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Belgian racing pigeon sells for record £1.4million

Pigeon Patrol — Sat, 14 May 2022 18:48:54 +0000

A racing pigeon from Belgium has set a new world record after being sold for more than £1.4million.

New Kim, a three-year-old female, was initially put up for auction for just €200, but after a two-week bidding war she fetched a staggering €1.6 million.

During a frantic last half-hour, two Chinese bidders operating under the pseudonyms of Super Duper and Hitman drove up the price by £251,000 (€280,000). Super Duper submitted the winning bid.

The bird’s breeder and owner Kurt Van de Wouwer said he and his family were “in shock” at the news.Nikolaas Gyselbrecht, founder of Pipa auction house for racing pigeons, shows off the prized birdThe final total left the previous record set by fellow Belgian-bred bird, Armando, trailing behind by around £314,000 (€350,000).

Armando, who was nicknamed the “Lewis Hamilton of pigeons” for his racing prowess, was retired when he was put up for sale in 2019.

New Kim won a number of competitions in 2018 but has also now retired.

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.

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Top 5 Nuisance Birds In Northwest

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 27 May 2020 20:33:55 +0000

Here are a Top 5 Nuisance Birds In Northwest that could be affecting you.

1. PIGEONS.

Pigeons have earned the nickname “The Rat of the Sky,” and for good reason. They are quite dirty and often spread disease. They will nest in any place with a source of food nearby, and their nests can often lead to clogged gutters, blocked windows and other nuisances. Their waste can contaminate water and food supplies. Contact a pest management company if you need to remove a pigeon nest.

2. SPARROWS.

These birds are considered nuisances mainly because they are so vocal. Their song can be heard across a great distance and can be real early morning pain for homeowners. Sparrow droppings can also contain up to twenty-five different diseases, and their nests are often considered a fire hazard.

3. WOODPECKERS.

Northwest woodpeckers will damage wood surfaces often and easily. In nature, woodpeckers are a vital part of a healthy forest ecosystem. In urban areas, however, they can cause major damage to wooden structures such as homes and power lines.

4. STARLINGS.

Much like sparrows, starlings are highly vocal birds. They also travel in large flocks, and their numbers can overburden weak structures. Like pigeons, their waste can be corrosive to certain metals and alloys.

5. BATS.

It may seem counterintuitive, but you should think twice before considering bats as pests – they only come out at night and feed on mosquitoes, flies and other problem pests. However, they can also carry diseases, and having a bat in your home is definitely undesirable. The best way to get a bat out of your home is to call a professional pest control company – specifically one that offers humane bat removal services.

Source

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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.

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Pigeon Message That Saved A World War II Bomber Crew

Pigeon Patrol — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 01:29:46 +0000

Pigeon Message That Saved A World War II Bomber Crew

On 23 February 1942, a badly damaged RAF bomber ditched into the North Sea.

The crew were returning from a mission over Norway, but their Beaufort Bomber had been hit by enemy fire and crashed into the sea more than 100 miles from home.

Struggling in freezing waters – unable to radio an accurate position back to base – the four men faced a cold and lonely death.

But as the aircraft went down, the crew had managed to salvage their secret weapon – a carrier pigeon. The blue chequered hen bird, called Winkie, was set free in the hope it could fly home to its loft in Broughty Ferry, near Dundee, and so alert air base colleagues to their predicament.

During World War II, carrier pigeons were routinely carried by RAF bombers for this very eventuality, though in an era before GPS and satellite locator beacons, rescue was far from certain.

The pigeon was not carrying a message, but the RAF were able to calculate the position of the downed aircraft using the time difference between the plane’s ditching and the arrival of the bird – taking into account the wind direction and even the impact of the oil on Winkie’s feathers to her flight speed.

A rescue mission was launched and the men were found within 15 minutes.

Elaine Pendlebury, from the PDSA, said the carrier pigeon had been released as a “last ditch stand” when the crew realised they had no other options.

“I find it very, very moving really. These people would have died without this pigeon message coming through,” said Ms Pendlebury.

Winkie became the toast of the air base, with a dinner held in her honour. A year later, she became the first animal to receive the Dickin Medal – named after PDSA’s founder Maria Dickin – for “delivering a message under exceptional difficulties”.

More than 60 animals have since received the award, including 18 dogs, three horses and one cat. But pigeons still rule the medal roost, with 32 being given medals, all between 1943 and 1949.

Source

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.

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Pigeon smuggle, Caught by police!

Pigeon Patrol — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 01:26:01 +0000

Pigeon smuggle, Caught by police!

Colombian police say they have captured a carrier pigeon that was being used to smuggle drugs into a prison.

The bird was trying to fly into a jail in the north-eastern city of Bucaramanga with marijuana and cocaine paste strapped to its back, but did not make it.

Police believe the 45g (1.6oz) drug package was too heavy for it.

The bird is now being cared for by the local ecological police unit, officers said.

“We found the bird about a block away from the prison trying to fly over with a package, but due to the excess weight it could not accomplish its mission,” said Bucaramanga police commander Jose Angel Mendoza.

“This is a new case of criminal ingenuity.”

The pigeon is thought to have been trained by inmates or their accomplices.

Police said carrier pigeons had been used in the past to smuggle mobile phone Sim cards into the jail.

Source

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Why Aren’t Cities Littered With Dead Pigeons?

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 20:22:34 +0000

Why Aren’t Cities Littered With Dead Pigeons? Any fair-sized city in the United States is lousy with pigeons, hoovering up bread crumbs from public squares and head-bobbing so much they look like little Jay Zs groovin’ to some fresh beats. The favorite rumpus room of the pigeon, New York City, is thought to contain anywhere between 1 and 7 million of the flapping rats of the sky.

So where are the littered dead pigeons?

The short answer is in Pigeon Heaven (unless they’ve been bad birds, in which case they’re squawking in boiling pitch in Pigeon Hell). The long answer is that the life of a pigeon is brutal and short, and if they do make it to the end zone without something terribly unpleasant happening they tend to want to die away from all the cameras.

In the interest of clearing up this enduring urban mystery, I contacted a couple of bird experts to expand on the ultimate fate of Columba livia. The first is David Seerveld, a licensed wildlife-control specialist (not exterminator! That’s for bug guys) in Orlando, Florida. In the course of his work, Seerveld has dealt with a full deck of frightened and sometimes frightening animals, including scads of pigeons that have slipped past our defenses to penetrate the human domain.

A pigeon that leads a pampered life might make it to age 15 before croaking. But most rarely live that long—five years in the wild is typical. America’s cities are patrolled by an invisible battalion of predators, all of whom seem to enjoy a meal of fat pigeon breast with a side of filoplumes. “Even with a huge level development like in Washington, D.C. or Chicago, these cities still have plenty of trees,” says Seerveld.

Source

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Pigeon races up in the sky!

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 19:12:24 +0000

Pigeon races up in the sky!

Pigeon racers from far afield have their eyes on Tasmania.

Avid pigeon racers are trying to establish a contest that rivals the great long distance, cross water, pigeon races held around the world.

Experienced fliers, George Rettas and Alex MacDonald and other enthusiasts organised the ‘Conquer the Strait’ one loft race from Perth in northern Tasmania.

The idea of the ‘Conquer the Strait’ challenge is to test some of Australia’s best racing pigeons over one of the roughest stretches of water in the world.

The race was designed for the birds to fly over more than 500 kilometres from south western Victoria, including over 300 kilometres of Bass Strait.

And while an outbreak of the paramixovirus in Victorian pigeons curtailed the inaugural race in October 2011, a shortened race format over 220 kilometres from Woolnorth to Perth was held.

Pigeon racers from far afield joined the Tasmanian long distance enthusiasts who were out to prove they have the best birds on earth.

Source

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Controlling Pigeon Nuisance

Pigeon Patrol — Sun, 16 Feb 2020 23:12:47 +0000

Controlling Pigeon Nuisance

The common pigeon (Columba livia) that thrives throughout Missouri and most other states was developed from the European rock dove and introduced into this country as a domesticated bird. When these birds escaped captivity, they formed feral populations. Today, the pigeon is a nuisance and probably the most serious bird pest associated with human habitations.

Pigeons are commonly found around farmyards, grain elevators, feed mills, parks, city buildings, bridges and other areas that provide roosting, loafing and nesting sites. They are also a common sight around home bird feeders.

Problems caused by pigeons

Nuisance pigeon droppings on park benches, cars and buildings are not only unsightly and smelly but also corrosive, particularly to buildings. Large amounts of droppings also can kill vegetation.

Around farms, grain elevators and feed mills, pigeons consume and contaminate large quantities of grain.

Pigeons have been implicated in the transmission of diseases such as pigeon ornithosis, encephalitis and salmonella food poisoning. However, the actual incidence of transmission of diseases from pigeons to people is difficult to assess. Disease outbreaks that are directly attributed to pigeon flocks are rare.

Pigeon manure, if allowed to accumulate for several years, can harbor the causal agent of histoplasmosis, a systemic fungus disease that affects the human respiratory tract. In severe cases, histoplasmosis can be fatal. The external parasites of pigeons include various species of mites, fleas, ticks and bugs.

In addition to being a threat to human health, pigeons can be a threat to human safety, particularly around airports, where pigeon flocks have collided with aircraft, causing human fatalities.

To find out more

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.

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Dubai’s Pigeon problems. Rat with wings

Pigeon Patrol — Sun, 16 Feb 2020 22:50:51 +0000

Rat with wings in Dubai: Pigeons have become a nuisance in the city, leaving many residents exasperated.

These birds which have been breeding uncontrollably are messing up property with their droppings.

Building owners are having to hire pest-control firms to ward off these fast-breeding birds, they are like rat with wings.

Dr Elmahi El Tilib Gubran, pest control studies officer at Dubai Municipality’s Public Health Department, while describing pigeons as a “serious” problem, said it’s hard to put a figure to their numbers in Dubai, where it is illegal to cull pigeons.

Serious problems

“They cause serious problems on structures and are a real nuisance to get rid of,” said Dr Gubran, who added that the municipality traps them and gives them to a falcon hospital as feed.

With a plentiful supply of food, water and nesting perches, the city’s pigeon population has exploded in recent years. The problem prevails across the emirate, right from the residential districts of Karama, Bur Dubai and Deira, to the five-star hotels and industrial buildings in Jebel Ali and Jumeirah.

To deal with the problem, pest-control films have introduced a number of measures – from installing anti-roosting spikes on building tops, to the use of PVC (poly-vinyl chloride) netting and flying falcons to scare them away.

Pigeon droppings have been known to carry disease causing germs (see box on left). The droppings are acidic and can eat away at tar-based roofing, damage machinery, air conditioning systems and car paint work.

XPRESS went out with a team from Trap Pest Control, which uses nets and spikes for clients in the industrial areas of Jebel Ali as well as palaces.

Amin Jarrar, who runs the company, said: “We get calls from companies all the time asking to use our service. We don’t kill the pigeons because that is illegal, so all we do is move them on.”

One reason pigeons are widespread in places like Deira, Bur Dubai and Karama is that landlords are unwilling to invest in preventive measures, he said. “In Dubai, many tenants as well as property owners are coming and going all the time, so to invest in something like this is not appealing for them.”

Netting costs Dh75 per square metre and a metre of spikes costs Dh75. With spikes, the protruding pins make it impossible for pigeons to land, encouraging them to go elsewhere without them getting hurt.

Other pest-control companies treat problem areas with anti-pigeon spray that wards off the birds without harming them or other animals for up to a year after treatment.

While fake hawks and falcons are used in some UK cities to scare off pigeons, a Dubai company is using real falcons to do the job.

Al Hurr Falconry, based in Nad Al Sheba, uses 21 peregrine falcons – of which 14 constantly patrol the air in places like Jumeirah, while seven are used for breeding.

Battle in the air

David Stead, managing director of Al Hurr, describes the “battle” with pigeons as a “war of attrition”. Since his company was set up seven years ago, business has never been busier. “We get calls from people running five-star hotels to deal with pigeon droppings on their property,” said Stead.

“Pigeons are also one of the fastest birds in the air, and one of the few birds of prey that can catch them are falcons,” he said. “When pigeons see falcons, they go ballistic and scatter all over the place as they think they are going to be eaten. I’ve seen them almost fall to the ground in a desperate attempt to pick up speed and escape.”

Peregrine falcons can catch birds in the air and urban peregrines eat a lot of pigeons. Stead’s peregrine falcons, however, are trained to hover in the air for around a few minutes before returning to their handlers.

For their work to have a lasting effect, Stead and his team maintain a presence at the client’s buildings up to five days a week.

“It’s not a case of flying once and then leaving it,” he explained. “You have got to maintain an almost permanent presence around the building. You’ve got to make the pigeons think that the falcon lives in the area. That is the only way to get them to go away. ”

“Other countries have tried things like shooting the pigeons with air guns, but they alway return,” said Stead.

Methods to deal with them

Draping a PVC net across overhanging areas to prevent the birds from flying to a specific location.
Installing spikes on ledges or positions of walls and buildings to prevent pigeons from having a comfortable spot to rest on.
Setting up brown coloured balls on a piece of string to fool the pigeons into thinking it is a falcon. (no photo)

How other nations dealt with the issue:

Switzerland:

Had experimented with a pigeon contraceptive pill, but it was found to be ineffective in trials

and often was also eaten by fertile birds from other species, making it difficult to specifically target pigeons.

United Kingdom:

Although pigeons are tolerated at Trafalgar Square, in London, as a tourist attraction elsewhere companies have hired snipers to shoot the birds off buildings with airguns. Specially licensed pest controllers can also use narcotic-laced drugs to “knock out” the birds before the pigeon’s necks are dislocated.

United States:

Use of plastic models of birds of prey is popular but the effect of scaring off pigeons has been found to work only for a short period of time.

Birds of a feather

Pigeons are scared of peregrine falcons, who primarily eat birds they catch in the air.
Between the 16th and 18th centuries pigeon droppings were a highly prized fertiliser and considered far more potent than farmyard manure – so guards had to be stationed near pigeon houses to stop thieves from stealing it. In 16th century England, it was the only known source of saltpetre, an ingredient of gunpowder. In Iran pigeon houses were set up and used simply as a source of fertiliser for melon crops and in France and Italy it was used to fertilise vineyards and hemp crops.
Pigeons are gregarious and tend to be found in flocks of around twenty to thirty birds. Seeds and grains make up their diet.
A pigeon nest is usually constructed with small twigs and located on covered building ledges, well-hidden from view. The male brings the nesting material to his mate, one piece at a time.
Pigeons reproduce throughout the year and can raise four or five broods annually.
Pigeons can hear sounds at much lower frequencies than humans, such as distant thunderstorms and even far-away volcanoes, which may explain why pigeons sometimes fly away for no apparent reason.
Pigeons can fly up to 40 or 50 miles per hour and may travel as far as 600 miles a day. They can detect the Earth’s magnetic fields, which, along with the ability to tell direction by sun, seems to help them find their way home.

Source

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Do pigeons do any harm?

Pigeon Patrol — Sun, 16 Feb 2020 22:35:10 +0000

Do pigeons do any harm? – pigeons dropping are not only unsightly but are acidic and in large quantities can cause damage to buildings and machinery. Nesting material, droppings and feathers can also block gutters and air vents.

Public health – pigeons can carry diseases, some of which may do harm to people, for example if droppings contaminate food stuffs. As such their presence cannot be tolerated in and around food premises. They also carry mites which can cause skin disease and dust from their feathers can cause respiratory problems in confined spaces.

Accidents – pigeon droppings and food left down for pigeons can cause walkways and fire escapes on buildings to become slippery and dangerous. Startled flocks can take flight suddenly, causing hazards to motorists and pedestrians.

Other birds – large numbers of pigeons can force smaller birds away from feeding areas. The pigeons also spread disease to other birds, reducing their numbers.

Source

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fighting pigeons poop

Pigeon Patrol — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 08:14:38 +0000

problems on fighting pigeons poop

They’re feathered, but they’re not your friends. Pigeon droppings contain acids that can eat through the tiles on your roof. Also present are salmonella and the fungus that causes histoplasmosis, according to the Southern Nevada Health District, the problems on fighting pigeons poop…

“Fecal matter from any animal in significant quantities is certainly unhealthy,” says Vivek Raman, the district’s environmental health supervisor.

Here are few steps homeowners can take before calling a professional.

REMOVE ALL DROPPINGS AND NESTING MATERIALS

The scent of their own toilet will keep pigeons, and their buddies, coming back.

Before removal, wet droppings down with a disinfectant mix of one part bleach to nine parts water, either in a spray bottle or garden sprayer. Also, wear gloves and a respirator or very fine mask. If the material is caked on, a trowel may be required. Hose down the area afterward.

To fight pigeons: DON’T FEED THEM

Pigeons don’t need us to sit on a park bench with a bag of sunflower seeds. We’re also feeding them when we don’t seal the lids on our trash cans, and when we feed our dogs, cats or “cuter” birds in our backyards. (Pets make crumbs when they eat, and the ground beneath even “pigeon-proof” feeders makes for great foraging.)

On a related note, always use a protective cover after seeding your lawn.

fighting pigeons: DON’T HYDRATE THEM

Avoid watering during the day, when pigeons are awake. And bury all drip systems. Even the heavily chlorinated water in fountains, pools and spas will supply life-sustaining hydration — although it may sting Tweety’s eyes. For your pool and spa, keep at least six inches between the edge and the waterline to curtail dunking.

fighting pigeons:CHASE THEM OFF

Oliva recommends the “ball and key” method: shake your keys and hurl a tennis ball. Birds will learn to associate your property with a high sense of alarm. Squirts from your hose will work for birds on the roof.

“On the third day, you’ll think it’s not working,” Oliva says. “On the fourth day, they won’t show up.”

If the pigeons are already nesting, however, forget it.

fighting pigeons: SCREEN OFF EAVES

If climbing 20 feet up a ladder scares you less than a pest-control bill, find your eaves (the spaces between roofs that provide shelter from the sun, wind and rain).

Oliva does not believe in screens. However, the other two experts say they’re so effective, they should be erected even before pigeon problems develop.

Wire is available at any hardware store. But it needs to be heavy — at least 14 gauge, according to Gardner, because pigeons will push through thinner chicken wire.

Attaching it also is tricky. Screws need to go into the wood fascia, not the tiles. Otherwise, you can cause a leak in your roof and void your builder’s warranty.

fighting pigeons: SPIKES

They’re available for about $15 per short row at most larger nurseries and hardware stores. But they don’t work well. Pigeons can simply stand a few inches to the left or right. Adding insult to injury, some even use them to build nests.

fighting pigeons: MOTION-SENSOR SPRINKLER

These work, but pigeons can learn to avoid the area in which the water sprays. Installing them — including their feed hoses — all over one’s property and roof would be ridiculously unsightly and costly. (They’re $54.99 a pop at Star Nursery.)

fighting pigeons: TRAPS

These work, too, but bait seed will attract more birds to your property than the trap will capture.

In addition, you can’t just take your “jailbirds” somewhere and let them go, because they’ll fly right back to your/their home. (All pigeons are innately homing.)

BIRDBRAINED IDEASHere are some pigeon-removing strategies best avoided.

Fake owls: These must be a funny joke in the pigeon world. T.J. Broniecki of Summerlin Pest Control reports that birds often roost atop them. Even the ones that emit a motion-triggered hoot work only for a few days, according to Nevada Pigeon Control’s Nephi Oliva, for the same reason that pigeons often nest under air conditioners: Eventually, they learn that the intermittent noise is harmless.

Repellent: Polybutene gels work by making the roof sticky, which pigeons don’t like. The adhesive lasts about six months to a year.

Meantime, dust, dirt, droppings, feathers and dander are collected, making removal a maintenance nightmare.

Poison: Avitrol is the most effective, but none of the experts consulted by the R-J either uses or recommends it. It could poison other birds and animals — directly or by ingestion of the poisoned pigeons. And even the best-case scenario leaves you with carcasses that, if not all cleaned up, will lead to worse health problems. You’ll also be breaking the law, since obtaining, possessing or using Avitrol requires professional certification in all 50 states.

From Source

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 issues in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions.

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THE PIGEON ISSUE

Pigeon Patrol — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 07:34:38 +0000

THE PIGEON ISSUE

As one wanders through the great piazzas of Italy — the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Piazza San Pietro in Rome, and the Piazza San Marco in Venice — one cannot help notice the magnificent facades of government buildings and churches, the impressive works of sculpture in marble and bronze, and… the pigeons. They have become tourist attractions in their own right, and for a small fee one can buy a bag of seed and turn oneself into a human bird feeder. The end result is predictable. As food is more than ample, the birds do not leave but multiply (the incubation period for a pigeon egg is a scant 17 to 19 days), and seeking homes nearby, they settle and nest on statues and buildings in close proximity. In turn, the pigeon waste, often inches thick, eats away at their surfaces, causing irreparable damage.

First of all, let me not suggest that Italy is the only country to face serious pigeon infestation. London’s Trafalgar Square is home to an estimated 30,000 flying citizens. Mayor Ken Livingstone actually used pigeon reduction as a campaign platform, effectively planning to starve them out, though his efforts have been thwarted by an animal-rights group, the aptly named Pigeon Alliance Issue.

What to do? A controversial, and by no means long term, solution is to “eliminate” the problem itself, and in fact, more pigeon carcasses have be seen on the streets of Florence in the last year or two. And yet the sale of feed in the piazzas continues, perpetuating a rather cruel and pointless cycle.

Yet if one cannot eliminate the pigeons, it seems that the next best option would be to keep the pigeons off of the statues and buildings altogether. To this end, high-tech solutions, even ridiculous ones, have been sought. Following the technicolor restoration of Maderno’s facade of St. Peters in Rome for the 2000 Jubilee, an electrostatic system was installed to repel the birds. And in a ironic twist, the town of Assisi in Italy has followed suit. Yes, the basilica founded by St. Francis, the saint who preached to the birds, has installed electric wires to discourage pigeons from landing on the 13th century building. They’ve even gone so far as to enact an ordinance that forbids their feeding in public spaces.

Statues have also been given an electric jolt. Most notably, Benvenuto Cellini’s Perseus, which underwent a 3-year long, highly-publicized restoration, complete with video-installation and CD-rom, was returned to its original outdoor location in the Loggia dei Lanzi in 2001, complete with pigeon-deterring wires. These raised electrified braces have also been attached to nearby Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine, seemingly to no effect, since birds can still be found perched safely upon the desperate woman’s head. Clearly the aesthetic results are less than ideal, though in other cases riskier treatments have been applied, as in the case of the monument to Lord Nelson in Trafalgar Square, where the statue has been coated with what has been described as “anti-pidgeon gel”. At the very least, sculptures are covered with microcrystalline wax, as in the case of Bandinelli’s Giovanni delle Bande Nere, situated in the major pigeon colony of Piazza San Lorenzo, where the unfinished facade of the church has become some of the best avian real-estate in the city.

There are less-invasive alternatives. Protective netting can be mounted over architectural reliefs and the like to prevent occupation by birds. In Trafalgar Square, air horns have also been employed to scatter the animals, exchanging bird pollution for noise pollution.

In reality it seems that there are only two reasonable solutions to the pigeon issue. One has been implemented for quite some time, and is practical only in terms of sculpture, which is to move the originals inside. This not only has the benefit of “guano protection,” but also of preventing damage to works by other forms of environmental pollution. To have undergone the intensive restoration to the Perseus, only to subject it to the same conditions, is absurd, and only assures us that future interventions will be required, ad infinitum.

For architecture, the same solution cannot be implemented, but several protective measures seem feasible. For one, even if the complete cessation of pigeon-feeding has been deemed inhumane, at least the migration of the birds to a less urban area would suffice. In other words, should one want to feed the birds, it would be welcomed in a park, not a stones-throw from a major monument. And finally the caretakers of these monuments must commit to a plan of good old-fashioned washings on a regular basis, so that major, and inevitably harmful, interventions do not become necessary.

By Denise Budd from Source

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A Manx bird charity has spoken against Douglas

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 06:18:15 +0000

A Manx bird charity has spoken against Douglas Council’s move to ban mass feeding of wild birds throughout the town.

Manx Wild Bird Aid (MWBA) is calling for the council to follow guidance set out by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) on how to manage the pigeon population without leaving them to starve.It also raises concerns about home bird feeders being affected.The council is now seeking approval from Tynwald to amend the Douglas General Byelaws 2013, in particular bylaw 19, which relates to ’feeding of animals and birds’.It wants to extend the current prohibited feeding zone to cover the entire Borough of Douglas.

The current zone includes; Douglas seafront from the Bottleneck to the war memorial; Mona Terrace; Finch Road; Athol Street; Bridge Road; South Quay and Parade Street; plus areas on Prospect Terrace and Buck’s Road.Those caught flouting the bylaw would be given a fixed penalty notice.David Cole, a founding member of MWBA with his wife Barbara, doesn’t believe the bylaw would protect those who feed birds at home from being fined if a complaint is made against them.He said: ’The trouble is that Douglas Council says the bylaw doesn’t apply to people with bird tables in their gardens. A byelaw doesn’t have any exceptions.’In theory if someone says “the birds in your garden are annoying me” the bird feeder could be liable for a spot fine.’
Council leader David Christian said: ’The changes the council is proposing are not about targeting well-meaning householders who have bird tables or garden feeders in their gardens. This we applaud.
’It’s about putting enforcement measures in place to deal with irresponsible individuals who persistently mass-feed birds, especially seagulls.’This is a practice which attracts large concentrations of birds, causes widespread public nuisance and distress and encourages vermin.’It also places undue demands on the council’s street cleansing operations and compromises our efforts to project a positive image for Douglas.’Advice given by the DEFA to local authorities includes having designated feeding areas set up for members of the public to freely feed pigeons and other birds.

In the document ’Advice and Information on Pigeon Control’, it also suggests setting up artificial breeding facilities, which has been said to decrease pigeon populations by as much as 50%.This is achieved by removing eggs that have been laid inside the nesting boxes and replacing them with dummy eggs.We previously reported in May about the worrying decline of seabird populations across the island.A survey was carried out over two years by Manx BirdLife with its 2017-18 census revealing that eight seabird species have suffered significant declines, with population losses of up to 82%.hen asked about this, Mr Cole said: ’We have got to give gulls a helping hand, particularly when it’s cold or during breeding season. When we take away that option [of being fed] it’s going to have an affect on a number of birds.’
He added: ’We deal with sick and injured birds. If there’s a sudden stop in the feeding of birds then a lot of them are going to starve because of it. There’s a lot of distressed birds in the island already.’’Milly would be here’ had Glasgow hospital followed adviceA mother whose daughter died at Scotland’s largest hospital has said her daughter would be still alive had concerns about water contamination risks been addressed in time.Kimberly Darroch was speaking after a leaked inspection report into Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) revealed “high risks” in 2015.
Milly Main, 10, contracted an infection in 2017 while on the hospital campus.She was recovering from leukaemia at the Royal Hospital for Children.
The QEUH 2015 inspection report, which ranked infection control measures as “high risk” in several areas just two days after the hospital opened, was passed to Labour MSP Anas Sarwar by whistleblowers. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) insisted the hospital campus had a “safe and effective water supply” and all inspection reports had been acted upon.

Warning of ‘high risk’ to water supply at hospitalHospital infection spiked at time of child’s deathMs Darroch told BBC Scotland on Thursday night: “I’m shocked with the information that came out today. The fact that they’ve known since since 2015, it’s absolutely disgusting that nothing was done about it and no action was taken and the hospital was still opened.

“I believe Milly would still be here if action had been taken. I’ve no doubt in my mind that Milly would be sitting beside me, right now.”There is no words to describe that pain of knowing that if things had been different, that if things had been sorted with the water, she would still be here.”I think the health board needs to be held to account for the mistakes that they made.”
She added: “We wouldn’t have been made aware of any of this if it wasn’t for the whistleblower coming forward.”I think there will continue to be shocking revelations for the foreseeable future.”
Kimberly Darroch said the leaked report had “shocked” herA spokesperson said the Scottish government was “examining in detail” the separate material Mr Sarwar had highlighted.
They added: “We want to ensure that all families who have been affected can get the answers that they are clearly entitled to and the health secretary has given her personal assurance that she will ensure this happens.”We are committed to making sure that these matters are dealt with transparently and with clear accountability, which is one of the reasons the health secretary has instructed a public inquiry in these matters to be chaired by Lord Brodie.”Ms Darroch said she was “very angry” and felt the health board had swept the case “under the carpet”.
A hospital complaints manager had contacted her on Thursday but she had not received an apology, she said.
Milly, who had leukaemia, underwent a successful stem cell transplant in July 2017 and was making a good recovery when the following month her Hickman line, a catheter used to administer drugs, became infected. Milly went into toxic shock and died days later.
Her death certificate lists a Stenotrophomonas infection of the Hickman line among the possible causes of death but Ms Darroch says the family were kept in the dark about a potential link to contaminated water problems at the hospital.

A spokeswoman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “We are very sorry for the ongoing distress that has been caused to Ms Darroch and we want to provide parents with as much support as possible.”We are in contact with Ms Darroch and would like to meet her to answer her questions if she would be happy to do that.”
The Legionella assessment was carried out by private contractor DMA Water Treatment two days after the hospital openedIn the Scottish Parliament, Mr Sarwar said he had seen figures which suggested there were 50 cases of infections at the Royal Children’s Hospital – part of the £842m QEUH campus – between 2015 and 2018, and a further 15 unconfirmed cases so far this year.

ressed on the warnings at first minister’s questions, Nicola Sturgeon said she was determined to get the “answers parents deserve”.The documents seen by Mr Sarwar show that NHS Estates commissioned three separate independent reports into the water supply at the QEUH.
The first Legionella assessment, carried out by private contractor DMA Water Treatment on 29 April 2015 – two days after the hospital welcomed its first patients – categorised the management of the bacteria as “high risk” because there was “significant communication issues between the parties” responsible for managing the risk.
The problem of contaminated water is one of a number to beset the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) and the adjoining Royal Hospital for Children.

Last year, two cancer wards at the children’s hospital were shut because of concerns about infection, and children were moved to the QEUH instead. An inquiry by Health Protection Scotland later identified 23 potential water supply-linked infections during 2018.In January it emerged two patients at the QEUH had died after contracting an infection linked to pigeon droppings.

City to remove hundreds of tonnes of pigeon poop from Sid Buckwold BridgeSaskatoon has a pigeon poop problem. A heavy one.

Since it opened in 1966, a flock of around 1,500 pigeons has called the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge home. Over the last five decades, the city estimates that 348 tonnes of pigeon droppings have accumulated in the crevices and cavities of the 183-metre bridge.

Now, as part of a two-year plan to rehabilitate the concrete river crossing, the city is preparing to spend around $800,000 on specialized contractors who will capture and euthanize the pigeons, then manually remove 53 years worth of their feces.The next step will be to ensure pigeons can’t return, because the feces adds significantly to the bridge’s dead load and the uric acid in the droppings can eat into concrete and rebar, according to the city’s general manager of transportation and construction.

The droppings weigh as much as 232 mid-sized cars — within the limits for which the bridge is rated, but a potential concern should nothing be done, Angela Gardiner said Friday in an interview. Large piles of pigeon droppings also have potential health implications.
“There’s no immediate concern about the integrity of the bridge; it’s just the long-term potential that it could cause over a number of years and decades,” she said, adding that there is no indication the uric acid has damaged the bridge’s structure.
The city expects the work to begin next week. The first phase — trapping and euthanizing the birds — is slated to last about six weeks, while the “labour-intensive” cleaning is likely to continue through the summer and into the fall, Gardiner said.
Once the bridge is clean, the city plans to install barriers to ensure pigeons can’t return to the cavities and utility conduit under the span. Gardiner acknowledged that it’s impossible to completely eliminate the pigeons, but said the city will do what it can to keep them away.
While the city plans to keep an eye on its other major pieces of infrastructure, the Buckwold Bridge is thought to be particularly hospitable for pigeons. The city’s other bridges offer the birds far fewer opportunities to nest.
Pigeons are well-known pests that damage private property as well as municipal infrastructure. They are also thought to be among the most destructive; few other species are capable of causing as much damage.
“This job comes with a lot of new and unique things. Each project is different. We were aware there were pigeons (and) an issue with this bridge. But the extent of it is a lot bigger than I thought anyone anticipated,” Gardiner said.amacpherson@postmedia.com

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.

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Stop the pigeons!

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 06:13:28 +0000

Stop the pigeons! Birds fed birth-control drug at SkyTrain station to reduce population

Pigeons can seem pretty innocuous in the city, but according to TransLink, the birds can cause all kinds of problems along the SkyTrain system. Now, along with the BC SPCA, TransLink is testing a birth control drug on the birds to reduce the population. To start, there’s the issue of poop. CBC News first reported in December that pigeon droppings had dogged the transit authority as it prepared to open a new platform at the Commercial-Broadway station. TransLink has a poopy pigeon problem on its hands at new Expo Line platform

The problems don’t just revolve around the nasty mess. According to TransLink, pigeons can interfere with the transportation system, causing SkyTrain delays when they trigger track intrusion alarms, and automatic brakes are activated. TransLink has tried to discourage the birds from roosting in its stations. The spikes installed along perches didn’t do it. Nor did low-voltage strips or netting. According to TransLink, a falconer has been hired to make the rounds at pigeon-plagued stations to scare off the birds. But according to spokesperson Jill Drews, what’s needed is a long term solution. Along with the BC SPCA, TransLink is testing a feeding system that distributes corn laced with a contraceptive called OvoControl. Sara Dubois, chief scientific officer with BC SPCA shows the feeding unit placed at the VCC-Clark SkyTrain station. (Michaële Perron-Langlais/CBC) The drug has to be eaten daily to keep the pigeons from laying fertilized eggs, and its effects are reversible.”We’re going to be working with the SPCA here at VCC-Clark for a few weeks and determine the effectiveness and hopefully roll out the feeders at other stations soon,” said Drews.

‘Disruptive and inconvenient’: Granville SkyTrain station escalator shutdown to last 2 years According to Sara Dubois, chief scientific officer with BC SPCA, the drug breaks down in the pigeons’ blood stream and won’t affect any predators that may eat the birds, nor any mammals in the area. “It’s safe; it’s not toxic. It was approved by Health Canada last year. We’ve been waiting for several years for it to come to Canada,” said Dubois. Pigeons seem harmless, but according to TransLink they’re a big problem. Their droppings make a mess of transit platforms, and they can trigger intrusion alarms, causing trains to automatically brake, leading to delays. (Rafferty Baker/CBC) “The goal’s not to get rid of pigeons, the goal is to manage the pigeon situation to the point where it’s not causing problems for TransLink,” she said. Dubois said the results of the pilot program will be carefully tracked, both in terms of whether the birds are consuming the drugged food, but also the number of track intrusion alarms set off by pigeons. Drews said that people are partly to blame for the number of pigeons around SkyTrain stations.

“We would like to tell our customers that we would really like it if they stop feeding birds near our stations,” she said. “It isn’t good for the pigeons — they’re best off to find their own natural food — and it isn’t good for our customers, because it caused delays and unsightly health hazard mess in our stations.” With files from Michaële Perron-Langlais. Follow Rafferty Baker on Twitter: @raffertybaker

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.

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Sick pigeons downtown might have been poisoned

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 06:10:16 +0000

Sick pigeons downtown might have been poisoned: Salthaven West A local wildlife organization is concerned about the number of sick pigeons it’s finding in Regina’s downtown.

Megan Lawrence, director of rehabilitation for Salthaven West, said her organization is frequently called for reports of pigeons in distress.

She said Salthaven has been dealing with the birds for years now and fears they might have been poisoned.

“On average we’re seeing a poisoned pigeon every two to three weeks,” she said, adding those numbers increase in the summer. “It’s not a very humane death. Their temperature skyrockets; it can be a very painful death.” “By the time we receive them, they’re having violent seizures,” she said. “The only thing we can do to get rid of the poison in their system is basically flush it out.”

Lawrence said she’s heard that some businesses downtown may be using poison in order to detract the birds from congregating on rooftops and other roosting points on buildings. However, she wasn’t able to offer any proof for her claims or pinpoint specific businesses and said she hasn’t spoken to any business owners herself. The Leader-Post contacted some downtown businesses to see how they control the pigeon population. None of the businesses who responded said they use poison or have had an issue with pigeon overpopulation.

Salthaven West director of rehabilitation, Megan Lawrence, stands with a Swainson’s hawk in Regina on April 16, 2015. Lawrence believes pigeons in Regina’s downtown are victims of poisoning.

Kevin Lang, building manager for the Ramada Plaza located on Victoria Avenue, said while he has inquired with pest control companies about using poison to stop pigeons from roosting on the hotel’s roof, he’s never used it. “I’ve been told … it affects the other (types of) birds,” he said. “(If) you put poison out, it can be consumed by anything that lands on our roof, which is not environmentally friendly.” Instead, the hotel uses cages to keep them out. He said without them, pigeons can get into ventilation equipment and leave feathers in the rooftop coils.

Lawrence said if pigeons ingest poison, they aren’t the only ones who suffer. Animals who eat pigeons could be affected. “If a Peregrine falcon was to eat one of those pigeons that had ingested the poison, the falcon is also going to get the poison and perhaps die as well,” she said. Half of the pigeons they receive, she said, end up dying.

Salthaven’s most recent call to assist a pigeon was Wednesday evening. That one ended up dying. The organization doesn’t usually have pigeons tested to see what specific poison is making them sick, but it’s considering sending that one in for testing. Lawrence believes the pigeons may be ingesting Avitrol, a bird control product she said is used in cities across Canada.

“It’s very common … to control pigeon populations this way,” she said. “It’s likely (because) it’s cheap and easy.” In an email, the City of Regina said it doesn’t have a pigeon control program and doesn’t monitor pigeon populations. On its website, the makers of Avitrol say the product “causes behaviours similar to an epileptic seizure.”

“Birds eating the treated bait will emit distress signals used by their species when they are frightened or injured,” the website says. “This will frighten the flock and cause it to leave the site.”

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.

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An Aerial view The City’s downtown core in Regina,

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 06:07:55 +0000

An Aerial view The City’s downtown core in Regina, SK. on Thursday, August 22, 2013. Salthaven West director of rehabilitation, Megan Lawrence, believes some downtown businesses may be putting out poison to deter pigeons. Several Regina pest control companies contacted by the Leader-Post said they do offer Avitrol, but it can only be administered in commercial and industrial areas and isn’t for retail sale. A trained pest control employee must administer it.

Instead of poison, Lawrence recommends removing structures where pigeons could roost and screen off air conditioning units where they might drink water from. Bristling wires, which prevent pigeons from landing, can also be purchased from a pest control retailer and installed.“If they’re up on the roof and you start seeing them build nest, remove all nesting materials,” she said. “The more times that happens they’re going to realize this isn’t a place (they can) nest.”

Saskatoon woman says people may be using neurotoxin to poison local pigeons

A Saskatoon woman who helps restore injured birds to health is calling on the City of Saskatoon to help curb a trend she says concerns her. Jan Shadick runs Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation. She says that since Jan. 1, people have called her about 35 dead pigeons.

Rate of ‘kidnapped’ baby hares a concern in Saskatoon Based on the symptoms described, Shadick says she “strongly suspects” most of those birds were poisoned.

“The pigeons are convulsing. They’re having seizures,” she said. “One woman contacted me about a dead pigeon in her yard. I think it was in a flower pot and she was concerned because her dog goes out in the yard.” “It’s an animal. It’s a life. And I don’t think it should suffer,” said Shadick. (Guy Quenneville/CBC) Shadick said she believes a particular neurotoxin used to repel birds is to blame. In a public letter to city councillors, she said Saskatoon Light and Power has used that neurotoxin in the past. Brendan Lemke, the acting director of Saskatoon Light and Power, said, “SL&P does not use poison to kill pigeons in or around its substations. “It has, in the past and consistent with best practices, retained the expertise of pest control experts which have used widely accepted chemical repellents for pigeon control, but SL&P has not used those products or services since 2017.” Shadick wants the city to ban use of the product by anyone in the city.

“It’s an animal. It’s a life. And I don’t think it should suffer,” Shadick said Thursday as she grasped a dead pigeon wrapped in a plastic baggie.

Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Environment said it has not granted a permit for the use of the neurotoxin and would only do so “in exceptional circumstances.”

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.

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Feeding pigeons in Vegas can now net you a $1000 fine and six months behind bars

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 05:56:17 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A unanimous vote has officially made it illegal to feed the pigeons in public in the City of Las Vegas.

Ward 1 councilwoman Lois Tarkanian sponsored the bill. She said the city received numerous complaints about pigeon problems, and it came down to a health issue. Their droppings, she says, can be toxic and can even carry diseases.

News 3 spoke with a pest control expert who explained that when people feed pigeons, more pigeons will show up and expect food at that location. they flock there, reproduce, and thus create more waste.

Meanwhile, the expert says, that food source disappears, but the pigeons don’t necessarily leave. As a result, the street feeders have created a problem for the pigeons.

This may sound like a silly crime — but there are similar laws in place in Henderson and in Clark County.

It does bring up the question — how does the city plan on enforcing it?

Well, if you’re caught feeding them on the streets, there is a chance you’d be reported to the city.

Violators of the new pigeon law could face fines up to $1,000 and even up to six months behind bars.

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.

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The City of Saskatoon says it has stopped poisoning pigeons

Pigeon Patrol — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 23:46:19 +0000

The Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services on Monday reviewed a report prepared in response to a request by Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation.

The centre asked the city to stop using the neurotoxin, saying it’s an inhumane way to control pests.

Around 2,300 pigeons put down, 635,000 kg of feces cleaned from Saskatoon bridge

According to a description on Avitrol’s website, the product works by causing “behaviours similar to an epileptic seizure.”

“This may include flying erratically, vocalizing, trembling, dilation of the pupils and other symptoms,” the description says.

Witnessing these behaviours can encourage unaffected birds to leave a location.

“Flocks can be frightened away from sites little or no mortality.”

According to the report, Avitrol is no longer used in other cities including Halifax, San Francisco and New York.

The committee heard how in the past the city used Avitrol to remove pests, but currently there are no sites where the city or its contractors are using the poison.

However the city does not have anything in writing that bans private use of Avitrol.

City hall to pursue pest management strategy for Saskatoon

Concern is raised over the city’s use of neurotoxins to control pigeon populations

PHIL TANK, SASKATOON STARPHOENIX

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.

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Canadian woman battling crippling disease caused by pigeon poop

Pigeon Patrol — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 18:58:32 +0000

Canadian woman battling crippling disease caused by pigeon poop

PETER POWER – THE GLOBE AND MAIL

In the span of a few weeks, Erica Richards has been transformed from a vibrant 23-year-old woman who loved nature to a person battling for her life.

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.”

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.

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New study reveals deadly bacteria carried by Pigeons

Pigeon Patrol — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 18:35:06 +0000

BioMed Central

A sampling of pigeons captured on the streets of Madrid has revealed the bacterial pathogens they carry. Researchers found two bugs that were highly prevalent in the bird population, Chlamydophila psittaci and Campylobacter jejuni, both of which cause illness in humans.

Fernando Esperón from the Animal Health Research Center, Madrid, Spain, worked with a team of researchers to analyse blood and enema samples taken from 118 pigeons caught using gun-propelled nets.

He said, “the present study demonstrates the extremely high prevalence of two zoonotic pathogens in feral pigeons in Madrid. At the same time, infection with these pathogens did not appear to be associated with any harmful clinical signs in the birds themselves. This leads to the hypothesis that pigeons act as asymptomatic reservoirs of Chlamydophila psittaci and Campylobacter jejuni. These birds may therefore pose a public health risk to the human population.”

Chlamydophila psittaci was found in 52.6% of the pigeons captured, while Campylobacter jejuni was present in 69.1%. Although there have been few reports of disease transmission between pigeons and humans, it can occur by aerosols, direct contact or indirect contact through food and water contamination.

According to Esperón, “Thermophilic Campylobacter species are considered the primary pathogens responsible for acute diarrhea in the world. In fact, in many countries such as England and Wales, Canada, Australia and New Zealand Campylobacter jejuni infection causes more cases of acute diarrhea than infection by Salmonella species.”

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.

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“Dirtiest Hotel in America” Looks to Clean Up

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 18:30:24 +0000

Dirtiest Hotel in America” Looks to Clean Up

A day after being dubbed the filthiest in America, a Tennessee hotel is pledging to clean up.

The Grand Resort Hotel & Convention Center was ranked the filthiest hotel in America, according to ratings compiled and released by the travel review site TripAdvisor.

The historic Smoky Mountains hotel in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., was graded “terrible” by 161 of 224 reviewers on the site. Twenty-six called it “poor” and 15 gave it an “average” grade.

But CEO and General Manager Nicky Darrell Chaney said he has already fired one manager, hired a new maintenance manager and new head of housekeeping, and is in the process of using a new sanitizer to clean the rooms, reports CBS affiliate WVLT in Knoxville.

“We knew we had some problems, and we’ve started to work on these problems,” said Nicky Chaney, President and CEO of the company that runs the hotel. Chaney took over operations in December and vows to restore their public image.

“I fired one of the managers, I hired new maintenance, and new housekeeper,” he said. “We’re proud of what we’re doing now, and were excited about where we’re going to be in the next few weeks.

Chaney took over just last month as president and CEO of KMS Enterprises, which runs the Grand and several nearby properties owned by hotel magnate Kenneth M. Seaton.

“This is an issue the company is taking very seriously,” Chaney said a statement Tuesday.

Seaton also is a defendant in a civil lawsuit alleging sexual harassment of two former housekeepers hired to work in KMS hotels, the Sentinel reports.

Meanwhile, the Grand will have to keep making changes to stay ahead of negative reviews – and the unwanted spotlight following the TripAdvisor “award.”

“This is a nasty place, would not let my dog sleep there,” reviewer LaFolettePat wrote last week under the headline “health inspector please.”

JordynC’s assessment: “If you are looking for a hotel with: pubic hair stuck to the bathroom floor in some unidentifiable, gelatinous liquid; chewing tobacco spit oozing down the halls and corridors; spiders actively making webs in every corner of your room; carpeting so greasy and dirty you wouldn’t want to sit your luggage down – let alone walk around barefoot; dingy bedsheets and towels as rough and thin as sandpaper; and a room so putrid and smelly it causes a gag-reflex when you walk in… by all means, stay at The Grand Resort.”

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.

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