by Pigeon Patrol | Aug 6, 2014 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
A day after more than 50 pigeons were found dead in Nehru Rose Garden under mysterious circumstances, the post mortem report said ‘electrocution’ is the reason behind the deaths.
Municipal Corporation got post mortem done from Government Veterinary Dispensary, Haibowal. The report was out on Saturday which said that ‘even healthy birds have died showing symptoms of electrocution.’
Talking to Newsline, A S Sekhon, health wing incharge of MC, said, “Postmortem has confirmed that reason behind death was electrocution. “It has been found through the colour of the birds after death and absence of injuries.
“The report adds that entire internal functioning stopped suddenly which is not at all a possibility unless something happens like electrocution. Also majority of birds that died were healthy.” He added that MC was able to recover around 25 dead birds and post mortem was performed on three of them.
Also since, there was no wire or pole near the spot, thunderstorm is being suspected as reason of electrocution. On Thursday night, the city witnessed hailstorm and thunderstorm.
Morning walkers at Nehru Rose Garden were in for a horrendous surprise on Friday morning when carcass of numerous pigeons were scattered all around the place.
City’s rose garden presents an utter dismal picture as it once had a full fledged zoo which stored monkeys, deer, ducks and rabbits for children to visit. Now it houses nothing except pigeons after similar incident happened on 2012 when rabbits were found dead on April 28 and reportedly the cage was left open due an employee’s negligence.
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 | Aug 6, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
Theresa Schultz used to feed a flock of pigeons in Point State Park all the time. She thought she was performing a public service.
But park rangers didn’t see it that way. Two years ago they told the 81-year-old Squirrel Hill resident to stop because she was attracting geese and creating a nuisance.”They said it was up to them, not me,” she said. “I would not defy.”Mrs. Schultz followed orders because she feared going to jail.She needn’t have worried. Rarely are ordinances governing city, county and state parks enforced for minor infractions. And when they are, law-breakers get little more than a slap on the wrist.As temperatures rise and people flock to the region’s public spaces, violations of various rules seem rampant, according to an informal survey conducted in recent days by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporters.A host of illicit behaviors — walking dogs off a leash, splashing about in fountains and feeding birds — was visible from Mellon Square to Frick Park, Schenley Plaza to Point State Park.To be sure, certain misbehavior — such as public nudity or intoxication — is bound to spur unwanted attention or even a police response. But it’s the lesser violations, which also tend to be habitual, that underscore the toothless nature of regulations.”I’ve never seen anyone get in trouble for anything in a Pittsburgh park,” said Jason Lockard, 34.Court records attest to this. A review of Pittsburgh Municipal Court records shows just six violations this year under use regulations for parks and public spaces. Five were for being in parks after hours, and one was for driving off paved roads. None carried a fine. Last year there were 22 violations.The same low rate of enforcement holds true for the county’s public transit system, which asks patrons to obey rider etiquette in various ways. Citations are rare, Port Authority spokesman Jim Ritchie said, because the first response is simply to ask people eating, drinking or smoking on the bus or light rail to stop.Officials at all government levels say they prefer to educate rather than incarcerate.The clash between enforcing public ordinances and ignoring them has come into focus in Mellon Square, a Downtown plaza that reopened last month after a six-year, $10 million renovation.A prominent sign posted by the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy near the center of the square bans, first and foremost, feeding pigeons and other birds. It also prohibits all forms of littering, swimming and bathing in the fountain and camping and building fires. By and large, these laws are uniform across the city, county and state.But Pittsburgh Councilwoman Darlene Harris, an avowed bird-feeding advocate, complains that ordinances are being unequally enforced. In her opinion, if the city wants to ban littering, then all forms of it — like throwing cigarette butts and french fries on the ground — must be punished. She said people like Mrs. Schultz who feed birds are being unfairly targeted.”Those parks are for everyone,” she said. “You can’t say, ‘you can’t feed the birds, but you can have lunch here.'”Mrs. Harris took issue with the parks conservancy setting rules for the use of public space.”When they start telling our residents what they can and cannot do in parks, then they are taking the roles of elected officials,” she said.Chris Fletcher, the conservancy’s content officer, defended his group’s role.”We were invited to be a part of this project, and we are required to follow all ordinances of the city,” Mr. Fletcher said. “The code expressly says that you can’t leave any organic or inorganic materials on the ground.”Even with the rule on the books, chances are slim that anyone would get in trouble for feedings birds in the plaza.Myron Hyman, a Mellon Square guard from the AM-GARD security firm contracted by the city, said he is supposed to allow people to feed pigeons out of their hands. More flagrant feeders who throw food on the ground are not cited, Mr. Myron, 29, said, but he gives them a stern lecture.In Pittsburgh there is no rule against feeding birds, but officials interpret the ban on littering to prohibit such activity. In the past two years, just one person has been charged under the city’s sanitation ordinance. The charge carried no monetary penalty and was dismissed.Meanwhile, county officials cannot write citations for feeding wildlife because it is not formalized in county ordinances, according to county spokeswoman Amie Downs.At all levels, the goal is education, officials said.”We want to bring the public up to speed — to teach them about the hazards and the dangers of feeding wildlife,” said John Hallas, assistant director of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Bureau of State Parks.Citations are issued only in cases of “flagrant or habitual violations,” and they carry little penalty beyond a nominal fine, Mr. Hallas said.The same apparently applies to dog walkers, who flout the rules just as much as bird feeders, if not more so.On a recent sunny weekday in Frick Park, dogs roamed untethered. Tricia Wood of Edgewood said she is careful to put her Australian Shepherd on a leash when she sees a white truck approaching — what she says is the well-known signal to dog walkers that Pittsburgh’s Bureau of Animal Care & Control is near. Otherwise, she said, the “off-leash area” carries little practical meaning.Rich Wagner, 57, said he walks through Frick Park’s four miles of trails every day, and frequently sees people walking their dogs without leashes despite it being a violation of city ordinances. He added that most rules have little hold over people’s behavior because there are few signs posted in the park.John Levine, a professor of social psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, said the prominence of signs articulating a given rule is a deciding factor in whether it is followed.When a rule is unclear or does not exist, it is social consensus that determines the norms people follow, Mr. Levine said.An Animal Control employee who would not give his name said he “could” cite people caught with roaming dogs, but rarely does. He referred further comment to Sonya Toler, spokeswoman for the Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety.Ms. Toler said that when someone breaks a law that is not a criminal offense, the police prefer to instruct rather than arrest.Mr. Levine said authorities use a cost-benefit analysis when deciding how to punish misbehavior. For park-related infractions, he said, the sliding scale may lead to a more lax response.On the same day that owners unleashed their dogs in Frick Park, Kinjal Patel, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student, dipped her feet in an Oakland fountain near Schenley Plaza, which is owned by the city. She said she knew it was against the rules, recalling how a Pitt police officer once told her to stop playing in the water. But he didn’t write her up, so, she figured, what’s the risk?Meghan Dale, a Pitt graduate student, said the enforcement of rules is similarly loose for the possession of alcohol on the plaza, where students congregate at outdoor concerts and other events.”As long as you’re not chugging,” Ms. Dale said, “it’s pretty hard to get in trouble.”
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 | Aug 6, 2014 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
Morning walkers at Nehru Rose Garden were in for a shock on Friday morning when they saw carcasses of numerous pigeons scattered all around.
While the exact number of dead pigeons is not known, eyewitnesses estimated that around 50-60 pigeons were lying dead in the garden. What surprised people was that there was no bleeding or injury marks.
However, since the city witnessed a powerful thunderstorm and hailstorm on late Thursday night, it is also being cited as the reason for mass deaths. Parmeet Sethi, a resident who witnessed the site in the morning, said, “There were no naked wires or any electricity pole where birds were lying dead. Maybe lightning fell on them but that is only a suspicion. The exact reason must be known through proper post-mortem.”
Residents suspected that birds might have fallen prey to poisonous grains or food served by people in the Rose Garden. “People come here daily to offer grains to pigeons. Maybe they ate something poisonous,” said Pravin Kumar, a resident.
The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation was not aware of the deaths initially. Sumit Jarangal, additional commissioner and in-charge of Rose Garden and horticulture department, said, “I will get the dead bodies cleared from the garden and also find out the reason behind the tragedy.” Later, Jarangal said that “pigeons died because of short circuit”, but failed to explain the source of short circuit. Sandeep Jain, co-opted member of Animal Welfare Board of India, also contacted Jarangal and demanded post-mortem of the pigeons to know the exact reason.
Isha Kalia, additional commissioner, confirmed to Newsline that a post-mortem had been ordered. “Health wing incharge A S Sekhon and animal husbandry department have been given responsibility to get the post-mortem done,” she said. The Rose Garden presents an utter dismal picture. While once it had a full-fledged zoo with monkeys, deer, ducks and rabbits, now it houses nothing except pigeons.
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 | Aug 6, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
Hawaii’s only electric cooperative is trying to determine whether laser technology could reduce deaths and injuries to seabirds in its service territory.
This green laser pattern reflected on a transmission pole is one of several being tested to help prevent bird collisions. (Photo By: Carey Koide /KIUC)
Kauai Island Utility Cooperative is testing a new “light fence” along a portion of its system. Co-op crews are attaching 30 lasers on transmission poles about one mile inland from the island’s southern coastline.
“The purpose of this research is to learn more about the birds and their patterns of activity so we can come up with ways to minimize potential hazards and do it in a cost-effective way,” said Carey Koide, transmission and distribution manager for the Lihue-based co-op.
The research is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife. More than 80 species of birds live on Kauai, including seabirds, native forest and wetland birds, according to scientists.
“As far as we know, this is the first time anywhere that lasers have been used to create a ‘fence’ for the birds,” Koide said.
Laser generators are being installed on six spans of a transmission line. The laser generators will provide narrow beams of light, similar to those produced by pointers, focused parallel to the ground.
Several colors and patterns of light will be tested in an area outside of designated aviation space to prevent the lasers from posing aircraft hazards.
“Researchers want to determine whether the green beams provide a deterrent for native species like the Newell’s shearwater and the Hawaiian petrel,” said Shelley Paik, KIUC’s public affairs specialist, adding that those species are particularly vulnerable to utility line collisions.
“They fly in and out to sea at night and in the early morning and are at greatest risk during a new moon phase when the skies are darkest,” Paik said.
If the test is successful, deployment of a similar system could occur along a transmission corridor near Wailua, where bird collisions are more frequent, said Paik. That could be less expensive than lowering or burying power lines.
The co-op spends about $2 million annually on endangered species protection, including research, power line and lighting configuration, predator control, habitat restoration and rehabilitation of injured birds.
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 | Aug 4, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
The following questions were asked recently on the Wonderline:
Q: The Lincoln Avenue underpass has been recently painted by city employees. How much was budgeted for this project and what was actually spent, including the city employees’ labor? Also, the pigeons are still roosting in the underpass — how much was spent attempting to stop the pigeons from roosting where they have been for many years?
A: Mitch Doht, the city’s public works director, says “$165,000 was in this year’s budget for painting the underpass. Informal contractor estimates for the project were around $250,000. I don’t have final numbers on what the city spent because the project is not yet complete and because not all of the expenses have been invoiced, but my feeling is that we should be around $80,000, including all wages, equipment and materials. We only spent half of our budget, and not even one-third of what it would have cost for a contractor to do it. City government at its best, if you ask me. I’m really proud of our employees for the quality job they did and the money they saved taxpayers.”
As far as the pigeon issue, Doht had this informative and yet entertaining message, directed to the pigeons themselves:
“A personal message to all you freeloading pigeons in York. I realize you have been living in the same place for many years, following the same boring routine, into the underpass, out of the underpass, into the underpass, out of the underpass, etc., but today is a new day! Change is a good thing. Spread your wings and find a new place to live. Maybe Seward has an underpass? I realize that York’s city property tax levy is way lower than Seward’s, but you will be so much closer to Lincoln. Imagine the possibilities! By the way, consider this your eviction notice! I mistakenly left you a couple little spots at the underpass for you and your buddies to fight over, but alas, those too will soon be gone. Good luck and Godspeed!”
And he added, regarding the cost of pigeon proofing, that it “wasn’t much.”
Q: Every summer the City street department repairs and fills cracks in streets, however this year this job has not been done yet. Will this project be completed yet this summer or did the Lincoln Avenue underpass project take away the workers from other necessary street repair projects?
A: Doht responds, “They tell me that it has actually been many years since pavement crack sealing has been done in York. The city’s tar machine is a piece of crap and it wasn’t working for several years. So I borrowed a pavement router (Thanks Tom and Harv!), leased a tar machine, and we are back at it this year, and will be every year while I’m in charge.
“I totally agree that this type of work is necessary. A formal pavement preservation program is one of my goals for the street department. Well-timed, routine maintenance strategies can save us so much money over the life of a pavement.
“You are also correct, in that every project we do takes away from every other project on the list. Does that make sense? I’m not sure that people understand that we have a much longer list of needs than what will ever get done with our current resources. We do our best to prioritize projects and really try to make a difference. Thankfully, crack seal and underpass painting both made the cut this year. Crack sealing work has already started at several locations in town. Those areas will be finished in the next few weeks. A much larger pavement preservation project will happen this fall or next spring, depending upon how the new budget is finalized.”
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)
