by Pigeon Patrol | May 8, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes
Back in February, the BBC posted a story about a Seattle girl who got gifts from crows. She was brought bolts, beads, buttons, earrings, and bones, among other things. It was also revealed that she feeds these animals. The essence of the story, the reason it went viral, is it so perfectly, in the popular imagination, captured an innocent relationship between a child and the wild. The birds understood her and she understood them. Like all children, she had not become a human (experienced) yet. She still had a primal connection with the animal kingdom.
But even this paradise proved to be short-lived. By August, the neighbors of the girl were suing her family for attracting all manner of wild urban life to their upscale Seattle neighborhood, Portage Bay. Crows, pigeons, squirrels, and even rats, they claimed, had all learned about this girl and her generosity. Seagulls were seen as flying from Elliot Bay to Portage Bay with the certainty that the main problem of life will be solved there. The neighbors claimed that, as a consequence, the shit of these synanthropic animals spoiled their properties. They wanted $200,000 in damages. Now the girl’s family is fighting back, claiming their daughter’s feeding has not attracted rats and gulls.
What to make of this situation? I asked my favorite writer and thinker on crows, Lyanda Lynn Haupt (she wrote Crow Planet: Essential Wisdom from the Urban Wilderness), for her view on the escalating tensions in Portage Bay. She responded with a lovely and insightful letter:
I think that many people long for a sense of connection with wild animals. This story served up evidence of such a possibility, and it captured everyone’s imagination. Plus, let’s face it—that little girl is cute as pie. No wonder social media went crazy. Did the crow really bring gifts to the girl? Some crows do gather shiny bits of this and that—gum wrappers, thumb tacks, shells, foil, bright red berries—and cache them in one place. Little collections of treasure. I can see how this action could be interpreted as the bringing of gifts to the little girl with the food, and there is little harm in imagining this to be so. That said, there is no reason to be feeding crows. They are already flourishing in the urban environment, and the neighbors are right—the amount of food it takes to bring in that many crows can make a mess and invite even more problematical urban wildlife. Even in this little video there are squirrels and pigeons. Whether there is evidence of rats or not, they are common visitors to urban bird feeders, even much smaller ones.
The neighbors are freaking out a bit. It is not “The Birds.” No one is going to get sick. And hanging dead crows on your porch (legal or not) to deter the neighbors and their crow visitors is just creepy. But lots of crows and pigeons and food and mess around? I agree, not good. Loud, annoying. And not in line with a deeper understanding of what helps and what harms urban wildlife. To live well alongside urban wildlife and our human neighbors: Keep cat and dog food inside (so as not to attract rodents, raccoons, coyotes, and crows). Close up entrance holes to keep animals from entering to shelter or nest. And if you do feed birds: just small feeders for small birds, cleaned scrupulously, with seeds that fall beneath cleaned up daily. Better would be to plant native trees and shrubs with seeds and berries that local birds love. I think it is a beautiful privilege to live alongside wild creatures close to home. But we need to do it with some grace and wisdom.
I think the story is sticking around so long because of the winning combination: cute girl with pet wild birds and lawsuit!
There is one more thing. I think if the crow feeder was a boy, the neighborhood may not have been so aggressive and filed a lawsuit. What is seen as annoying in a girl is often registered as a gift in a boy.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | May 7, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services
A warehouseman died from lung cancer caused by birds pecking the asbestos roof of a store where he used to work, an inquest heard.
For 12 years the deadly dust floated down on Anthony Jones, who got a job at the cash and carry when he was 15 but left three decades ago.
He was killed this year, aged 57, by mesothelioma – a type of lung cancer whose only known cause is asbestos fibres.
Mr Jones had said after being told he had terminal cancer: “I can’t recall ever working with or near asbestos.
“My exposure was most likely at the firm’s ex-premises in Gloucester, as I was told there was always a problem with birds pecking the asbestos-based roof.”
GNSThe cash’n carry warehouse where Anthony Jones workedDeadly: The cash and carry warehouse where Anthony Jones worked
Fibres: Pigeons pecking the asbestos roof were a constant problem
Daily Mirror Campaign Asbestos time bomb logoCall for action: The Daily Mirror has been running the Asbestos Timebomb campaign
A post-mortem on the bachelor, of Frampton on Severn, found 19,355 asbestos fibres per gram of dry lung tissue, a level consistent with work exposure.
Coroner Katy Skerrett recorded a verdict of death due to industrial disease and said: “It’s not the type of employment where you’d expect to be exposed to asbestos.”
The victim’s sister Margaret Ball, 72, said after the Gloucester inquest: “This dust was floating down on him all that time at work and seems that is why he got this terrible disease years later.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | May 6, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting
CASTLEHILL Church has been made secure ahead of a major clean-up inside.
The privately owned building has become a roosting place for hundreds of pigeons, who have been able to access the building via slats in the roof and gaps in the stained glass windows.
Following pressure from the public and Moray Council during the summer, owner Claire Love has employed John Still Steeplejacks of Aberdeen to carry out the task.
Neighbouring manse owner, Kay Ferrett’s family suffered more than most from an infestation of flies plaguing the west end of Forres High Street, believed to be coming from numerous bird carcasses and droppings inside the church.
“Work has started on pigeon removal and clean up,” confirmed Ms Love in a brief email to the ‘Gazette’.
Mrs Ferrett was able to see the size of the task for herself when she went inside with the contractors.
“It’s nuts,” she said. “I never thought it would be this bad!
“They gave me a surgical mask to wear and I was escorted inside via the basement entrance.
“What I saw was horrendous – I was shocked by the mess and overcome by the smell, even through the mask. There was so much excrement and dead pigeons everywhere.
“It’s absolutely covered in poo and pigeons so I’m not surprised there were so many flies in my house over the summer.”
John Still Steeplejacks, roofers, slaters and joiners, also deal with bird and pest control.
“Our job is to clear the church of wildlife then clean up any mess they’ve made,” said Mr Still.
“We have no specific time frame but we want to get it done as quickly as possible as we have other commitments to keep.”
Homes and businesses near the church endured an invasion of flies during the summer, many believe were a result of what was inside.
Having seen them for herself, Mrs Ferrett hopes the clean-up will stop a repeat.
“Once we got upstairs, apart from what was underfoot, I was overcome by the beauty of the hall. It’s such a shame that it has been allowed to get into the state it’s in now.
“I was upset to hear that the church owner did not stick to the time lines for the clean-up set by the local authority during the last few months
“Thankfully they’re dealing with it now but I’m told it will take a few months to clean up.”
Moray Council will not be taking any enforcement action.
“The owner appears to be complying with what was requested of her in terms of boarding up the windows etc to prevent birds getting in and cleaning up the mess,” said a spokesman. “Assuming the owner is doing everything that was asked of her, we will not be taking any action.”
Meanwhile, a collapsing wall on the west wing continues to pose a problem for the community. Youths previously accessed the building at that side before it was secured.
Mr Still warned that it continues to be an issue: “A lower flat roof inside on the west wing is dangerous,” he said. “Particularly if anyone was to stand on it.
“We plan to put warning signs up to warn folk.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | May 5, 2016 | Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
CARLSBAD — Flocks of feral pigeons have prompted the Carlsbad City Council to set a date on Jan. 12 to hear a new ordinance that would allow the city to eradicate the problem.
Introduced at Tuesday night’s city council meeting, the ordinance would prohibit the feeding and harboring of feral pigeons, and includes a section that defines pigeon-proofing.
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway said in an emailed statement that the city has received continuous complaints about large flocks of pigeons all across the city.
If this new ordinance were to be adopted then it would allow the city to reduce the feral pigeon population in the city.
Because pigeons not only cause damage to buildings and ventilation systems, but also can carry harmful diseases, the ordinance has some merit.
City officials said that pigeons carry many diseases, particularly found in their droppings, and they pose the risk of carrying fungus such as Histoplasmosis or the fungus Cryptococcis.
“Psittacosis is a rare bacteria, and pigeons may also carry mites and parasites,” a city news release said. “Pigeon droppings are (also) acidic and can damage buildings.”
Officials also cited sanitary concerns as another reason to introduce the ordinance.
Environmental Services Superintendent Richard Aguilar said that the large population of pigeons has not been an issue in Carlsbad until recently.
“Within the last two years, the population has doubled or tripled, due to the feeding,” Aguilar said in an email. “My understanding is one pigeon couple can result in a population of a few thousand after a few years.”
According to the city council agenda, “the most efficient long-term methods to control excess feral pigeon populations is to limit their access to food, shelter and nesting materials.”
The ordinance would define “feeding” as providing food to pigeons, meaning that any person intentionally feeding pigeons on public or private property would be in violation of the ordinance.We’re not trying to stop people from putting out a bird feeder, what we’re stopping is the excessive feeding that is causing this problem,” Aguilar said.
Janway said the ordinance will heard by the city council during the Jan.12 meeting and the council will then be able to vote on whether to adopt the ordinance.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | May 4, 2016 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
Who or what is killing birds in Utica’s downtown?
That is the question Matthew Perry, a Utica Peregrine Falcon Project founder, and others are trying to answer after members of the group found around 20 dead pigeons and other birds over the weekend.
“We’ve found several of the birds to have corn in their throats and in their bills and around their bodies,” Perry said Monday. “That is consistent with one of the pesticides that’s commonly used by licensed applicators and by people that have permission to use them in an area.”
That pesticide, Perry said, could be Avitrol, a poison used for nuisance pigeons and spread on whole corn.
But Perry warned it is too early to know exactly what is going on.
“We have to be really careful in what we’re saying here because we’re not absolutely positive that’s what’s happening,” he said. “It’s suggested by the way we’re finding these birds and the fact that no one seems to be reporting similar things across the area. In some cases it could be impact deaths. We might be finding birds that have smashed against windows.”
If it is Avitrol, Perry said the public should be careful if it comes across a dead bird downtown. He stressed that people should not handle the bird and that they should not pick any kernels without gloves.
The issue appears to have been going on for about three weeks, but now seems heightened, Perry said. Dead birds have been found from roughly Lafayette Street to Bank Place.
“Some people have reported around the city that they see these birds acting disoriented,” he said. “They’re hitting windows. So we’re really concerned that we might be too late.”
Deborah Saltis, a member of the Peregrine Falcon Project, spent part of her lunch break Monday looking for any downed or dead pigeons in the Hopper Street area.
She said of the roughly 20 birds found over the weekend, 18 were pigeons. Of those, 10 were found in the Hopper Street area and eight were found in other downtown locations.
“(Hopper Street) is one of the areas we found the most over the weekend, so I was rechecking it,” Saltis said. “There’s definitely something going on. Whether it’s inadvertent or on purpose, I don’t know.”
Another call came in early Monday, afternoon about half an hour after she first spoke to the O-D. That bird was found on Columbia Street, near the former Norm Seakan television and appliance store.
The state Department of Conservation has had cases referred to them, Perry said, and possibly the Oneida County Health Department. Some of the dead birds have already been dropped off at the DEC and are expected to be checked out by a pathologist and the corn samples tested, he said.
The DEC received reports last week of a number of dead pigeons spotted in the Utica area, said the DEC. On Friday, a wildlife technician secured four dead pigeons and they were sent to the department’s Wildlife Health Unit at the WildlifeResourcesCenter in Delmar, N.Y. for testing.
There was no timeline given for test results, the DEC said.
Melanie Adams with the county’s health department said that she had not been notified so she couldn’t say if the health department had been notified. If something was brought to the department’s attention, then they would notify the DEC.
There also is concern for how the city’s pair of peregrine falcons, who rely on pigeons and other birds as a main source of food, could be impacted, Perry said.
The falcons are “probably the best kind of pigeon control you can ever imagine,” he said, and can take more than 300 pigeons a year on average.
“We might not have the smoking gun for a while and this being a holiday weekend, I’m concerned that the first sign that there’s a problem might be a dead Peregrine,” he said. “That’s not what I would like to see.”
The Utica Peregrine Falcon Project was founded in 2012. The group has installed a nesting box outside of the 15th floor of the downtown AdirondackBankBuilding.
“Peregrine falcons only recently bounced back from the brink of extinction due to the widespread use of the pesticide DDT,” Perry said. “The species’ resurgence has been a testament to their own resilience as well as to the dedication of our society to be better stewards of the environment and to place a value on maintaining healthy, natural ecosystems.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
