Hundreds sign petition in Deal calling for action by Dover District Council on pigeons and waste

Hundreds sign petition in Deal calling for action by Dover District Council on pigeons and waste

pigeonsA petition to protect homes in Deal from an “infestation” of pigeons has gained more than 200 signatures.

It has been set up by Sean Gabb, of Middle Street, Deal, as he claims the town, and particularly the High Street, has become infested with pigeons and their waste.

He said: “We have done everything possible within the law to deter pigeons. It isn’t working. The financial cost for property owners is huge, as they’re spending money on painting their houses.

Dr Sean Gabb hands the petition to Deal’s deputy mayor Wayne Elliott and town clerk Lorna Crow“It’s polluting the town, as you walk around you can sometimes smell the pigeons or see piles of pigeon dung.”
He claims the number of pigeons in the town has increased in the past five years and their waste is damaging historic buildings and private homes in the area, as well as St George’s Church. Dr Gabb, 50, is now calling on the district council to create a by-law which would make it an offence for people to feed pigeons, as he believes this is encouraging the population.

He would also like the council to urge shopkeepers and cafe owners in the High Street to tell customers not to feed them.

The petition also calls on the council to use its existing powers to make property owners clean up overgrown gardens, or derelict buildings which have become nesting places for the birds.

The petition was handed to deputy mayor Cllr Wayne
Elliott on Tuesday, who presented it to Dover District Council’s Cllr Trevor Bartlett, portfolio holder for property access and property management.

This comes after Peter Jull, chairman of Deal and Walmer Chamber of Trade, raised the issue with the district council in July.

He said traders had been forced to spend thousands of pounds on spikes to deter pigeons from their businesses and clean up the mess.

Speaking at the time, he said: “The nuisance of these feral animals is costing thousands of pounds for business owners who are continually paying to clean, repair and protect their buildings from damage by pigeons.”

The petition will now be discussed at the district council.

 

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)

One kilometre of spikes to keep pigeons off filthy Leicester railway bridge

One kilometre of spikes to keep pigeons off filthy Leicester railway bridge

Nearly £10,000 is being spent cleaning up a dingy, pigeon-infested railway bridge in Leicester.

The city council wants to clear the birds out of the bridge over All Saints Road as part of its Waterside regeneration scheme.

Councillors have said the bridge, as it is, make the area feel unsafe, because it is poorly lit.

Councillor Patrick Kitterick said: “The one area that does hold it back is the All Saints Bridge.

“It just doesn’t feel safe when you go down there at the moment.

“The bridge over All Saints Road is like permanent midnight.

“It is also a pigeon sanctuary with the unpleasantness that brings.”

 

Messy

David Beale, the council’s senior development manager for Waterside, said work was imminent to sort out the grotspot.

He said: “This is a key gateway into the Waterside regeneration area, so we want to ensure it creates a good impression and encourages further private investment in the area.

“Because this bridge used to carry trains, there are more than 20 steel beams spanning it underneath.

“Each of these beams has two ledges, which makes a lot of roosting space for pigeons.

“We’ve appointed a contractor to clear up the pigeon mess and glue spikes along these beams – it will be more than kilometre of spikes in total.

“The contract value is around £9,000 and will also include cleaning the walls under the bridge, which are white glazed brick. This will lighten up the area considerably.

“We’ll also talk to our lighting team to see if we can improve lighting under the bridge.”

One person who works near the bridge said: “It’s totally grim but then again it is a railway bridge and you’ll never make it a thing of beauty.

“I reckon it is home to every pigeon in Leicester. It’s streaked with muck and I try to avoid walking through under there because there’s not much chance of avoiding a showering.”

 

 

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)

Jesus in Jeans’ is now bird-free

Jesus in Jeans’ is now bird-free

27-10-15_(4) SUS-151028-101003001

27-10-15_(4) SUS-151028-101003001

The famous statue of ‘Jesus in Jeans’ on the front of St Philip’s Catholic Church, Uckfield is now pigeon-free, thanks to a halo of ‘flames.’

The £355,000 seven-foot statue, by Lewes-based sculptor Marcus Cornish, resulted in controversy and interest from across the globe when it was revealed in 2009. It was unveiled by The Pope’s ambassador to this country, the papal nuncio Archbishop Faustino Sainz Munoz, and the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton blessed it.

But birds soon found the statue a comfortable place to roost so the area below was soon plastered with bird droppings. The droppings are acidic and can damage painted, stone or wooden surfaces as well as making public areas slippery and unhygenic.
The church’s maintenance committee, helped by priest Father Stephen Hardaker, found a firm which could help. Cleankill Environmental Services from South London, which has expertise in controlling pest birds, was called in to assess the problem and came up with a solution.

Director Jon Whitehead, explained: “The sculpture has a hollow back which created a perfect home for around 20 pigeons. They would nest inside and rest on the halo creating an unsightly and unhygienic mess.”

So the firm used a special product called Bird Free Gel which they fixed to the statue at certain points, including the halo. The gel appears as flames to the birds so they are discouraged from landing.

The church’s maintenance head Alan Duncan said: “We are all so pleased that the problem has been solved. We were at a loss as to what to do next. At one point we put anti-bird spikes on various resting places, painting them gold to match the halo. Unfortunately, the pigeons were ‘most comfortable’ with the additions!

“The service we had from Cleankill was excellent and very professional, including many after-care visits.”
Cornish’s sculpture was funded by money left by Winifred Gregory, 87, a member of the congregation who passed away in 2008. Christ wears jeans and a shirt billowing in the wind while his hair and beard are neatly and fashionably trimmed. Marcus Cornish said: “The sculpture is simple and direct and I hope it sums up the feeling that Christ is always with us and that we are not to be afraid. The clothing is loosely contemporary in order to connect Christ to his people now as much as to his past.”
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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)

Professional shooter hired to cull feral pigeon population at Mawson Lakes in Adelaide

Professional shooter hired to cull feral pigeon population at Mawson Lakes in Adelaide

Pigeon Patrol GunPigeons will be culled at Mawson Lakes in Adelaide after businesses hired a professional shooter to manage the feral population.

Pest controller, professional shooter and experienced cleaner Sean O’Shea said northern suburbs residents were worried because the birds’ droppings were “very corrosive and very toxic”.

“Some people say it’s more deadly than asbestos,” he said.

“It’s not just the health issues … it continues to damage air conditioners, roofs, et cetera.

“It’s also damage to buildings, slip and trip hazards as well.”

Department of Environment and Natural Resources animal welfare manager Deb Kelly denied the State Government was “sitting on its hands”.

She said the Government was not responsible for dealing with pigeons on private property.

“You wouldn’t expect to say, ‘I’ve got a mouse in my kitchen and the State Government has to go do something about it’,” Ms Kelly said.

Everybody has to do a proper cull of them and make sure they’re removed properly … otherwise they’ll just breed up in the next property.

Professional shooter Sean O’Shea

“It really is the landholders’ responsibility.

“But the big thing is, I think, people have to stop feeding them and have to start putting their rubbish in the bin.”

Ms Kelly said residents needed to be proactive about the threat of feral pests in their area before populations grew to unmanageable numbers.

“People think they’re pretty and lovely until the numbers get big and then they think, ‘I’ve got a problem’,” she said.

“If you want to eradicate any feral pest, you really have to get them while the population is low.”

Mr O’Shea said there were a number of techniques used to control pests such as trapping and shooting, but urged residents to work together.

“Some people do something and the next door neighbour won’t,” he said.

“Everybody has to do a proper cull of them and make sure they’re removed properly … otherwise they’ll just breed up in the next property.”

Mr O’Shea said he was fully qualified and licensed to shoot 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)

Business offers to shoot feral pigeons in Adelaide’s north

Business offers to shoot feral pigeons in Adelaide’s north

pellet-gun-survival-riflesDESPERATE business owners are looking to armed pest controllers to rescue them from feral pigeons that are creating a serious health and safety threat.

After Salisbury Council washed its hands of the problem, restaurants and cafes in Mawson Lakes have turned to professionals cleaners, including one firm which says it can shoot up to 100 birds an hour.

O’Shea’s Carpet and Cleaning Services specialises in permanently removing pigeons by shooting them or installing netting and spikes, and cleaning the droppings. Pigeon droppings are toxic, highly corrosive and can spread disease.

Owner Kirsty O’Shea said Mawson Lakes was notorious for pigeons.

“People should consider prevention to stop the birds from coming in, like netting and spiking, and also to clean the faeces because it is not sanitary to live amongst it,” she said.

“There is also the more controversial removal method of shooting them – we can shoot up to 100 birds an hour, take away the bodies and clean up.”

Ms O’Shea said her businesshad a licence to shoot pigeons, even in suburbia, as long as it informed police before taking action.

Partner Sean O’Shea, who describes himself as a “greenie with a gun”, said he used a precision air rifle to kill the birds as “quickly, safely and humanely as possible”.

Bellezza Gourmet Chicken owner Bob Dahdah said pigeons had invaded the garage of his Mawson Lakes business.

“It is a great issue for us and it always has been because the birds are everywhere, they drop all their rubbish and dropping on the cars below,” Mr Dahdah said.

“Every building in Mawson Lakes has this issue and it’s a big health and safety concern.”

Mr Dahdah asked building management to install netting from the top of the fence in the garage to the roof, but he said it would cost too much.

La Vita Fresh Pasta owner Michael Vannini said pigeon droppings were a concern.

“Droppings around food is definitely a health and safety concern,” Mr Vannini said.

“I also hear it is a problem for one of my customers, specifically, who lives in The Bridges (estate) across from us and has spent a fair few dollars with pest control people to sort out the problem because pigeons have been on their roof with droppings and also dying.”

Salisbury Council says it is not its job to clear pigeons from private properties.

A council spokesman said staff believed the number of pigeon complaints made by members of the public was fewer than 10 each year.

Mayor Gillian Aldridge said complaints about wild or feral pigeons on private property were the responsibility of the landowner, not the council.

 

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)

Service pic