by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 14, 2021 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Droppings
The fearless, pesky, pervasive pigeon
The pigeon-bird was raised for food in America since the 1600s, but grew so fast and multiplied so rapidly that they have formed feral, fierce populations in all their major cities.
This is a huge problem in India too, as most people feed pigeons: since they do not fear humans and eat only grains, seeds or breadcrumbs, they are considered pets.
However, this pigeon bird is actually a dirty, filthy menace; a pest that messes up statues, homes, and balconies with stinking, gooey droppings.
But that’s not all! Pigeons are a real nuisance: they damage your property, break-in by breaking window-glasses and carry a host of dangerous pigeon borne diseases and parasites.
Some people, who are ignorant of science, medicine, and pigeon borne diseases even build pigeon-houses for them! Pesky, pervasive, disease-carrying pigeons: how do they rule the roost in our cities?
As the pigeon-bird population grows, the nestlings return to their homes to build more pigeon nests and raise more pigeons (on ledges, balconies, gables, pipes. They always, always find their way home.
Pigeon droppings are tar-like and heavy as a binding agent (like mortar) for their pigeon nests: it is extremely difficult to remove.
Pigeon droppings and nests do more than dirty and stink up a place: Â they clog gutters, pipes, eaves, and water-spouts degrading your property. Pigeons are bad for business especially the food or hotel industry. They are bully-birds who keep smaller song-birds (like bulbuls) away!
How to scare pigeons or keep pigeons away
Pigeons do not like wind-chimes, aluminium foil-pans (as used for fast food), shiny rubber snakes or balloons. Some commercial gel bird-repellents will keep pigeons away but must be constantly replenished.
Pigeon nets for balconies are advised, but most netting sags and gives way: pigeons peck holes in them too. How to get rid of pigeons poses a vexatious problem as most solutions are stop-gap measures.
Some people attach new-fangled coiled “slinky toys on balcony rails to deter pigeons from finding a comfy spot! Mesh screens also act well.
There are some organic, home-made pigeon repellents that are effective in keeping pigeons away from balcony or windows sill.
Place pomanders (cheesecloth pouches)| of cayenne pepper, black pepper, chilli powder or strong spice powder mix along railings or window sills. Keep your trash covered and do not keep scrap or bird-feeders handy for pigeons.
How to clean up the pigeon-bird mess
You can’t simply hose off lethal, heavy pigeon poo. Bacteria, viruses, and fungi love pigeon droppings. Wear a mask and gloves to remove debris and throw the pigeon-bird nests away. Next, with a strong anti-bacterial cleaner, or chlorine bleach, scrub the area with the utmost care. Then hose off the dust.
What is the safest, permanent solution for pigeon birds?
Some people swear by chilli-powder or honey. Bird-netting is better, but there are many varieties. If you have a business that is getting affected or stay in a tall high-rise, where you can’t reach pipes and ledges where pigeon-birds root, breed and defecate.
Finally, do discourage people from feeding these nasty, disease-carrying pigeon-birds, so that the next generation is free from this menace.
Source
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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Control /Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / Pigeon Deterrent? Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest /Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ sparrows , Damage by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests/ De-fence / Pigeon Nesting/ Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping/ woodpecker control/ Professional Bird Control Company/ Keep The Birds Away/ Birds/rats/ seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/ dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/ pidgeon control/flying rats/ pigeon Problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/ bird guard
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 14, 2021 | pet bird, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Droppings, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Predators
Feral pigeons foul buildings, creating unwanted “stained glass” windows and “decorated” architecture. All sorts of pests may migrate from their nests into buildings. Originally descended from the wild Rock Dove, a cliff-face dweller, these birds find the next best thing is a block of flats, a bit of Victorian Gothic architecture or a railway arch.
In the absence of natural predators, birds which fall sick survive to infect healthy ones with ornithosis and other diseases, some of which can be transmissible to man. Their accumulated droppings are also sources of disease.
Birds such as Pigeons carry a variety of diseases such as Ornithosis, Listeria and E-coli that can be transmitted to man not only from the droppings but also the birds themselves. When dry, pigeon droppings can become airborne in small particles, which can lead to respiratory complaints such as psittacosis.
Pigeon droppings are acidic and can corrode/erode metals, stonework and brickwork. Nesting materials birds use can block chimneys, flues and guttering, causing possible issues with carbon monoxide and damage to buildings as water overflows from blocked gutters.
Buildings covered in fouling looks unpleasant can smell, and projects a poor image of business, potentially ruining an organisation’s reputation. If customers spot evidence of a heavy Pigeon infestation on premises, they may not want to do business with you.
Closely linked to Pigeon activity such as nesting are parasites such as mites, ticks, fleas and beetles. So if you have a current or past problem with birds and have done nothing, you may find you’ll suffer from a parasite infestation too.
How to prevent and get rid of birds
Pigeon prevention, proofing and control are a highly specialised skill, requiring specialist equipment and tools. Control of Pigeons through population reduction techniques is generally both less desirable and less effective than removing their food sources or blocking off sites where they perch or roost. The latter technique, known as proofing, is now used extensively.
For proofing, professional pest controllers will use methods such as barriers, spikes, nets and wire to great effect. More recently active systems like shock strips, audible scarers and optical gels have been used to create negative associations in birds wishing to land or roost on buildings. All of these methods of proofing have their merits, and some can offer a stronger and more lasting deterrent, but as with any method of control, they may become less effective over an extended period. For a heavy Pigeon infestation, your professional contractor may have to employ methods of control such as shooting, trapping or flying of predatory birds.
Having problems with Pigeons?
Use a trained professional pest controller.
Source
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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Control /Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / Pigeon Deterrent? Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest /Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ sparrows , Damage by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests/ De-fence / Pigeon Nesting/ Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping/ woodpecker control/ Professional Bird Control Company/ Keep The Birds Away/ Birds/rats/ seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/ dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/ pidgeon control/flying rats/ pigeon Problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/ bird guard
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 14, 2021 | Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons, Pigeons in the News, Raccoons, Sparrows
With a warm spell of weather predicted, staff from Cleankill Pest Control are gearing up for more calls to deal with the bird they call the ‘flying rat’.
Pigeons take advantage of the warmer weather to sit on outside ledges and pipework while their foulings fall to the floor below, creating a dangerously slippery surface.
Cleankill Managing Director Paul Bates said: “With pigeons now breeding four or five times a year, compared to two or three times 20 years ago, their numbers are increasing dramatically. The problem is exacerbated by people feeding them and attracting them into town squares where they are fouling on pavements and buildings.
“Pigeons are the most unhygienic and messy birds and actually carry more diseases than rats. They nest on their poo and attract mites. Nearly all pigeons carry the bird mite – a tiny insect that feeds off the bird, but will also makes humans itch and scratch. Pigeon fouling and nest materials also provide a home for many other insects such as clothes moths, carpet beetle and mealworm beetles.
Most of the pest controllers’ work against pigeons tends to be proofing of buildings and light wells, using a variety of techniques including installing nets, sprung wire systems and bird spike repellents.
Paul explained: “If a slipped tile goes unnoticed on a roof, or the louvres slip on a church bell tower, a pair of pigeons can get in and, in a matter of months, there can be hundreds of pigeons living in the loft space. The floor will soon be covered with fouling up to a foot deep.res further ‘natural-style’ habitats for these descendants of the Rock Dove – ll then have health and safety implications for engineers who come to service the equipment.
“Pigeon poo, when it is wet, is not too much of a danger apart from being slippery and the acidity will, of course, burn car paintwork. But when it is dry, as it often is in a loft space, or below sheltered machinery, then the airborne bacteria can become a real problem – affecting anybody that may be susceptible to asthma and other breathing difficulties.”
When pest controllers are called in, wearing special safety gear, they have to remove the birds, the nests and all loose fouling. The places they have to get to are often difficult to access, very restricted, very hot loft spaces that are about four-feet high – which is one of the reasons they dislike pigeons so much.
Cleankill Pest Control offers a specialist bird control service for facilities and property management companies in London, Sussex. Surrey and Kent, from the initial survey and specification through to the final proofing solution. As registered waste carriers, Cleankill can carry out full scale removal of bird fouling, as well as contaminated goods and furniture, from infested properties. As well as the feral pigeon, seagulls are becoming a greater problem for property owners and Cleankill can also offer advice and solutions for these pests as well.
Some facts about pigeons:
• A pigeon aged between 1 and 30 days is called a squab
• A pigeon’s white feathers have no colour pigment
• Pigeons can see in colour, but can also see ultra-violet light – a part of the light spectrum that humans cannot see
• Most birds take a sip of water and throw their heads back so it trickles down their throat – pigeons suck up water like straws
• In the 16th century, pigeon poo was a highly valued commodity as it was a source of salt petre or Potassium nitrate – a main ingredient of gunpowder! In France, it was also used to fertilise vineyards
• In India, the pigeon post mail service stopped in 2004
• Cher Ami and GI Joe were two famous war hero pigeons…both saved the lives of many soldiers by carrying important messages across enemy lines
• Young pigeons remain in their nests for up to two months…which is why it is only pest controllers who often get to see them!
• Peregrine Falcons are a natural predator of the pigeon…they can dive at up to 200 miles per hour. A pigeon can dive at about 70 miles an hour.
Source
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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Control /Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / Pigeon Deterrent? Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest /Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ sparrows , Damage by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests/ De-fence / Pigeon Nesting/ Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping/ woodpecker control/ Professional Bird Control Company/ Keep The Birds Away/ Birds/rats/ seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/ dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/ pidgeon control/flying rats/ pigeon Problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/ bird guard
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 14, 2021 | Bird Law, Bird Netting, Bird Spikes, Columbidae, Doves
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 5, 2021 | Bird Netting, Bird Spikes, Columbidae, Doves, pet bird, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Droppings, Pigeon Patrol's Services
Pigeon poop!
It was a nice, clear, warm day and I was enjoying watching the pigeons doing a formation flight above me when I was distracted by two teenagers who were shrieking and cowering under a magazine held above their heads, presumably to shield them from falling poop. I couldn’t help stopping to reassure them that the pigeons wouldn’t poop during this flight, so they could relax and enjoy the sunshine. This incident inspired me to dedicate a page to the enthralling subject of pigeon droppings!
The pigeon’s excretion system is not the same as that of a mammal. The food passes through the digestive system and empties from the rectum into the cloaca.
This literally means “cesspool” and is the “emptying place” for both the digestive and the urogenital system in pigeons. The pigeon has the ability to hold the action of defecating and to contain a considerable volume of poop in the cloaca without relief (Levi, The Pigeon), so unlike humans it is never “caught short”.
When pigeons are about a week old they learn to step backward before pooping and they continue to do this during their adult life, which is why you are likely to be pooped on by a perching pigeon if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The situation is different when pigeons are in flight. Pigeons are designed for flapping or “powered” flight rather than for soaring or gliding flight like the seagull (which admittedly does poop on humans, sometimes deliberately) – so when a pigeon takes off it will immediately begin to draw its feet backward under its body to assist with flight and balance. The feet are held back until the pigeon is about to land, when they are thrust forward and down.
If a pigeon were to poop in flight it would have to risk the poop landing on its feet as they are held below the vent (anus), or it would have to lower its feet. Both of these actions would affect the dynamics of flight. So they don’t do either. 
You will usually see a pigeon poop when it is perching on a ledge or branch, or when it is foraging…but not when it is flying overhead.
Today there is an unreasonable hysteria about pigeon poop, but in earlier times it was so valuable as a fertiliser that it was used as a dowry and left as an inheritance! Even today it is probably the best organic fertiliser for vegetable patches that you can find (after it has been composted, of course).
An officer of London Wildlife Protection wrote to the Department of Health to establish whether pigeon poop is a hazard to human health and if so to what extent. Their reply should reassure even the most cynical pigeon hater or pest controller:
We are not aware of any cases of human infections associated with contact with pigeon faeces.
Whilst wild bird faeces including pigeon faeces can present a potential hazard from infections such as Campylobacter and Salmonella via faecal-oral transmission (i.e. when contaminated bird faeces is accidentally swallowed), there is limited documented supportive evidence for this occurrence. The use of simple hygiene precautions especially hand washing after touching potentially contaminated materials and before eating or drinking should reduce the risk of infection via the faecal-oral route.
A review of human health hazards posed by feral pigeons in 2004 concluded that, “In spite of the worldwide distribution of feral pigeons, the close and frequent contact they have with humans, their use as food, and the high prevalence of carriage of human pathogens, zoonotic disease caused by feral pigeons is infrequent. Although feral pigeons pose sporadic health risks to humans, the risk is very low, even for humans involved in occupations that bring them into close contact with nesting sites.
There are some health hazards associated with pigeon droppings, but these are not as dire as pest controllers and local authorities would lead us to believe:
Like all fecal matter (human and animal) pigeon poop can contain bacteria that are harmful if ingested, so it is best to keep pigeon poop away from food that is about to be eaten and from kitchen work surfaces.
The fungus histoplasma capsulatum, if inhaled, can cause histoplasmosis in humans. There is no record of anyone becoming infected with Histoplasma within the UK but it can be found in river valleys in Eastern and Southern Europe and has caused disease in parrts of North America.. Pigeons don’t carry or spread histoplasma, it is not a disease that can be caught from a bird but under the right conditions (temperate climate, damp acidic soil with high organic content) all bird droppings can produce an environment in which this fungus thrives if it is there in the first place.
Cryptococcus neoformans is another fungus that is found in the dried droppings of birds, including pigeons. When dried bird droppings are stirred up, this can make dust containing Cryptococcus Neoformans go into the air. If inhaled this doesn’t normally affect healthy humans but it can cause disease in people with compromised immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS, people who have had organ transplants and those who are being treated for cancer.
Source
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 Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon/Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Control /Bird Spikes / Bird Control / Bird Deterrent / Pigeon Deterrent? Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest /Seagull deterrent / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ sparrows , Damage by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests/ De-fence / Pigeon Nesting/ Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping/ woodpecker control/ Professional Bird Control Company/ Keep The Birds Away/ Birds/rats/ seagull/pigeon/woodpecker/ dove/sparrow/pidgeon control/pidgeon problem/ pidgeon control/flying rats/ pigeon Problems/ bird netting/bird gel/bird spray/bird nails/ bird guard
