by Ryan Ponto | Oct 28, 2016 | Bird Netting
Researchers at the University of Ghent have isolated Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 4 (PT4), an important human pathogen, from a population of feral pigeons in Brussels.
Salmonella enterica infections in pigeons are generally associated with pigeon-adapted strains of serovar Typhimurium that are of little public health concern. A high prevalence of 33% of Salmonella Enteritidis in Brussels combined with dense pigeonpopulations suggest that feral pigeons may constitute a significant, but unrevealed reservoir forcontracting salmonellosis in the urban environment.
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 Ryan Ponto | Oct 27, 2016 | Bird Netting
A council is still fighting a long-term war with pigeons over the blight of droppings in the town.
Members of Mold Town Council are still looking into humane ways to deal with pigeons in the town centre, especially in the Daniel Owen square.
During a meeting of the council, members were told that several options were being explored to deal with the scourge.
Cllr Phil Thomas questioned whether the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds should be contacted to advise the best way to deal with the birds.
Cllr Chris Bithell added: “We have had offers from one of the pigeon farriers, who is prepared to come and give us advice on how to tackle this issue in a bird friendly way.
”I don’t think we should lose sight of this and it is a long term problem which is not going to go away.”
Minutes from a meeting of the town council’s community, development and regeneration committee, held earlier this month, also included details of the ongoing problem.
It said: “Pigeons within the town, especially around the Daniel Owen Square area, were still causing issues with regards to droppings on the benches and pavements.
”Streetscene were now cleaning the benches on the square once a week to help reduce the problem.
”A number of humane deterrents had been looked into but not considered suitable.
”The town manager has contacted Flintshire Council regarding placement of spikes on the roof of the town hall and was awaiting reply.”
The debate is the latest in a string of conversations about how to tackle the problem, with the introduction of birds of prey and dishing out fines for people feeding pigeons all being considered.
Earlier this year, the Mold Invitation Homing Society was invited to meet with the council to discuss the problem of pigeons fouling in the town centre after it raised concerns about plans to introduce falcons and hawks.
Last year the council considered whether it should ban people feeding birds in the Daniel Owen Square in Mold, which had just undergone a £500,000 revamp.
Mr Hill said at the time the council had been exploring using a Public Spaces Protection Order to deal with issues of anti-social behaviour and could include the issue of bird feeding.
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 Ryan Ponto | Oct 26, 2016 | Bird Netting
A retired worker man has been scrupulously looking after a pigeon that was born blind in the Black Sea province of Amasya.
Halil Kuru, who lives in Amasya’s Taşova district, carries the blind pigeon named “Pamuk” (Cotton) everywhere he goes. He expressed his affection for pigeons and said that he loved keeping pigeons from a young age.
Kuru keeps the pigeon in a cage he built in his garden and looks after 10 other pigeons too. The man feeds the bird himself, as it is unable to eat by itself.
“I like keeping and taking care of it, it’s not hard to do this. Everyone can keep a healthy bird, but it’s extra important to take care of a disabled bird. I show motherly affection and support it to survive, however I struggle to keep it alive. If I hadn’t showed it enough attention, it would have been dead by now. I cannot go to town because of Pamuk, but if I have to, I take it with me wherever I go, there is no one at home who could look after it, my wife is working, and my daughter goes to school,” he said.
He said the biggest problem they face were cats that prey on pigeons. “I have other pigeons too, but I love Pamuk the most. I feed it and put its cage with the other pigeons when I’m out, and the first thing I do is feed him when I come back home.”
Kuru said Pamuk was now a member of their family.
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 Ryan Ponto | Oct 25, 2016 | Bird Netting
A 50-year-old Israeli traveler returning from Germany was stopped Tuesday afternoon at Ben Gurion Airport attempting to smuggle six live pigeons in his suitcase, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement.
The pigeons are of a rare Uzbek species and are worth about €100 each. They were tied up inside three shoe boxes inside the man’s suitcase, which was tagged with a label showing it belonged to a disabled passenger in an attempt to avoid raising suspicion.
That plan did not work out, however, and the Agriculture Ministry and Tax Authority employees at the Israeli international airport were able to thwart the somewhat unusual smuggling attempt.
The inspectors concluded that the pigeons had been brought in without the mandatory veterinary health certificate, and had not undergone the necessary examinations required to import birds into Israel. The Agriculture Ministry statement said the birds posed a health threat to Israel’s citizens and its wildlife.
The suitcase in which rare Uzbek pigeons were hidden, during a smuggling attempt thwarted at Ben Gurion Airport. The bag had a disabled luggage tag in order to avoid suspicion. (Agriculture Ministry)
The passenger also failed to obtain an import license from the Veterinary Services at the Agriculture Ministry or approval from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, as required by law.
The inspectors also highlighted the inhumane conditions suffered by the pigeons during the flight. They were crammed into the small boxes and tied up in a net, without ventilation, water or food.
The man was detained and taken for questioning. He said his paperwork was lost on the way, but no record of an import license was found in the systems. A legal case has been filed against him.
The pigeons were immediately taken to a facility belonging to the Veterinary Services to receive food and water. After their recovery they are expected to be returned to Germany, after it was ascertained that they would be taken care of there.
“Animals arriving from abroad without the required health certificates and licensing might bring with them diseases which could endanger both public and animal health in Israel, and might even cause death,” said Tzvika Avni, chief veterinary doctor at Ben Gurion Airport. “The importation of birds without the required health certificates endangers public health by running the risk of spreading avian influenza, while also endangering the health of animals in Israel by running the risk of spreading avian influenza or Newcastle disease.”
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 Ryan Ponto | Oct 24, 2016 | Bird Netting
An epic report for the LH Martin Institute by former senior public servant Mark Warburton makes for exceptionally interesting reading. He doesn’t just have a unique perspective on policy, he also has some very valid and courageous ideas about the future. Warburton also isn’t afraid of setting the cat among the pigeons: he reckons the government’s mantra of cost blow outs under the demand driven system are a little myopic and self-serving because a series of budget cuts have kept the budget — as a proportion of GDP — pretty stable at 0.8 per cent of GDP since 2000. However, Warburton joins the conga line of experts voicing their escalating concerns about the disparity between higher education funding and policy and that of vocational education. Warburton argues post-school education financing should be completely overhauled, with vocational and higher education treated similarly and all courses backed by government subsidies as well as the unified loan scheme. He even has some pretty well developed ideas for HECS.
More please
HW often bemoans the state of independent higher education policy analysis. So we doff our cap to LH Martin for backing weighty reports such as this, and also the series of articles on funding by Frank Larkins and Ian Marshman.
Race day
While Victoria shut down for the race that stops the nation on Tuesday, Melbourne University was hard at work. It appears the public holiday was traded years ago as part of an enterprise bargaining round. Besides, the race always falls in the middle of exams. And so it was that students were lining up to sit exams as the rest of Melbourne was falling over in their stilettos at Flemington.
Race daze
One VC admitted to HW he had attended the Melbourne Cup just once. “That was enough. Unless you like hanging around a lot of people drinking champagne and watching TV, there’s not much point to it,” he said. HW couldn’t agree more.
Concerning times
Turkey’s state-run news agency says 10,130 more civil servants have been dismissed for alleged ties to terrorism while 15 mostly pro-Kurdish media outlets also have been shut down. Academics are among the most targeted, with 1267 academics being dismissed from universities.
Turkey declared a state of emergency following the July 15 coup attempt allowing the government to rule by decree.
Welcoming times
Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Graham Quirk will hold a giant party for 700 international students tonight. “The ceremony allows Brisbane to showcase itself as one of the world’s most welcoming and friendly cities for international students,” the press gumph says. The party comes as international education market research firm StudentMarketing estimates that a destination realises $14.4 million in economic impact, and 300 full time jobs, for every 1000 students it hosts. The report says part of the impact is derived from overseas students, along with their family and friends, making repeated return visits not just to the city but the region. It says that more than a third of students would like to stay and work following graduation. of student travellers wish to stay, work, and live in the destination after graduation.
Speaking of which
The government has this morning announced the names of 3000 students, researchers and professionals from 67 tertiary institutions who have been awarded Endeavour scholarships, fellowships and mobility grants.
Appointment
ANU has appointed ecologist Saul Cunningham as the new director of the Fenner School of Environment and Society. Formerly a principal research scientist with CSIRO Land and Water, Cunningham’s research focuses on how biodiversity might best be maintained in landscapes that are modified by humans. He is known for his work on pollination ecology, from native plants to crops, and from wild pollinators to managed honeybees. Cunningham will take up the role in January, succeeding Steve Dovers, who is stepping down after leading the school since 2009.
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)
