by Ryan Ponto | Aug 26, 2016 | Bird Netting
A fire which tore through a South Shields allotment killing 60 pigeons has been confirmed as arson by police. Fire fighters were called to the site in Holder House Way, South Shields, at 12.30am on Tuesday to tackle the blaze. Crews from South Shields, Hebburn, Marley Park and Washington stations, took three hours to extinguish the fire and were called back to the allotment at around 11.40am when the blaze began to smoulder again. Northumbria Police has confirmed the fire was stared deliberately. A spokesman said: “It has now been established the fire was started deliberately and is being treated as arson. “Enquiries are on-going. Any witnesses should ring Northumbria Police on 77 060916 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
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 | Aug 25, 2016 | Bird Netting
At first, Wisconsin’s natural resources agency was just concerned about the thousands of pounds of lead buried in the La Crosse river marsh.
Now, however, the Dept. of Natural Resources has turned its regulatory eyes to other possible contaminants there thanks to three decades of use and abuse by the La Crosse Gun Club.
The club closed up shop in 1963 but only after dropping an estimated 50,000 pounds of lead shot into the water from its skeet-shooting members.
The DNR wants the lead impacts studied.
Now, though, it is also demanding the city to identify possible contamination from some substances in the clay pigeons themselves that is considered carcinogenic.
That study and the lead study are pegged at close to $50,000 and could last nearly a year.
Meanwhile, warnings about eating fish caught from the marsh remain in place.
In 2012, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse studied lead contaminants in the marsh paid for, in part, from a $60,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. UW-L also kicked in $5,000 in trying to help determine the amount of contamination.
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 24, 2016 | Bird Netting
Dr. Maria Forzan, of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, performed the necropsies on the pigeons at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown and sent the samples for testing at a toxicology lab at the University of Guelph.
She wants the pest control applicators and the public to know the effects of Avitrol.
“Trying to explain to them that, in fact, it is quite possible that a lot of the pigeons will die from Avitrol poisoning which is actually something that came as a surprise to us,” explained Forzan.
Dead pigeons found throughout downtown
The pigeons were found in downtown Charlottetown, ranging from Victoria Row to Victoria Park, and Forzan says it’s possible they were all feeding at the same location.
Forzan went back to the labelling information for Avitrol to find out more about what the company said about bird mortality from the product.
“We were under the impression from the older literature and from what the company was putting out, years ago when we first looked at this, about how pigeons would show abnormal behaviour and frighten the other pigeons away but only a few of them will die.”
That’s no longer the case she said — “If they show clinical signs, they are likely to die.”
‘There’s going to be some suffering’
Forzan is thinking about writing a letter to the editor to the Canadian Veterinary Journal to spread the word about the pigeon deaths from Avitrol, but admits it’s up to the public to decide if this is an appropriate way to control the pigeons.
“If people are upset about pigeons defacing buildings or cars, then something is going to be done, and whether we see it or not, people need to be aware that any time you kill an animal that you consider a pest, there’s going to be some suffering and some unpleasant sights,” said Forzan.
On P.E.I., only pest control professionals are allowed to use Avitrol.
Eleven companies are currently licensed across the Island and the licences are issued annually, expiring at the end of the calendar year.
A spokesperson for the P.E.I. government says staff in the Department of Communities, Land and Environment know who is administering the Avitrol in Charlottetown, and they have had conversations with that person about safe use of the substance.
Samples from three more dead pigeons have been sent to Guelph for testing, but no more sick birds have been reported.
“I’m kind of guessing that whoever was using Avitrol has realized that it’s probably not the best public relations results and maybe they’ve realized what it’s doing to the pigeons and they’ve stopped, or basically the problem has resolved itself, maybe the pigeons are no longer there,” observed Forzan.
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 23, 2016 | Bird Netting
Spikes will be installed on a bridge in Frome to tackle pesky pigeons after the footpath was made dangerously slippery by an abundance of bird poo.
Rodden Bridge, which allows a rail line to cross over Rodden Road, is to undergo a pigeon proofing transformation after local people complained the amount of bird faeces on the footpath below was making it slippery to walk along.
Winter was said to be when the problem was at its worst – and local people “have no easy way to avoid” taking the perilous poop-laden path, said one council expert.
The Bridge, which allows a rail line to cross over Rodden Road, is to be given a thorough cleaning and have pigeon spikes installed on its abutments.
The news comes after people revealed they were fed-up with the amount of litter in the town and an incident involving chips being left on a car which saw the town go viral online, with #Frome and #Chipgate trending on Twitter.
Town councillors have had enough too, and have made almost 40 complaints to Mendip District Council since the beginning of August.
Meanwhile, one man revealed a litany of food attacks in the town, telling tales of chips shoved up car exhausts and macaroni cheese being dumped on a windscreen.
MORE: Vandals ‘ransacked’ and ‘drew graffiti’ in Frome school and stole tools
Frome Town Council (FTC) and Network Rail are teaming up to solve this latest street detritus problem.
FTC is forking out close to £4,000 towards the works, with Network Rail matching that amount.
Rodden Road will be closed from Monday, November 7 to Friday, November 11 between the hours of 10pm and 6am, while the works take place.
The footpath reportedly becomes more slippery in the winter due to excessive amounts of bird poo
Paul Wynne, Town Clerk for FTC, said council was joining the fight against the footpath faeces even though it did not own the bridge or have any responsibility for the cleanliness and upkeep of the road and pavement underneath.
Mr Wynne said the project was a little outside the council’s remit but the authority felt it was the thing to do.
He said: “Even though it is outside the norm these works should help keep the road and the pavement cleaner and it’s for this reason we feel it’s right to contribute to this project.
“Necessarily, the works will involve a road closure here but we’re hopeful that Network Rail and County Highways will do it at night.
“Sensibly, Network Rail is planning to use the closure to complete some guttering repairs and other improvements to the bridge too.”
Chris Stringer, Environment Manager for the town council, said that he had received a number of complaints from locals on the bird poo around that area.
He said: “A number of locals have said that it makes it slippery to walk across, particularly in the winter when the effects of the pigeons are at their worst.
“There is only one foot path under that bridge and so as you can imagine there is no easy way to avoid it.”
Have you experienced problems with pigeon poo on the walkway underneath Rodden Bridge? Send in your pictures to James Wood on james.wood@westgaz.co.uk
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 | Aug 22, 2016 | Bird Netting
Ben Paraschuk admits the world of pest control isn’t exactly glamorous.
Trapping and removing angry animals or eliminating insect infestations can be tough work that rarely has its red carpet moments. That’s why he was a little surprised when he got a phone call about appearing in the new television series Billy Goes North that stars Billy Bretherton.
Bretherton, who previously was in the A&E program Billy the Exterminator, is a high-energy guy and “quite the character,” according to Paraschuk. He’s known for his love of leather outfits, flamboyant jewelry and his wild hairdos.
“Funnily enough, even before we were working in pest control we had seen his show and we really liked his personality and approach to the animals,” said Paraschuk, who runs Mississauga’s Pest Protection Plus with Anthony Munshaw and Brent Hierons. “It was pretty exciting for us to get a chance to work with him. It’s not a glamorous industry but getting to be on the show with him was great.”
In May, Paraschuk and his team joined Bretherton and the television crew for a day of filming where they visited eight separate raccoon calls in Mississauga and Toronto. It was during a time when raccoons have had their litters of cubs, meaning it’s a busy period for pest companies.
“We had some tight squeezes and had to deal with a lot of angry mothers who are never happy when you’re moving their babies,” said Paraschuk. “But it was fun being around Billy, who’s the Wayne Gretzky of pest control so to speak. We had a great time with him and learned a few of his tips and tricks. It was neat to see how he approached the different situations.”
Bretherton and Paraschuk share similar philosophies when it comes to dealing with animals as they use humane methods to trap the animals before releasing them into the wild.
Meanwhile, Paraschuk hopes his appearance on the show, which debuts this Friday (Sept. 9) on CMT Canada at 9 p.m. with the Pest Protection Plus episode, will also raise awareness among residents about what sort of questions to ask when hiring a pest control company. He said it’s not uncommon to hear of someone removing a mother raccoon but leaving the babies behind, orphaned and alone. That shouldn’t happen when a professional company is hired, he added.
And, while raccoons are undeniably cute to look at, having them living on your property can cause a whole host of problems. Their droppings are harmful to humans and they’re notorious for chewing wires or tearing holes in roofs and walls. Plus, you wouldn’t want your pet fighting with an angry raccoon, he said.
Meanwhile, in the new show Bretherton travels across the country dealing with all manner of animals, from wolves preying on livestock to beavers flooding country roads. He hits big cities and suburbs to small towns, farms and the wilderness in the program.
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)
