by Ryan Ponto | Sep 12, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Pigeon Patrol's Services
DEAR JOAN: We hope you can advise us on a problem. We live in the city and have a metal, flat roof garden building that raccoons or opossums are using as a bathroom.
We also have a small wood utility shed — seldom used — that rats now call home. We have trapped some but in a few weeks, more move in. Any suggestions for a permanent fix on either problem, or is there one?
Lou Cobb, Livermore
DEAR LOU: The problem on your shed is likely raccoons. For some reason, they like creating latrines up off the ground.
It doesn’t really matter which one is doing it — either way, the stuff is toxic and you should be careful when removing it.
Wear gloves and a respirator, and bag up the poop for the garbage. To keep them off, try taking some coffee cans — do they even make those anymore? — or some sort of container. Punch several holes in the side of the container and put some rags soaked in amonia inside, then put the lid on. Set these on top of the roof.
As for the rats, people get very determined to kill them, but as you have experienced, there are plenty of others to take their place. You need to find where they are getting into the shed and then patch holes and block entrances.
Because the shed is wooden, it might be more difficult to keep them from chewing their way in. If that’s happening, consider putting siding or even metal flashing on the building to stop the gnawing.
You should also take a look at your yard and remove anything that makes it attractive to critters, including pet food left out over night, water bowls and heavy ground covers, especially ivy. Keeping them out of your yard is the first step to keeping them out of your shed and off your roof.
DEAR JOAN: I so enjoy your column but was quite dismayed today to see the letter from about using bird netting to stop skunks from digging.
I do hope the writer is using the wildlife-friendly netting instead of the standard netting that is available in most hardware stores. That type of netting can be deadly to to our local wildlife: birds, lizards, snakes and even bats can get tangled in the netting and are unable to escape, often injuring themselves.
At Lindsay Wildlife Experience, the aquatic garter snake, Ribbon, was a victim of that kind of netting. Some of his ribs were broken, making it impossible for him to survive in the wild. He serves as an animal ambassador, allowing our exhibit hall interpreters to tell his story so more people are aware of the dangers of standard garden netting.
I am writing as a concerned citizen and not as a representative of Lindsay Wildlife, although I do volunteer there and appreciate the opportunity to tell Ribbon’s story.
Marni Berendsen, Bay Area
DEAR MARNI: I was aware of the dangers of monofilament bird netting, but I didn’t think about it being a concern lying flat on the ground. But you are, of course, correct.
Creatures can become tangled in the netting, and if they are unable to free themselves, they can starve to death. They also can cut their mouths trying to chew through it, and break bones, as was the case with Ribbon, in their attempts at escape.
If you’re planning to use netting to protect trees, gardens or as a cover on lawns to prevent creatures from digging for grubs, look for types certified as wildlife safe.
Thanks for the reminder, Marni .
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 | Sep 11, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services
So much so, that any gulls in the area scatter in fear as soon as they get a glimpse of the black and white falcon.
“It’s all about the balance of nature,” said Everett, a falconer with Falcon Environmental Services.
“He’s a natural predator and the seagulls know that. When they see him, this area becomes unattractive to them.”
Hornblower Niagara Cruises has contracted services from Falcon Environmental Services for the past two years after it added food and beverage services to its lower deck along the Niagara River.
“Wherever you have an attraction, there’s typically gulls that follow the folks around follow the food and they can make quite the mess,” said Mory DiMaurizo.
When Hornblower first launched ed its food and beverage services, they also installed signs asking guests to not feed the birds.
When the pesky gulls continued to gather en masse on the deck area, staff looked for another solution to discourage the winged intruders and birds of prey have proven to be a highly effective yet non-invasive method of seagull control.
Bullet, a 10-year-old hybrid of a Saker falcon and a gyrfalcon, never has to leave his handler’s side. His presence alone is enough to deter the gulls.
“The birds don’t fly, he’s used as a deterrent and it’s 100 per cent effective,” DeMaurizo said. “The bird is there to create a bubble of awareness around us so that the gulls know this is not an area they want to go in.”
Everett and his raptor companion are also a hit with guests, who are eager to find out why they’re spending time at a tourist attraction.
“I’ve met some incredibly interesting people from all over the world,” he said. “I bet Bullet’s photo is on a lot of Facebook pages.”
DiMaurizo said the duo has been especially popular with international tourists.
“In the Middle East and Asia, falconry is a huge sport that many people are interested in.”
Based out of Alexandria, Ont., Falcon Environmental Services also provides bird control at several Canadian military bases as well as a number of landfill sites in New Jersey.
It has been in charge of wildlife management at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport for almost 20 years.
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 | Sep 10, 2016 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting
Dustin A. Duffy, 28, of San Angelo, was arrested on multiple charges after he ran from San Angelo Police Sunday evening, according to a news release.
Police were dispatched to the 3200 block of Guadalupe Street around 6:40 p.m. for the report of unwanted subjects on church property, according to the release. When officers arrived, Duffy, ran from police and jumped a fence at a residence in the 3200 block of San Antonio Street. Officers pursued and watched Duffy jump another fence into a neighboring backyard, according to the San Angelo Police Department.
Duffy was located hiding in a backyard next to a shed. He was taken into custody without incident, according to SAPD. Duffy was charged with two counts of criminal trespass, evading arrest detention with prior conviction, possession of controlled substance Penalty Group 3, and an outstanding parole violation warrant. He was transported to the Tom Green County Jail without incident.
The second subject, a 31-year-old San Angelo man, was cooperative and released from the scene, according to SAPD.
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 | Sep 9, 2016 | Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services
Summary: “Some Noida residents say that they have had to make tough lifestyle choices just to keep the pigeons at bay. “Residents say that pigeons are almost omnipresent in Noida, and the windowsills and air conditioners in high-rises are their preferred locations for building nests. “Others say they have had to give up on some of life’s little pleasures, like enjoying the cool breeze and rains, just to keep the pigeons away. I have had to repeatedly shoo them away from my AC and throw away new nests they build outside the windows. If you are living in a high-rise building in Noida, this must be all too familiar to you.
It’s a bright sunny morning. But before the alarm clock can wake you up, the noisy flapping of the pigeons on your ledge does. If you are living in a high-rise building in Noida, this must be all too familiar to you.
Pigeons might have been great for lovers in ‘Maine Pyaar Kiya’, but they’re a bit of a menace in Noida, and like every other illegal tenant, they are no fun to deal with. Noida’s high-rise-dwellers tell us the things they have to resort to in order to fight the ‘vermin of the sky’.READ ALSO: Stray dog bites irk Noida residents The pigeons have adopted the ‘survival of the fittest’ motto and begun to outsmart the residents’ attempts to ward them off. Aravind Sinha, a resident of a high-rise in Noida Extension, says, “The pigeons would camp outside my bedroom window and make a lot of noise, so my wife and I came up with a solution – throw a glass of water at them through the window.
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 | Sep 8, 2016 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting
Indian officials are so paranoid about Pakistan that they took a pigeon into custody on suspicion of espionage on Friday.
According to Indian media reports, investigators from the army and the state intelligence in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district were inspecting the bird which had a text resembling the Urdu language written on its wings.
The bird was handed over to police by a local who spotted the “suspicious text.
“11 digits and some Urdu text were written on its wings which after translation stood for ‘Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday,” said a police official.
In 2015, Indian authorities had captured what they claimed was a ‘spy’ pigeon from Pakistan.
Police in Chandigarh had claimed that the white pigeon bore markings in Urdu and a seal. The pigeon was taken to a local veterinary hospital for an x-ray but no clues were discovered establishing any links with Pakistan.
According to Indian media, the pigeon was flying in the border area during a meeting between Punjab Police and the Indian Army.
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)
