by Ryan Ponto | Apr 16, 2017 | Bird Netting
The City Times has received numerous letters to the editor from Benonians who have found dead birds on their properties.
“We live in Airfield and have had a similar experience,” said Haley Steingrover in response to a previous letter that was published.
“In a space of about two to three weeks we have had four dead pigeons in our garden.
“All the other birds seem to be fine; it’s just the pigeons.
“We are concerned for the poor birds and also for our animals that are around these birds.”
Elizabeth van Genderen, of Rynfield, said on March 15 that over the last month she found two dead birds.
“My son witnessed one drop out of the tree and hit the ground,” said van Genderen.
“When we went out there, it was already dead.
“This is disturbing.”
Judy Davidson, of Wildlife in Crisis, said the deaths should not be a concern and that she is “pretty sure” the cause is E. coli.
She said a dove and pigeon from Marister and Rynfield were taken for an autopsy, which revealed E. coli being the cause of death.
Davidson said the bacteria is species-specific and that there is no danger for other animals or humans.
She said the only confirmed reports of pigeon and dove deaths have been in Benoni.
The non-profit organisation is still searching for two or three fresh carcasses to conduct further tests on.
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 | Apr 15, 2017 | Bird Netting
“Years and years and years ago, when they first recognized there were pigeons, monks found them in a cliff, and they captured them for food,” according to Charlie Klipsch, a breeder of racing pigeons (called Racing Homers).
Klipsch operates a loft, dubbed “Flying Surprises,” of about 48 birds in his backyard in Sunset Hills.
“Some of these birds escaped, and when the monks went back to get more food, they found that the ones that had escaped were back at the cliff again. And they realized that these birds had a homing instinct,” Klipsch said.
So goes the foundation myth for homing pigeons. It was the beginning of many centuries of partnership between man and pigeon that extended well into the modern era. A Racing Homer was standard issue to English airmen flying over France, and to Allied spies parachuting into it, in both World War I and II. In 1943, three pigeons serving in the Royal Air Force were the first winners of the England’s Dickin Medal for Gallantry (by animals) for their remarkable flights through heavy winds and stormy weather to deliver messages on the locations of downed pilots. In 1944, pigeons flew with American paratroopers on D-Day.
Pigeons also provided the basis for the giant Reuters news service, which began its corporate life as a kind of Pigeon Express shuttling financial market closing prices between points not yet served by telegraph.
Most famous, though not necessarily accurate, pigeons brought early word of Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo to financier Nathan Mayer Rothschild, who turned this news beat into a fortune on the London bond market.
“We know the English used pigeons a long, long time ago,” Klipsch said. “We know the Germans did, the Belgians did, the Italians did. We know the Phoenicians used them!”
Today, the march of technology has ended the economic and military usefulness of Racing Homers, but they retain a mystique that transcends their lost utilitarian value. Their unique capabilities – not to be duplicated even in an age of electronic miracles – still fascinate those who care to look.
For example, what featherless biped could match the prowess of a pigeon traveling from Shamrock, Texas, to St. Louis (approximately 600 miles) with nothing to guide him but the tools nature provided – eyes, ears, nose, brain? Some no doubt could manage it, but a Racing Homer can do it in one day, flying from 45 to 60 mph.
The pigeon’s feathers obviously provide a large speed advantage over earth-bound bipeds. But the accuracy of the flight derives from a suite of in-born navigational tools that for centuries have eluded scientific description.
“To know where home is, when they have never been to a place before, never been 200 miles away, and yet they come home,” said Klipsch. “That’s the homing pigeon.”
Research universities “have studied this for the past hundred years, spent thousands and thousands of dollars on it. They don’t know how the pigeon does it.”
But much has been found out.
“We have proven a lot of theories,” Klipsch said. “We know that the pigeon uses a magnetic sense, from the earth. We know they use the sun as a navigation tool. We know they use their sight – 26 miles they have been registered to see something.”
But the birds have some means of coordinating all these tools that is not understood, Klipsch said.
“If they blindfold them, they can still find their way home,” he said. “They plug their ears, they still find their way home. They put magnets on their wings, and they still find their way home. They know they use all of these things (sensory detectors), but they don’t know how they use them.
But Klipsch knows he can use them – for an absorbing hobby and for simple backyard fun. He races his birds every weekend of the racing season, which runs for several months from spring through autumn. He ships the birds to a launch point, and awaits their return with wife Florence from their screened back porch or lawn chairs.
The birds clock themselves by passing through an electronic detector at the door of their roost. The days of mechanical clocks are over. The birds’ flight times now are recorded to the fraction of a second.
Klipsch, a member of the Mount Pleasant Homing Pigeon Club, is hoping to engender wider interest in racing among the younger generation. He inherited the love of racing (but no birds) from his father, and he from his father before.
But Klipsch’s six children and nine grandchildren so far appear immune to the racing bug, he said.
To enter the hobby, only a simple loft (“mine was just a tool shed when I got started”), and a couple of birds are required, Klipsch said. Breeders will give young birds – as well as the mentoring needed to keep them – to a club member who wants to get started, Klipsch said.
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 | Apr 14, 2017 | Bird Netting
Dubai: Pigeon droppings are causing a huge mess on many apartment balconies in different parts of the city, and for many residents, chasing them away has not been a permanent solution, they say.
Pigeons can be entertaining to watch, but when they constantly return to your balcony and dirty your home as a result of neighbours frequently feeding them , their presence can become very frustrating.
Tenants- especially those living in tall story buildings where it has become a common problem- say they are not only worried from the health risks that could arise from pigeon droppings, they are also not sure of the methods they can use to discourage pigeons from roosting without attracting fines from Dubai Municipality.
Dubai regulations regarding balcony use do not allow residents to hang clothes, install dish antennas, or place junk in balconies as it leads to an unaesthetic look, and violators could face penalties.
According to a municipality official, if an alteration on the balcony spoils the look of the building and goes against the building’s regulations, a warning will be issued to the tenant and they will need to restore the balcony to its original condition.
“As long as the installation does not affect the aesthetic appearance of the city, it’s not a problem. Residents can prevent pigeons from populating their balconies through various methods, but they need to make sure the methods are humane, and are not visible on the balcony,” he said.
He said using chemicals or unapproved products that can harm birds or reduce their population violates animal rights.
“It is a positive intent that tenants wish to keep their balcony pigeon-free and clean, because it also helps the building look clean,” the official said.
According to an Abu Dhabi-based doctor, though pigeons are harmless, what they leave behind can be a health hazard.
“The health risks from pigeon droppings arise from disease organisms which can thrive and grow in the accumulations of the droppings and feathers on balconies, ledges and ventilation ducts of buildings,” said Dr Nirajan Mukherjee, consultant paediatrician at King’s College Hospital London, Medical and Surgical Centre Abu Dhabi
“Fungal spores, bacteria, viruses and parasites can all multiply in this environment and pose problems for people particularly with pre-existing respiratory conditions and weakened immune systems,” he said.
Pigeon droppings, he added, can cause a multitude of infections potentially. “Those who have respiratory conditions like asthma and allergic rhinitis are at an increased risk of exaggeration of their symptoms. People with weakened immune system should not be associated with cleaning of the roosts.”
Marwa Jamal, a Lebanese mother living in Deira, said she has been reluctant about using pigeon-proofing methods for her apartment’s balcony because she does not want to violate regulations. She also said that bringing a cleaner to clean her balcony every week from pigeon droppings is costing her money. “The birds come back because my neighbour keeps feeding them and it is creating a mess in my balcony. I have to make sure it is cleaned regularly so my kids don’t end up catching any disease.”
Stella M., a Filipino resident of International City, says she has given up on reclaiming both her balconies from pigeons and relies on drying her clothes inside the house to avoid getting them dirty again.
“We have a notice below the building that says to not feed these birds, but neighbours continue to do so. It’s a waste to have two balconies and not be able to use them. I have to hang my clothes to dry inside the house. It takes up space and the clothes don’t dry fast.”
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 | Apr 13, 2017 | Bird Netting
Pigeon droppings on downtown sidewalks is not the image Park Rapids businesses and city leaders want to portray.
The Downtown Business Association (DBA) sees pigeons roosting atop downtown buildings as a real, and growing, problem in this busy district known for heavy foot traffic in the peak summer visitors season.
The city council on Tuesday authorized the DBA to take steps to eradicate the pigeon population through baiting and carcass removal.
According to information presented to the council Tuesday, pigeons have been a nuisance on Main Street for several years. The Hubbard County Developmental Achievement Center (DAC), with support of the Downtown Business Association, brought forth an initiative to control the pigeon population. The DAC operates the Tin Ceiling store on the 100 block of Main and due to the pigeon problem they power wash the sidewalk daily, and regularly spray the awning in front of the store to remove the accumulated droppings.
The DBA called in a pest exterminator to assess the situation and the DBA decided that baiting pigeons is the desired method to remove the nuisance birds. The Department of Agriculture was contacted and granted permission to bait the birds. The process would most likely involve baiting the pigeons with corn and then place poison for when the birds return to the same location.
“There is a widespread consensus that large populations of pigeons present serious health risks arising from disease organisms that grow in the nutrient-rich accumulations of bird droppings, feathers and debris under a roost. Such is the case when pigeons gather in buildings in downtown Park Rapids,” Cynthia Jones and Molly Luther wrote in a letter on behalf of the DBA and submitted to the city.
The Developmental Achievement Center plans to write a grant to cover the estimated $4,000 to $5,000 cost of the pigeon eradication plan.
“After all of our work to beautify downtown, the pigeon issue often takes center stage,” the DBA letter states. “For example, a resort owner recently reported that while participating in a sports show in Minneapolis an attendee remarked, ‘Oh, you’re from that town that has pigeon poop all over the sidewalks.'”
“I don’t think that’s the brand we want as a city,” Jones said in addressing the council Tuesday.
Jones explained the problem has become worse since the old water tower was torn down and now with the likelihood the old seed house on Highway 34 is going to be torn down those pigeons will need to find a new home as well.
“Baiting is not in the minds of some the most attractive way to deal with pigeons, but it is the most efficient and most cost effective way to deal with pigeons,” Jones explained.
CHI St. Joseph’s president Ben Koppelman sent a letter to the city council in support of the initiative to control the pigeon population downtown, citing it as a health and safety concern.
Pigeons roost around the main entrance at the south lobby and leave droppings on the sidewalks, in and around the main signage on the building, windows and window sills and on the brick siding.
“The pigeon population and roosting is more than a nuisance,” Koppelman wrote. “Large populations of pigeons may present serious health issues due to the growth of disease organisms that result from accumulations of bird droppings, roost debris, feathers, etc. Feral pigeons can harbor many pathogens that may be transmitted to humans and nearly 94 percent of the time this is by aerosol transmission. Although the risk for acquiring disease is very low for the general population, those with weakened immune systems (example: cancer, transplant recipients) have nearly 1,000 times greater risk from aerosol diseases.”
Koppelman went on to write that although there are other ways to eradicate pigeons, the baiting method proposed by the DAC in their grant request is the most effective and feasible for this situation.
A specific plan for baiting and the removal of pigeon carcasses downtown has not been laid out yet.
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 | Apr 12, 2017 | Bird Netting
Pasta, pizza, even ice cream, do not excite the taste buds quite like its most delicious of spring delicacies.
Colomba di Pasqua, otherwise known as Dove Cake, even soars above their other festive favourite, panettone, not simply because it replaces raisins with pearl sugar and almonds, but in the way it comes in the shape of a dove. No birds have a closer relationship with humanity than pigeons and doves. Note that the name is interchangeable: the street pigeon’s wild alter ego is the rock dove.
Doves were first domesticated in Mesopotamia 10,000 years ago and have gone on to provide us with their meat, the understated beauty of their plumage as well as running our messages. Albeit, they do leave a few themselves.
More Dickin Medals, the animals’ Victoria Cross, have also been presented to pigeons for their gallantry than to service dogs, war horses and naval cats combined.
The population of their country cousins, wood pigeons, expanded by 162 per cent between 1967 and 2014 to about six million pairs but its meteoric rise has been eclipsed by both the shy, nondescript stock dove as well as the collared dove.
Doves were first domesticated in Mesopotamia 10,000 years ago
Stock dove numbers have risen by 212 per cent since the mid-1960s while collared doves increased 327 per cent between 1972 and 2014.
But one dove species, perhaps the very one immortalised by the tradition of Colomba cake, has suffered the most serious recent decline of any British bird: the diffident, delectable turtle dove.
Few migratory birds match the beauty of this small dove with its tortoiseshell patterning and soft, rippling song. Indeed, its scientific name, Streptopelia turtur, is a reference to the haunting purr it delivers each spring.
The sound has become muted across Europe but nowhere worse than in the UK. Turtle dove numbers here have crashed by 97 per cent since England won the 1966 World Cup. Extinction on our shores seems inevitable over the next few decades.
If ever a bird needed celebrating this Easter, it is the turtle dove. Despite a hunting moratorium on Malta, they still face a fraught spring journey from African wintering grounds to a heavily farmed European landscape increasingly bereft of the hedgerows and copses they require for nesting. Herbicides destroying their weedy food, protozoan parasites and droughts south of the Sahara have only added to their woes.
For all their veneration in Biblical scripts and traditional songs – they are gifted in the Twelve Days of Christmas – turtle doves need just the kind of hero championed in one of the original stories about Colomba cake.
So goes the legend that Fifth Century Lombard warrior King Alboin was so smitten by the gift of a dove-shaped cake during a bitter siege, he not only offered a truce but vowed to always respect doves.
It saved the virtue of 12 virgins offered as peace tokens when, on asking the maidens their names, each told the king it was Dove.
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)
