are so common in urban America that most people don’t pay them any real attention. Some people even feed them. It’s this relationship to humans that has allowed pigeons to thrive and reveal their true colors as truly harmful birds. But pigeons haven’t always nested in cities and suburbs, they descend from cave birds that occupied rugged coasts and mountains. Some pigeons still migrate to these natural areas to breed but their reliance on human waste for food and industrial buildings for shelter means pigeons are a permanent fixture in modern life. But make no mistake, pigeons are responsible for the same kinds of damage and danger that other pests are known for.

Damage & Danger Caused By Pigeons

Even though people consider them harmless birds, pigeons have proven time and time again that they are more than just birds picking up breadcrumbs. Pigeons can lead to all of the following problems for humans:

• Disease. Pigeons are known as vermin for a reason, they are carriers of dangerous and fast-spreading diseases like hepatitis and salmonella.
• Parasites. Even if pigeons themselves aren’t carriers of diseases, they can carry ticks and lice that are also harmful and known to transmit pathogens.
• Damage. Pigeons aren’t just a health risk, but a property risk too. With their habit of nesting inside of electrical utilities and roosting inside of people’s roofs, pigeons can cause direct damage and interference to the common amenities of daily life.
• Feces. Not only can pigeons cause damage with their nests, but they can also cause damage to their poop. The highly corrosive droppings can chew through concrete and even metal — not to mention the unpleasant sights and smells that result.

Keeping Pigeons Off Your Property

Since pigeons in Owensboro are everywhere, it’s important to take steps to make your property less attractive to flying invaders in search of shelter or food. Here are some steps you can take:

• Don’t feed them. First and foremost, everyone should take heed of this tip. The more people feed pigeons, the more their populations grow. If you feed them on your property, either directly or via bird feeders, you’re simply inviting them to cause more problems.
• Landscaping. Keeping trees trimmed away from any structures will prevent pigeons from having an easy place to land that’s right next to your property.
• Anti-roosting. There is a wide range of spikes, grates, and covers that are available for commercial and residential properties, which prevent pigeons from landing or nesting.

Take Proper Action

Because pigeons are such a common part of modern life, anyone can fall victim to the problems they cause. Once they’ve taken hold in an area, pigeon populations can grow simply massive. Rather than try to deal with prevention and removal on your own, enlist the help of trained experts who can assist you. At Action Pest Control, our friendly staff can provide you with even more tips to prevent and spot the signs of pigeon damage. If our inspections reveal an infestation, we’ll work to get rid of it and work with you on steps for future prevention.

Don’t get complacent when it comes to pigeons, act today.

Source

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or 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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row. 

Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca

Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosing / Vancouver Pigeon Control / Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / PIgeon Deterrent / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons / What to do about pigeons / sparrows, Damage by Sparrows, How to Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests / De-fence / Pigeon Nesting / Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping / woodpecker control / Professional Bird Control Company / Keep The Birds Away / Birds/rats/seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/pidgeon control/flying rats/pigeon problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/bird guard

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Why pigeons are dangerous

You may have heard that pigeons carry diseases. This information is true. In fact, pigeons spread an alarming number of diseases, as they carry more than 60 varieties of pathogens. Diseases are transmitted via pigeon droppings. Of course, you can make sure that you never pick up or touch pigeon droppings. Nevertheless, it is a little bit more complicated than that. When pigeon droppings that are infected with viruses or bacteria are left on windowsills or pavements, for example, they will start to dry out. When this happens, the droppings then turn into a powder. The powder is either kicked into the air or blown about, which causes it to be inhaled by people without them knowing. When this powder is inhaled in this manner, this is how diseases can be spread to humans.

What are some of the common pathogens that pigeons can transmit to humans?

There are a number of different pathogens that humans can transmit to humans, so let’s take a look at them in further detail:

• Salmonellosis – This is a disease that you are probably more familiar with in terms of food poisoning. This disease when the infected droppings of a pigeon turn into dust, as mentioned earlier, and ends up finding its way to food preparation surfaces and food.
• Candidiasis – This disease is a respiratory condition that happens as a consequence of the years or fungus that is found within pigeon droppings. The areas that are impacted by this type of disease include the respiratory system, mouth, and skin, as well as the intestines and also the urogenital tract, especially in females.
• Histoplasmosis – This is a respiratory disease that can happen as a consequence of the fungus that grows in pigeon droppings. This disease can be fatal.
• St. Louis encephalitis – This is a form of the disease that mosquitoes spread once they have fed on a pigeon that carries this disease. This results in inflammation of the nervous system, which can be a big concern no matter how old you are. Nevertheless, it can be especially serious and sometimes even fatal in those who are 60-years-old or older. Symptoms include fever, headache, and drowsiness.
• E.coli – Last but not least, there is e.coli, which happens when bird droppings land in a supply of food or water, after which they are consumed by humans. By washing food before eating, you should be able to avoid this. Symptoms include the likes of cramps, fever, and nausea.

It is also worth pointing out that pigeons carry the West Nile virus, as well as carrying fleas and mites, all of which can result in discomfort and a number of severe medical problems for humans.

How to keep pigeons away from your home

There are several different steps that you can take to try and keep pigeons away from your property. One of the things that you can do is make the roosting areas as unappealing as possible. Here are some of the best opinions here:

• Don’t feed them – This may sound obvious, but it is important to make sure that you do not feed the pigeons. As is the case with the majority of animals, if you feed them, they are only going to keep coming back. Plus, the food may attract even more pigeons and potentially other animals as well!
• Install coping covers to window ledges and sills – If you do not have any flat surfaces for nests to be built and balanced on, the pigeons are probably going to move elsewhere and find a different home.
• Tie a string across the roosting area – Strings that are tied approximately one-inch
• Install anti-roosting spike stripes – Select strategical sports for the installation of anti-roosting spike strips. This includes the likes of window ledges and sills.

It is also a wise idea to inspect the outside of your home and to make sure there are no entry points for pigeons. Pay special attention to your attic and eaves. If any openings are present, you should seal them. You can start by sealing the attic should there by any openings that are large enough for a pigeon to get through them. You can either place a metal wire mesh or you could seal the openings completely.

Next, you should cap your chimney if your home has one. Using a metal wire cage to cap your chimney is a wise idea because pigeons are well known for creating nests that can block this area of your home. A bird could die through getting trapped inside of the chimney as well, so blocking off the chimney is better all around!

In addition to this, you should use netting or mesh surrounding the nesting areas. This is advisable especially for those that have air conditioning units in their home. This is because pigeons love to create their nests on trays underneath the unit.

Of course, you can also hire professionals to make sure that there are some strategies in place so that pigeons are deterred from your property.

Source

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or 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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row. 

Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca

Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosing / Vancouver Pigeon Control / Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / PIgeon Deterrent / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons / What to do about pigeons / sparrows, Damage by Sparrows, How to Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests / De-fence / Pigeon Nesting / Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping / woodpecker control / Professional Bird Control Company / Keep The Birds Away / Birds/rats/seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/pidgeon control/flying rats/pigeon problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/bird guard

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Birds that fly in ‘V’-formations, such as geese, are able to conserve energy by flying in aerodynamically optimal positions. By contrast, in species that don’t fly in formation, such as homing pigeons, the costs and benefits of flocking have been less well understood.

The research indicates that flying with another bird requires more energy compared to flying solo. ‘The results of this study were completely unexpected. Energy is the currency of life so it’s astonishing that the birds are prepared to pay a substantial energetic cost to fly together,” said lead-author, Dr Lucy Taylor.

The team used high frequency GPS and accelerometer bio-loggers to measure how pigeons changed their wingbeat patterns when flying in pairs compared to flying solo. The accelerometers act much like fitness trackers but, instead of measuring steps, the researchers measure wingbeats. ‘The increase in wingbeat frequency is equivalent to Usain Bolt running the 100m sprint at his usual speed, whilst fitting in nearly one extra step per second. The pigeons are flapping faster when flying in pairs but hardly going any faster,” said Dr Taylor.

The increase in wingbeat frequency is likely to be related to the demands of coordinating flight. Dr Taylor said: ‘Imagine trying to coordinate with and avoid hitting another small object travelling at around 44 miles per hour. This is nearly two times faster than an Olympic sprinter, and the birds can move up and down as well as left and right. For a pigeon, flapping your wings faster will both give you faster reactions and greater control over your movements, and will help keep your head stable making it easier to track where the other bird is.’

Despite the costs of fitting in one additional wingbeat per second, the birds consistently chose to fly together, suggesting that they were able to gain other benefits from flocking. Birds flying in a pair were simultaneously able to improve their homing accuracy, meaning that they could conserve energy by flying shorter routes home. Combined with increased predator protection from safety in numbers, this research suggests that the overall benefits of flocking outweigh the immediate energetic costs of changing wingbeat patterns.

Source

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or 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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row. 

Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca

Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosing / Vancouver Pigeon Control / Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / PIgeon Deterrent / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons / What to do about pigeons / sparrows, Damage by Sparrows, How to Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests / De-fence / Pigeon Nesting / Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping / woodpecker control / Professional Bird Control Company / Keep The Birds Away / Birds/rats/seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/pidgeon control/flying rats/pigeon problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/bird guard

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“In some languages, there isn’t even a separate word for ‘pigeon,’ ” said Colin Jerolmack, a scientist at New York University who studies human societies.

There are still pigeons living in the wild today. They evolved on the shores of North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea, where they make their homes on rocky ledges and cliffs. And it was this natural love for hard surfaces that made them a perfect fit in urban areas.

“They actually really like concrete, marble and stone, so they prefer to live and build nests not in the trees and shrubs and grass, but alongside buildings,” said Jerolmack, who wrote a book called “The Global Pigeon.”

But perhaps the biggest reason you’ll find pigeons in cities around the world is because humans brought them there.

At least as long as 5,000 years ago, the people of an ancient Middle Eastern civilization known as Mesopotamia started putting out houses for these birds. As the birds became more tame, people began breeding them for food in areas where other wild animals had become scarce.

Later, people learned that they could also use pigeons to carry written messages over long distances, thanks to the birds’ homing instinct.

“You can take a street pigeon in D.C. and drive it down to North Carolina and release it, and, more often than not, it’ll find its way home,” Jerolmack said.

As you can see, pigeons can be quite useful. It’s been only in the past 80 to 100 years that people started disliking the birds, Jerolmack said. And much of the dislike comes from misunderstanding.

For example, there’s really no solid evidence that pigeons pass diseases on to people. And once you get to know them, you might change the way you think.

Did you know that pigeons mate for life, for instance? Or that once their chicks hatch, both parents take turns feeding their young a liquid produced in their digestive tract called “crop milk?”

Anyway, humans have only themselves to blame for the pigeons cooing on every corner.

“We bred them and domesticated them, and kept them in cities as we developed cities,” Jerolmack said. “So they’ve always been here, from the beginning.”

Source

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or 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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row. 

Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca

Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosing / Vancouver Pigeon Control / Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / PIgeon Deterrent / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons / What to do about pigeons / sparrows, Damage by Sparrows, How to Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests / De-fence / Pigeon Nesting / Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping / woodpecker control / Professional Bird Control Company / Keep The Birds Away / Birds/rats/seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/pidgeon control/flying rats/pigeon problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/bird guard

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The term pecking order has come to be used as a way to describe the hierarchy that exists within a group of animals, including humans. Typically, those at the top of the hierarchy have better access to food or a mate, while those at the bottom must scramble to get by. In this new effort, the researchers looked at pecking order in pigeons at the Royal Veterinary College of the University of London. The pigeons housed there are used for homing purposes—nine are female and eight are male. They are all six years old and differ slightly in size. Over the course of the three-year study, the birds were given access to food and water and no other birds were included as part of the group. The group was closely watched for a period of time at three points during their annual cycle. Also, at 19 months into the study, the researchers affixed small weights to the smallest of the pigeons.

In studying the birds, the researchers found that they had a clear hierarchy, with the larger birds at the top and the smaller birds at the bottom. Those at the top of the hierarchy were first in line when food and water were given, while those lower down had to settle for less food by the time their turn came. The researchers found that the larger birds were more aggressive, which is why they got their way when feeding. Things changed dramatically, however, when the researchers added the weights to the smallest birds. With the increase in weight, the birds grew more aggressive and very quickly moved up the hierarchy, eventually arriving at the top. And they remained at the top of the hierarchy until the researchers removed the weights. At their suddenly reduced weight, the birds lost their aggressiveness and slid down to the bottom of the hierarchy once again.

The researchers note that their study shows that aggressive traits in an animal can be modified simply by changing a physical attribute such as weight. They suggest their findings indicate that people feeding bread crumbs to birds at a park may be making them more aggressive.

Source

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or 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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row. 

Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca

Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosing / Vancouver Pigeon Control / Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / PIgeon Deterrent / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons / What to do about pigeons / sparrows, Damage by Sparrows, How to Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests / De-fence / Pigeon Nesting / Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping / woodpecker control / Professional Bird Control Company / Keep The Birds Away / Birds/rats/seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/pidgeon control/flying rats/pigeon problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/bird guard

The post Pigeon pecking order found to be driven by weight appeared first on Pigeon Patrol Canada - Bird Control Products & Services.

Erica Richards lost her sight last year after developing Cryptococcus meningitis.

Cryptococcus meningitis is a potentially fatal swelling of the membranes surrounding the brain. The disease is caused by fungus that lives in the guts of pigeons and other birds, such as chickens.

People can breathe it in if they’re exposed to pigeon droppings.

The 24-year-old was living in a house that had a pile of pigeon feces in the attic, and she also had a compromised immune system from chemotherapy .

“A reverse migraine — I needed light, I needed sound. I needed neck massages. Couldn’t lay down, couldn’t sit up. Couldn’t eat. I was vomiting. And then I started having double vision, quadruple vision, then seizures. And then I ended up in hospital,” she said as she described her symptoms.

Richards sings to supplement her $135 a month disability payment.

Kevin Forward is an infectious disease specialist who teaches at Dalhousie Medical School in Halifax.

“I think it’s pretty common sense. Move to avoid being in a situation where there are a lot of pigeon droppings, particularly if you’re disturbing them, cleaning them up, sweeping them,” Forward said.

“Those kind of situations should certainly be avoided. But if you’re in the park that has some pigeons around, I think the risk is infinitely small.”

Pigeons are part of the urban landscape, but they are known to carry a long list of disease-causing organisms — such as Chlamydia and salmonella.

That, along with complaints about them damaging roofs, led Fredericton to add pigeons to the city’s animal control bylaw last year.

Property owners are now prohibited from spreading feed or anything else that would attract pigeons.

Richards wants to make sure people know the risk of coming into contact with pigeon feces.

“To draw attention, to raise awareness so people will ask questions, so they will know what the symptoms are,” Richards said. “So that way, they can be warned ahead of time, before what happened to me happens to them.”

Next month, she’ll be going to a school sponsored by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind to finish high school and to get matched with a seeing-eye dog.

She hopes to go on to study law.

Source

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or 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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row. 

Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca

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In early January, the Fredericton woman contracted a potentially fatal condition called cryptococcal meningitis, a fungal disease carried in the feces of pigeons.

The debilitating illness attacks the spine and brain, causing severe swelling. It left her confined to a hospital bed in a state of delirium for weeks.

But the most devastating side effect is that Ms. Richards is now blind.

“Be aware of this disease. It could kill a child in a heartbeat,” Ms. Richards said in an interview from her hospital bed.

“It could kill a senior in a heartbeat without you even having to worry about the symptoms. It comes on that fast. If you don’t realize the symptoms, it could kill you, too.”

Her emotional warning comes on the heels of city council’s approval earlier this month of a recommendation that it toughen its animal control bylaw to allow for fines for feeding pigeons. Once the amendment is drafted and declared law, it will give the city’s bylaw enforcement officers the power to ticket and fine offenders.

Ms. Richards said she decided to go public about her illness after learning about a recent newspaper story about a problem with pigeon poop in the city.

“Please don’t feed the pigeons,” she said. “Try to shoo them away if you see them. … It (the disease) is horrible. The pain that you get from this disease is crippling.

“The after-effects are with you for life and you just can’t stop thinking about it. I just want other people to know and try to stay away from pigeons.”

Oddly enough, Ms. Richards said she has no recollection of ever being anywhere near pigeons.

“I am still wondering to this day where I got it,” she said. “I could have stepped in it and brought it into the home. I just don’t know.”

Ms. Richards said the symptoms started with a migraine headache that wouldn’t go away. She was admitted to hospital on Feb. 10 after many days of intense head pain. Shortly after, she went into a coma-like state.

“When I woke up I thought I had a mask over my eyes, but I was wrong. I was blind. I was recently told that I will be blind for the rest of my life. This is a tough thing for a 23-year-old to go through. … My world crumbled around me.”

Ms. Richards said the odds of surviving the disease are 50-50.

“However, I managed to make it through,” she said, battling tears. “I don’t know how but I am still here, and I am glad because I get to warn everyone else of this.”

Cristin Muecke, the Health Department’s regional medical officer, confirmed the disease is often associated with pigeon droppings. She said the illness can’t be spread person to person and is more common with someone who has immune problems.

Ms. Richards, however, said she has never had a problem with her immune system and that’s what’s so puzzling about contracting the affliction.

“I do not want anyone else to suffer this agonizing disease and I ask anyone who is feeding pigeons to stop,” she said. “It’s not just a matter of keeping your neighbourhood clean … it’s a matter of keeping people healthy.”

Source

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or 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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row. 

Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca

Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosing / Vancouver Pigeon Control / Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / PIgeon Deterrent / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons / What to do about pigeons / sparrows, Damage by Sparrows, How to Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests / De-fence / Pigeon Nesting / Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping / woodpecker control / Professional Bird Control Company / Keep The Birds Away / Birds/rats/seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/pidgeon control/flying rats/pigeon problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/bird guard

The post Canadian woman battling crippling disease caused by pigeon poop appeared first on Pigeon Patrol Canada - Bird Control Products & Services.

Kulwant Dulay says he’s lived in the District of North Vancouver for 25 years and, for most of them, he’s kept homing pigeons on his property in a coop in the backyard, without ruffling any feathers.

But that changed three years ago when he bought a new house in Lynn Valley. Within a few weeks, his next door neighbour began complaining about the birds.

“In my other house in North Vancouver, everyone loved pigeons. They were flying around no problem. My second, third week I moved in, she started complaining,” he said.

On Monday evening, North Vancouver District council formally approved a new bylaw that would make it illegal to own pigeons, repealing a 1971 law allowing them.

The discussion was brief, but council discussed the motion in detail the week before.

There, staff told them they could only find one person in the district who had pigeons and only one person who had recently filed a complaint. It was proposed the new law wouldn’t come into effect until May 2020 to allow a transition period.

The vote both weeks passed 4-2. Councillor Betty Forbes recused herself.

“I have been involved in a situation like this,” she told council before one of the discussions.

That wasn’t exactly accurate. Because, while it was never said in that meeting, Forbes was the next door neighbour who complained.

“I’ve spent lots of money fixing my backyard. I try and keep it as prim and proper as I can. I invest in it every year. And now I get to sit on the back deck and entertain and look at a pigeon coop.”

In May 2017, the district held a public hearing for a proposed bylaw allowing backyard chicken coops. Betty Forbes, then just a member of the public, made her first appearance in front of council.

She wanted to talk about “a situation” that had arisen.

“A new neighbour moved in,” said Forbes. The coop was “ramshackle” and “an eyesore.” And, she warned, it would harm the value of her property.

“I know it sounds pretty cold,” she told council, “but there is an impact to having coops in backyards to properties next door to that. I’ve spoken with a couple of real estate agents, and they’ve told me it will definitely have an effect.”

Council passed the chicken coop bylaw.

Over the next year, Forbes sent a number of letters and phone calls to district staff about Dulay’s pigeons. She also sent a letter to then-mayor Richard Walton, saying that Dulay “allows his pigeons to fly and perch on neighbours properties without any control or supervision.”

In the summer of 2018, staff investigated and took away six of Dulay’s pigeons. A total of 15 remain, trained to fly back and forth from their large coop in Dulay’s backyard, a few feet from the fence surrounding his and Forbes’ homes.

Dulay says he applied for a permit from the district but never got one. He also claims he’s worked to be a good neighbour after Forbes’ complaint, but Forbes hasn’t spoken to him since.

“My neighbourhood is nice … only one person complains,” he said.

Meanwhile, Forbes started attending council more often, ran for office herself and was elected on Oct. 20 last year.

That’s the point where her situation with Dulay and his pigeons goes from a feud between neighbours to the political arena — and puts Forbes’ communications with district staff and councillors under the microscope.

Conflict of interest rules

In July 2019, Coun. Lisa Muri brought forward a motion that asked staff to explore changing the district’s decade-old pigeon bylaw, beginning the process that ended on Monday evening.

“This is a very old archaic bylaw,” she said.

“Why do we need to allow homing pigeons to be released? I am not allowed to release my dogs. They have to be leashed … so, I would ask why would we allow pigeons?”

Forbes also recused herself from that discussion, as mandated under the conflict of interest section in B.C.’s Community Charter.

It states that a councillor with a “direct or indirect pecuniary interest in a matter” must not “attempt in any way, whether before, during or after such a meeting, to influence the voting on any question,” and that they must not “attempt to influence in any way a decision, recommendation or other action to be made or taken … by an officer or an employee of the municipality.”

FOI documents show communication

According to Freedom of Information documents provided to CBC News, after Forbes was elected — but before she was officially sworn in — she sent an email to the city’s chief planning and permitting officer, complaining about the situation and asking for action.

“The discussion and explanations for how this situation has been handled in the last 1 1/2 years were not reasonable nor acceptable,” she wrote.

And from April to June, Muri and Forbes had three email discussions where the subject line read “Pigeons,” “Repeal of the pigeon bylaw” and “Keeping of Pigeons Bylaw.”

CBC News asked Forbes questions about her letter to staff after the election, and her emails with Coun. Muri, but she did not respond. CBC News also asked Muri about the bylaw and her emails to Forbes, and she declined comment.

Mathew Bond was one of two councillors who voted against the initial motion last week. He says the bylaw isn’t an appropriate use of the district’s time.

“We’re in the middle of a regional housing crisis and I’m not sure how the pigeon bylaw got to the top of the agenda,” he said.

“Generally, if there’s one complaint, that’s what our bylaws are for and that’s why we have bylaw enforcement.”

Dulay is still hopeful he’ll be able to keep his pigeons. And wonders why things went so wrong between him and the councillor.

“She has two dogs, I never complain,” he said.

“Even though they’re always barking.”

Source

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or 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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row. 

Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca

Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosing / Vancouver Pigeon Control / Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / PIgeon Deterrent / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons / What to do about pigeons / sparrows, Damage by Sparrows, How to Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests / De-fence / Pigeon Nesting / Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping / woodpecker control / Professional Bird Control Company / Keep The Birds Away / Birds/rats/seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/pidgeon control/flying rats/pigeon problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/bird guard

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Winded from a climb, he plopped down on a lush hillside to catch his breath and began looking through images on the camera traps he’d just collected, not expecting to find anything. “Suddenly I was confronted with this image of what at that time felt like a mythical creature,” says Boersma, a postdoctoral researcher at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “It was, without exaggeration, the most surreal moment of my life.”

The camera’s display was tiny, but there was no mistaking the creature it showed: the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon, a species that hasn’t been documented by scientists since it was first described in 1882.

“To find something that’s been gone for that long, that you’re thinking is almost extinct, and then to figure out that it’s not extinct, it feels like finding a unicorn or a Bigfoot,” says John C. Mittermeier, director of the lost birds program at American Bird Conservancy and a co-leader of the eight-member expedition. “It’s extraordinarily unusual.”

The stunning late-September rediscovery could not have happened without guidance from local hunters with intimate knowledge of the island’s forests, the researchers say, demonstrating the invaluable role of Indigenous communities in ongoing efforts to relocate species lost to Western science. With its existence confirmed, the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon is almost certainly the most endangered bird in New Guinea, which underscores the urgent need to protect its habitat on Fergusson, a rugged, 555-square-mile island that, while largely undeveloped, faces pressure from logging companies.

“This is a huge discovery,” says Bulisa Iova, an expedition member and acting chief curator of the National Museum and Art Gallery in Papua New Guinea. “I have studied birds for many years, and to be part of this team to discover this lost species is a highlight for me.”

The expedition was part of The Search for Lost Birds, a collaboration between BirdLife International, Re:wild, and American Bird Conservancy, which funded the trip. The initiative aims to rediscover more than 150 avian species that haven’t been declared extinct but also have not been seen for at least a decade.

A chicken-size, ground-dwelling pigeon, the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon was among around 20 “lost” birds that have not been documented for more than a century. It’s one of four pheasant-pigeon species found around New Guinea, and lives only on Fergusson Island. (Some authorities consider the four varieties to be subspecies.)

Boersma previously searched for the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon in 2019 with Jason Gregg, a conservation biologist and Audubon magazine contributor, and local biologist Doka Nason. While the trio did not find the bird on that trip, they did turn up five bird species not previously known to live on Fergusson, which suggested there were significant gaps in what ornithologists knew about the island’s birdlife. And when they spoke with hunters, they heard reports of a bird whose description could only belong to the pheasant-pigeon.

The researchers returned to Fergusson with a larger team in early September, determined to establish trust and work closely with the island’s Indigenous inhabitants to find the species. Day after day they hiked the steep terrain, stopping to interview locals and sleeping in villages or camping in the forest. Hunters in the first few communities were unfamiliar with the large bird the researchers described. But when the team reached the remote western slope of Mt. Kilkerran, they began to meet villagers who recognized the species and referred to it by the name Auwo.

Finally, in the village of Duda Ununa, a hunter named Augustin Gregory told the researchers where he had seen the bird. He described a call that matched those of New Guinea’s other pheasant-pigeon species, which don’t live on Fergusson. And he showed the team an area, on a ridge 3,200 feet above sea level and covered in thick vegetation, where their motion-triggered camera traps were likely to snap the elusive bird. Nason, who grew up in Papua New Guinea near Fergusson, and who Boersma describes as “the most impressive field biologist I’ve worked with anywhere,” selected a spot and set up the camera.

With its vantage limited by dense understory, the site wasn’t a typical one for a camera trap, the scientists say, but the images proved it was the right one. “Unmistakable,” Gregg, an expedition co-leader, says of first seeing the photos. “Tons of mixed emotions. Everything from solemn relief of burden to fist-pumping and screaming.”

Only days later, with time to scroll through everything the traps had captured, did the team realize that another camera had recorded video of a pheasant-pigeon. Given that the images were taken several kilometers apart, they almost certainly show two individuals.

Now that scientists know the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon still exists, the focus becomes keeping the critically endangered species from going extinct. As with other once-lost birds, its population is likely very small and seriously imperiled. Logging by international corporations appears to be a growing threat, and introduced predators such as feral cats could take a toll on the pheasant-pigeon as they have on other endemic island birds, according to Gregg. Sustaining the long-lost species will require learning more about its behavior and population status and launching conservation projects to protect its habitat, all with Fergusson Island residents in a leading role.

“Knowing what we know about bird extinction and conservation on islands around the world, we can expect that the combination of logging and introduced species, especially introduced mammals, is going to have an impact,” Gregg says. “This land and the fate of any conservation work that happens on this land is completely up to the communities that live there and own the land.”

Beyond Fergusson Island’s luxuriant forests, the rediscovery of the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon raises hopes that future expeditions will turn up other species lost to science but known all along to local experts. “The way this was always going to work is that we just really lean into local knowledge and put our faith in our local partners,” Boersma says. “That’s what delivered this incredible moment for us.”

Source

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or 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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row. 

Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca

Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosing / Vancouver Pigeon Control / Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / PIgeon Deterrent / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons / What to do about pigeons / sparrows, Damage by Sparrows, How to Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests / De-fence / Pigeon Nesting / Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping / woodpecker control / Professional Bird Control Company / Keep The Birds Away / Birds/rats/seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/pidgeon control/flying rats/pigeon problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/bird guard

The post ‘Like Finding a Unicorn’: Researchers Rediscover the Black-Naped Pheasant-Pigeon, a Bird Lost to Science for 140 Years appeared first on Pigeon Patrol Canada - Bird Control Products & Services.

But the councillor for Toronto Centre (Ward 13) has watched constituents fight pigeons for long enough, having fielded numerous complaints over the years from people and businesses forced to buy netting to keep the birds off balconies and window ledges and anything else that can act as a perch or nesting area.

“I do think we’ve reached a tipping point in Toronto,” says the councillor, who has often spotted people feeding pigeons random food in places where people and birds congregate, like Yonge-Dundas Square.

“I’ve seen people take out a loaf of bread and throw it on Bay Street.”

Wong-Tam believes that people are acting out of genuine concern for the birds, or to ensure food doesn’t go to waste. In fact, the discarded food also attracts vermin.

When Toronto council meets this week, Wong-Tam intends to introduce a member’s motion asking that the city examine the possibility of banning feeding pigeons anywhere in the city, in public and private spaces, in order to control the pigeon population.

Currently, the city of Toronto parks bylaw prohibits feeding wildlife or depositing food for wildlife in parks, but there is no such restriction elsewhere. As a result, pigeons crowd public spaces like sidewalks, plazas, boulevards and laneways where they can find discarded food and are also fed by people.

In fact, the lack of enforcement of the bylaw in parks has even rendered some green space unusable, according to Wong-Tam’s motion.

Only two tickets for feeding wildlife in parks were issued in 2020, according to the city.

The lack of control means business is booming for David Szabo, owner of Pigeon Tom, a firm specializing in bird control. Cleaning up after pigeons, and protecting balconies and buildings from pigeons is most of his business.

Nesting pigeons love concrete balconies, and they can quickly coat patio furniture, barbecues and stored bicycles in droppings that are difficult and sometimes impossible to clean effectively.

“It literally drives people crazy because they’re so loud,” says Szabo. “They’re always cooing, especially early in the morning at 6 or 7 a.m.”

Because the birds return to nest in the place where they were born, the situation can quickly spiral out of control, Szabo says. Then there are the people who never go out on their balconies at all.

“In some cases, the person just never went out on the balcony for like five or six years, and it’s so bad you can’t open the door.”

Pigeon experts agree that feeding pigeons people-food, or large quantities of birdseed, isn’t good for the birds or the people who have to live with them. It leads to overpopulation and a buildup of unsightly and corrosive droppings, among other problems.

“People think that they’re feeding the birds, oftentimes they’re feeding the rats,” says pigeon expert Elizabeth Carlen, a post-doctoral research fellow at the Living Earth Collaborative at Washington University in St. Louis.

Carlen has studied pigeon populations from Boston to Washington, D.C.

“I have seen many places where people have dropped birdseed, thinking they are feeding the birds, and right behind it will be a rat burrow.”

Cities, with their proliferation of concrete balconies and windowsills and ledges, are just like the rock cliffs pigeons populate in nature, says Andrew Blechman, author of “Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled Bird.”

“They like our cities because pigeons don’t do trees, they do cliffs. It’s a concrete jungle and that’s how they like it.”

Pigeons and people have enjoyed a symbiotic relationship since at least Mesopotamia, says Blechman. Pigeons have been a source of food, kept as pets, flown for sport and trained to assist in warfare — including a Canadian pigeon named Beachcomber, who won a medal for flying across the foggy English Channel to Britain to deliver news of the landing at Dieppe.

Colin Jerolmack, author of “The Global Pigeon,” has observed people feeding pigeons in parks for hours at a time.

“Many socially marginalized people — people who are homeless or elderly — fed the pigeons and out of it developed pet-like relationships that were very meaningful to them,” says Jerolmack.

“It may sound crazy, but pigeons do have different personalities and they would recognize the feeders and sit on their shoulders and wrists and show them affection.”

Also kids love pigeons and it is often their first close encounter with wildlife if they live in the city, Jerolmack says.

Jerolmack, Carlen and Blechman agree the solution is not to ban feeding pigeons, mostly because a ban is unlikely to work.

Blechman says that the people most likely to be feeding pigeons the most know it’s wrong, but they can’t help themselves. They’re obsessed. They’re up at 4 a.m., dumping an entire bag of birdfeed for the pigeons. They’re hard to catch.

“If you’re going to feed a pigeon, feed responsibly — a teaspoon or a tablespoon of bird-feed, that’s it,” says Blechman, who favours public education campaigns.

Keeping a pigeon as a pet is allowed in Toronto, as long as it is kept exclusively on private property, but Wong-Tam says people feeding wild pigeons from their homes can also create a problem for the neighbourhood if it draws flocks of birds.

The city receives about 60 complaints a year related to pigeons, including pet pigeons, wild pigeons and pigeon droppings, under various bylaws, according to data supplied by the city.

Other forms of population control are more likely to work better than a poorly enforced ban, say experts.

Blechman says some cities control their pigeon populations by building coops on top of buildings, feeding the birds where they roost. The eggs laid there are not allowed to hatch.

He finds it hard not to respect pigeons. They are gentle, monogamous and they raise their offspring together. They like humans. They can fly 900 kilometres at a stretch, at an average speed of 95 km/h, from a place they’ve never been to their home, like laser missiles.

“Pigeons have been beloved all through human history. It’s only the last 60 years that people have been nagging on them,” Blechman says.

“Cities can be awfully concrete, it’s awfully nice to see something that we’re not in control of, that’s a piece of nature, like a squirrel, like a bird, like a pigeon,” Blechman adds. “They animate our lives and that’s why people like to sit on a bench and feed them a piece of crust.”

Source

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or 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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row. 

Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca

Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosing / Vancouver Pigeon Control / Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / PIgeon Deterrent / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons / What to do about pigeons / sparrows, Damage by Sparrows, How to Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests / De-fence / Pigeon Nesting / Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping / woodpecker control / Professional Bird Control Company / Keep The Birds Away / Birds/rats/seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/pidgeon control/flying rats/pigeon problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/bird guard

The post ‘I do think we’ve reached a tipping point in Toronto’: One councillor wants the city to look at a total ban on feeding pigeons. Others think that idea is for the birds appeared first on Pigeon Patrol Canada - Bird Control Products & Services.

Get rid of pigeons on the roof by removing food and water

Remove all food and water sources and never feed the pigeons! In addition, don’t let your neighbors feed the pigeons. The pigeons can eat at your neighbors and nest on your roof!

Pigeons mainly like to eat seeds and grains such as oats, wheat, corn, cereal, sorghum, rice, beans, barley, millet, peas, and sunflower. They also like to eat food scraps left behind by people, including bread crumbs and popcorn. Birdseed is their favorite because it contains a variety of seeds and grains.

When grains or seeds aren’t available pigeons will eat fruit, greens, and occasionally insects, earthworms, and snails. They especially like apples, grapes, berries, lettuce, spinach, and sprouted seeds.

Pigeons need a constant water source. If water isn’t readily available they will leave to find a more suitable place to live. They can find water in birdbaths, gutters, pools, decorative water fountains, puddles, ponds, streams, and even leaves after a rain storm.

Easy to use deterrents to get rid of pigeons on the roof

Aluminum foil, bird deterrent tape, shiny Mylar balloons, wind propelled shiny spinning objects, and plastic decoy scare owls are scary objects to pigeons. Place scary objects on the roof, under the eves, or on the patio. Pigeons don’t like or feel comfortable with scary objects next to their nesting area. They would rather live in a more peaceful environment. One thing to remember, when installing scary objects, is to move them around on a regular basis. Objects that stay in one position don’t scare pigeons.

Wind chimes may deter pigeons. You can give it a try. Pigeons have sensitive hearing and the noise from wind chimes can actually hurt their ears. Pigeons don’t particularly like to nest where loud noises come and go.

Sticky bird gel can also deter pigeons. Apply the sticky gel to your roof where the pigeons are landing and roosting. The gel will make the area uncomfortable for the pigeons to roost.

Metal bird spikes to get rid of pigeons on the roof

Metal anti bird perching spikes can be effective in the right circumstance. They can work pretty well depending on the location you put them. Install them on rooftop edges, ledges, chimneys, and anywhere you see the pigeons land, roost, or nest. Metal bird spikes are mostly maintenance free and can be a permanent solution to deter pigeons from your roof.

Metal anti-perching spikes are harder to install and are not aesthetically appealing.

Wire screens or mesh to get rid of pigeons on the roof

Exclusion is the best solution to pigeon problems in alcoves, around chimneys, under solar panels, on vents, and many other places on the roof.  Exclusion with wire bird screen and mesh do offer a permanent solution to pigeon nesting problems.

Solar panels are generally raised 5-12 inches above shingled or tiled roofs, thus creating a void between the panel and the roof. Pigeons can easily go underneath the panel to nest, poop, and make a noticeable and destructive mess. Most, if not all, rooftops that have solar panels need to have pigeons excluded from getting under the solar panels.

Installing wire bird screens or mesh can be difficult and hazardous. It requires being on the roof with tools, a lot of bending over (which is physically demanding), cutting the wire to the proper dimensions, and stapling or screwing on the wire. It is not advised for a home or business owner to install wire screens or mesh because it isn’t safe. You can fall off the roof and get seriously injured or die. To use this method, please hire a professional bird control company.

Bird netting to get rid of pigeons on the roof

If your roof is large and flat, bird netting is an excellent method to use to keep pigeons off your roof. It physically blocks the birds from the roof. If the birds can’t get on the roof, they can’t roost or nest. Bird netting is an exclusion method primarily used for large commercial bird and pigeon control.

A professional bird control operator should install bird netting. If not installed correctly the pigeons can still land on the area and get trapped, as well as other birds. This is cruel. Please hire a professional bird control company for bird netting. It will cost money but it is the safest and most humane way to have bird netting installed.

Remove bird nesting materials and droppings

It is important to remove all pigeon nesting and feces prior to excluding pigeons. Nesting materials and droppings left on the roof will continue to cause damage.

If the roof has a pitch, using a power washer is generally the best way to get rid of pigeon waste. Put a tarp on the ground next to the roof to catch the debris as it is rinsed off the roof. It will be much easier to clean up the pigeon feces on the ground if it is contained on a tarp. Wear a mask to prevent inhaling fumes from pigeon feces and wet the feces down before rinsing off. Histoplasmosis is zoonotic disease that can be found in pigeon feces. Zoonotic diseases are caused by harmful germs like viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi that are spread between animals and people.

If the roof is flat, you will have to wet the roof down (to prevent spreading contaminants and disease through the air), then rake and sweep up the pigeon waste prior to rinsing. Again, wear a mask to prevent inhaling fumes from pigeon feces.

Please be careful or better yet, call a professional. Using a power washer on the roof can be slippery and dangerous. Inhaling noxious pigeon feces can cause disease – it is a biohazard.

Importance of discouraging pigeons from nesting on your roof

Pigeons spread disease. There are over 60 diseases birds and their droppings can carry. Some of the diseases from pigeon droppings include salmonella, toxoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, St Louis encephalitis, E.coli, and more. In addition, fungus can grow in pigeon droppings which can cause histoplasmosis. Histoplasmosis is a respiratory disease that may be fatal. Pigeons are also carriers of pests including fleas, mites, ticks, and lice as well as West Nile virus. All of these diseases can pose a serious threat to human health.

Property damage is a big concern with pigeon nesting and droppings. Nests can clog gutters, ventilation pipes, chimneys, and damage electrical equipment. Damaged electrical wires from pigeon nests can even lead to fires. Pigeon droppings are very acidic. The droppings can actually eat away at the roof structure and cause roof leakage.

Pigeon droppings are unsightly. Nobody likes to see or walk on pigeon droppings.

People can slip and fall where pigeon droppings accumulate. When pigeon feces are fresh or rained on it is slippery.

Call a professional

Installing wire bird spikes, wire screens, wire mesh, or bird netting is difficult and hazardous. People can, and do, fall off roofs. People who fall off roofs get seriously injured and even die. It is best to call a professional bird control company when using these methods. Companies that specialize in removing and excluding bird pests (like pigeons) have the know how and safety equipment to get rid of pigeons in a safe and efficient manner from rooftops, alcoves, solar panels, chimneys, window sills, and other areas.

Source

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or 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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row. 

Contact us at 1 877-4-NO-BIRD,(604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca

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