How to Get Rid of Pigeons – Overview of All Available Solutions

Getting rid of pigeons from small areas like balconies can be resolved with relatively simple common-sense solutions.

1. Wires. You can use a wire coil or stainless-steel wire to deter pigeons perching on rails.

2. Shock Track. Several suppliers offer a “shock track” system to keep birds off balconies. The shock track does not hurt the bird but provides enough stimulation to make the targeted perching area unattractive.

3. Netting. Consider using a netting system to physically exclude the birds from balconies.  This is the costliest alternative, although if installed properly it’s 100% effective.  Newer versions of netting are virtually invisible.

4. Sound or reflected light. The easiest way to deter pigeons from your patio, deck, or balcony, is with sound or reflected light.  You can achieve this with a wind chime, Mylar balloon, aluminum foil pans or even hanging CD’s. The reflected light disorients the birds.

5. Plastic owl or rubber snake. Consider using scarecrows (“effigies”).  The most common example is a plastic owl or rubber snake. Unfortunately, the effects will most likely be short-lived. The pigeons come to recognize the scarecrow as something that is not a threat.

6. Spikes. Consider using anti-perching spikes that you can attach anywhere the birds like to perch. Spikes are best advised for limited areas where the goal is to move the birds someplace else. They are available in different materials from plastic to stainless steel.

7. Gel Repellants. You can use gel repellants to ledges where pigeons perch. The gel makes the surface sticky and the birds will try to avoid it. Unfortunately, dust and debris take their toll and reapplication is often necessary.  The application of gel repellants is not recommended where there are smaller birds. They can permanently get stuck in the goo

Getting rid of pigeons from a residential or commercial roof can be far more challenging. Although some are better than others, all the solutions that apply for keeping pigeons off a balcony (above), can also apply to larger open areas.

1. Consider using a wire coil or stainless-steel wire to deter pigeons from perching on the ridge(s).

2. A “shock track” system might keep birds off rooftops

3. Using wire or netting is appropriate for a roof design that incorporates nooks. You can also apply nets where the pigeons can construct a nest.

4. Solar panels provide excellent harborage for pigeons.  Metal grid netting is the most effective method to limit access to the birds.

5. Flat commercial roof styles have their own set of challenges. The first option is to electrify the parapet perching areas. The second option is to install simple spikes. Be aware that pigeons enjoy the comfort of HVAC installations. As a solution, consider netting these units.

The basic nature and scope of modern industrial facilities make them highly attractive to pigeons. The design of these facilities is most often open which allows the birds ready ingress and egress. More importantly, pipes, beams, poles, and catwalks offer a wide range of harborage and nesting options. Food sources are typically located nearby and as mobile pests, pigeons can move around freely from one area of the plant to the next.

Pigeons can represent a costly nuisance for plants, and in many cases have been at the facility ever since it was built. Over time, the nests, feces, and debris can cause considerable damage to a plant’s mechanical and electrical components.  Furthermore, the birds’ droppings and other debris add additional health hazards to an already hazardous area.

Most conventional methods of pigeon mitigation offer little comfort to an industrial facility and decision makers often select culling solutions since everything else is either prohibitively costly or impractical.  Methods such as trapping and poisoning the birds may help alleviate the problem temporarily, however, due to their rapid breeding, pigeons always return and repopulate the very attractive site in a few weeks or months.

While highly effective at smaller sites, physical exclusion is typically not an option at a larger plant. It is simply impossible to cover an oil refinery or power plant with a net.

The more common solutions for smaller scale facilities are only appropriate for the resolution of isolated problems at a larger plant. An area where there is zero tolerance for birds mandates physical exclusion to keep them out, while the overall control strategy needs to focus on abatement.

The following graphic provides an outline of the various options for bird abatement. There are just two alternatives:

1. Increase mortality with the common culling methods, trap, shoot or poison

2. Reduce reproduction with a contraceptive.

The most effective method at a complex installation is a control program based on OvoControl.  A contraceptive has exceptional utility in these large sites where conventional bird control methods may not be appropriate or cost effective.

While baiting birds without killing them may seem counterintuitive to some, the successful long-term use of OvoControl at a wide range of different industrial facilities demonstrates otherwise.

OvoControl provides a safe, easy-to-use, and effective solution for everything from oil refineries to power plants to control the pigeon population for good.

OvoControl reduces the population naturally, through attrition, over time. With continued use, the population declines at a rate of roughly 50%, annually. With a successful contraceptive program, industrial facilities will ultimately drive their pigeon population down by 90 to 95%.

Furthermore, many industrial facilities often have challenging sites for environmental stewardship. Thankfully, OvoControl represents an environmentally benign pigeon mitigation strategy which does not pose secondary risks to raptors or scavengers.

Short of exterminating the birds, there is no foolproof way to get rid of all of them. Pigeons have accompanied mankind for thousands of years and, like rats, are not leaving anytime soon. Unfortunately, even the effects of lethal methods are only effective in the short-term as the remaining flock rapidly breeds back the ones that are missing. Lethal solutions often represent a “harvest” of pigeons as opposed to an actual control program. Both larger and smaller problems can be solved with the techniques outlined above although all but the simplest sites require some observation and planning to develop a safe and effective strategy for success.

Irrespective of any humane considerations, the casual observer often asks, “why not just kill the birds” for a prompt and effective resolution to a pigeon problem?  While culling options provide an immediate and tangible solution to an acute pigeon problem, the effects are fleeting. More often than not, the population will simply “backfill” the void created by culling with increased reproduction and even more birds. Unfortunately, just killing the birds just provides the illusion of control. Only by limiting reproduction can you effectively manage the population in a manner to provide long-term control. Over time, killing pigeons more closely resembles a harvest as opposed to an actual control program.

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