by Pigeon Patrol | Aug 13, 2024 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Law
The Cheesy Toast Stack, a popular sandwich shop in St Andrews, has introduced a unique countermeasure against an unusual problem: seagull theft. Dubbed ‘seagull insurance’, this initiative gives customers the option to pay an additional £1 to safeguard their purchase against aerial bandits.
Angry seagull with open beak
Sam Larg, the founder of The Cheesy Toast Stack, spoke to The Telegraph about the challenges his business faces with the increasing boldness of local seagulls. During the peak summer months, the problem of these birds swooping down to snatch customers’ food has intensified. “Replacing up to 10 sandwiches a day has pushed us to think innovatively about solutions,” Larg commented. With 10 years in business, this summer has been notably problematic, marked by frequent disturbances from the birds.
The new insurance scheme was conceived as a way to manage the financial burden of providing free replacements for stolen food. Larg expressed his concern about the sustainability of their previous approach: “It always felt cold-hearted to turn down a customer for a replacement, but continuously offering free meals is becoming untenable for our business.”
The insurance option is not just a business move but also carries a community spirit. Larg plans to donate any profits from the insurance at the end of the season to local entities, such as the football club and charities. This gesture aims to support community initiatives while addressing the shop’s operational challenges.
The background to this peculiar issue was highlighted by recent research from Emma Inzani of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Exeter’s Penryn Campus. Her study on seagull behaviour indicates that while these birds do occasionally steal human food, they show a natural preference for their traditional diet of fish, such as mackerel and sprat. Inzani suggests that reduced fish availability in UK waters might be driving the gulls to adapt to more urban food sources. “Although urban foods are more accessible, seagulls still choose fish whenever possible, which is less energy-consuming than scavenging in urban areas,” she explained.
by Pigeon Patrol | Jul 9, 2024 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Law, Bird Netting, Bird Spikes
Birth control for bird control? Toronto put pigeons on the pill to fight the flock
A city pilot that put pigeons on the pill to regulate the population costs about $24,000 a year and is listed as a success in this year’s budget.
Toronto’s pigeon problemA city pilot that put pigeons on the pill to regulate the population costs about $24,000 a year and is listed as a success in this year’s budget.
Luis Canseco gets anxious when he walks across the Yonge Street and Finch Avenue intersection because he knows he’s directly in the line of fire.
Not from cars or trucks — Canseco keeps a wary eye on the wires overhead where dozens of pigeons congregate, feather to feather.
Whether he can make it across unscathed has become a crapshoot. “I’ve been hit with liquid three times in the last year,” said Canseco. “Now I cross it with an umbrella, rain or not.”
Toronto’s prodigious pigeon population has long been a frustration for residents who — even away from their excrement-painted balconies — can seem like collateral damage in a war being waged between those who want to feed the flocks and those who want them gone.
Coun. Lily Cheng (Ward 18 Willowdale), whose ward includes Canseco’s intersection, said many residents have complained about the influx in recent years.
“There’s many condo residents who no longer feel like they can use their balconies, which is what precious outdoor space they have,” said Cheng, noting there’s been more signage in her ward imploring people to stop feeding the birds. “It’s just not hygienic and hard to keep clean.”
In an effort to humanely reduce the numbers of feathered bombers, the city has put some of them on the pill, an endeavour listed as a success in this year’s budget. Under the pilot project that began in May 2022, the city has set up feeders in four locations across the city that dispense feed laced with OvoControl — birth control for birds.
Esther Attard, veterinarian and director of Toronto Animal Services, said her department worked with a pest control company to set up automated rooftop feeders: two downtown, one in East York and one in North York. City staff are looking at adding a fifth downtown.
According to Attard, OvoControl has proven to be a humane, successful baby blocker for birds in various countries, including Spain where a recent study showed a steady decrease in the avian population after several years.
The feeders dispense a fixed amount of food that contains the birth control pellets at the same time every day. The flock size is then tracked by a nearby camera, although it’s nearly impossible to get the same pigeons to take their daily dose.
Attard said the pilot costs about $500 per site for a flock of no more than 150 pigeons, or about $2,000 a month for all four sites.
Attard said there has been “some decrease” in the flock size, but she expects to have a better picture of its progress by the summer.
“The bulk of them are domestic, abandoned pigeons,” she said, noting the 2022 bylaw amendment to restrict the number of pigeons residents can keep. “The difficulty has been getting people to stop feeding and conditioning them.”
Canseco said he’s concerned about the health implications of having so much excrement around the city, but Attard noted that while it could carry silicosis or salmonella, the risk to humans is notably low and rarely poses a public health threat.
Vancouver’s TransLink tried a similar tactic at eight SkyTrain stations in 2019. The city’s automated rapid transit was often disrupted by pigeons that ended up on the tracks, triggering intrusion alarms, hard brakes and unnecessary service delays. A spokesperson for TransLink said the project lasted 18 months and returned in 2022 at seven stations. While the pigeon populations have not increased, Thor Diakow said, they also haven’t declined.
Attard said the method doesn’t harm the birds, even if they embrace their greed for feed and swallow more than one daily dose, but it also doesn’t harm what few seagulls and squirrels have gotten into the laced food.
Nathalie Karvonen, biologist and executive director of animal rescue Toronto Wildlife Centre, neither endorses nor condemns the pilot project.
“People tend to ride into two camps: either they are adamant they must continue to feed animals or they’re very upset because there’s too many pigeons,” Karvonen said, adding that as long as it’s humane and fiscally responsible the pilot is better than the cruel practices of poisoning or trapping and killing them.
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by Pigeon Patrol | Jul 8, 2024 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Law, Bird Netting, Bird Spike, Bird Spikes, Columbidae, Pigeon Spikes
At least one of the protesters’ claims is undeniably true. No one asked 2,000 pigeons if they wanted to have lights strapped to their legs in the name of art.
Nor did anyone ask the birds how they felt about being shooed from their homes at dusk and sent flying up to illuminate the Brooklyn sky.
But whether Duke Riley’s avian-powered performance piece “Fly by Night” constitutes pigeon abuse is a more complicated question.
More than 5,000 people have signed a change.org petition calling for the show, which opened May 7 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, to be closed. At Sunday’s performance, a gaggle of protesters — perhaps several dozen — gathered outside the Navy Yard gates.
Their charges: that the birds are terrified by the flapping plastic flag Mr. Riley waves to keep them flying; that it is unnatural to make pigeons fly at night, when they normally rest; and that between their poor night vision and the distractions of the moving lights, they could become disoriented and crash into the East River.
An artist, Duke Riley, has trained 2,000 pigeons to fly above the Brooklyn Navy Yard with tiny lights attached to their ankles in a performance that will run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through June 12. An artist, Duke Riley, has trained 2,000 pigeons to fly above the Brooklyn Navy Yard with tiny lights attached to their ankles in a performance that will run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through June 12.CreditCredit…Yousur Al-Hlou
“There’s plenty of ways to create beautiful art without using unwilling participants who are forced to perform,” said Nora Marino, who runs the Animal Cruelty Exposure Fund.
Mr. Riley has kept pigeons most of his adult life, and says the birds are not suffering and that they fly when he waves his trash-bag flag for the same reason a dog gets excited when you pull out your car keys. The birds are not forced to fly, Mr. Riley said — every night, some choose to stay in their coops.
The show’s critics say “Fly by Night” disregards the growing sentiment against performing animals. Ringling Bros. is retiring its circus elephants, SeaWorld its killer whales.
Before “Fly by Night” opened, the nonprofit arts group that organized it, Creative Time, asked the director of the Wild Bird Fund, Rita McMahon, to inspect. The fund, based on the Upper West Side, treats more than 2,000 sick and injured pigeons a year.
“Mixing art and animals is a very risky business,” said Ms. McMahon, who is a state-licensed wildlife rehabilitator, “but I was very impressed.” The pigeons were healthy and well fed, their temporary homes beautiful and clean.
“I didn’t see any traumatized pigeons,” she added. “You see them mating, courting, everything, all over the boat. I think that’s a pretty good sign.”
“Fly by Night” runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until June 12, and the protesters say they will be out every night for the rest of the run.
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
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by Pigeon Patrol | Mar 11, 2024 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Law, Bird Netting, Bird Spikes
Staff at B.C. prison bust another backpack-wearing pigeon
Correctional officers say they’ve caught another backpack-wearing pigeon at a B.C. prison.
John Randle, regional president for the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers, said the bird was captured inside the Matsqui Institution, a medium-security prison in Abbotsford, on Feb. 27.
Unlike a similar pigeon caught on the grounds of the nearby Pacific Institution in December, this pigeon’s backpack was empty. The prior pigeon was carrying a cargo of methamphetamine.
“The best guess, or educated guess I could make right now is that it looks like they were training this one to eventually bring in a package,” Randle said. “They didn’t find anything in the backpack that was secured to the pigeon.” The backpack, he told Global News, was fabricated out of blue jeans and bed sheets.
B.C. prison guards intercept pigeon carrying crystal meth “It’s a huge concern. We’re fighting the drone issue big time right now, almost on a daily basis. And now we’re going to start worrying about wildlife,” he said. “(We’re) searching and watching the skies I guess. It’s kind of funny to say that.”
Randle said the drone problem is a growing concern, noting that correctional officers had intercepted everything from ceramic knives to cellphones to drugs.
He said officers want to see more action from the federal government to combat smuggling, such as the deployment of netting or drone detection systems. Randle said corrections officers were also working with police on the smuggling problem.
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
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by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 7, 2023 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Law, Bird Netting, Bird Spikes
PROBLEMS OF PIGEON HABITS AND HABITATS
Pigeons aren’t menacing to humans, but they can be problematic when they build a nest inside a structure. Although most people love to feed pigeons in the park, they aren’t so happy with the negative effects. The same place where pigeons roost becomes a space for pigeon droppings. These droppings are acidic and cause a lot of damage to property. Eaves and gutters can get clogged, which leaves your home vulnerable to water damage and leaks. Humans can also potentially slip and fall on the mess that accumulates. In addition, pigeon droppings can carry disease and parasites. Pigeons damage plants and crops in search of food. They don’t have natural predators, so it can be difficult to control their population. A group of pigeons can be very noisy, especially when dealing with the sound every day, 24 hours a day. Movies may romanticize the cooing that pigeons make, but when you’re woken up on a lazy Sunday morning, it’s not so idealistic. Pigeons may also bring lice, ticks, and other insects to your home through their nest.
HOW TO GET RID OF PIGEONS
If you have a flock of pigeons living in your home or business, you will need to take multiple steps to eliminate the problem. Modern pigeons may not be used as messengers any longer, but they do have a strong homing instinct. They cannot simply be relocated to remove them. Removal should be performed by a professional wildlife service that can employ countermeasures that prevent pigeons from returning to the nest.
- The nest area will need to be cleaned and disinfected.
- All food and water sources will have to be removed.
- A prevention plan will need to be established.
- Entry points of the home must be sealed off properly.
One important consideration in removing birds is to know any laws that pertain. In some jurisdictions, it is illegal to remove birds and bird’s nests with eggs, even if the birds are a nuisance. Depending on where you live, you may need to work with a wildlife agency to remove the pigeons, which is why we always recommend calling a professional.
HOW TO KEEP PIGEONS AWAY FROM YOUR HOME
Once you’ve removed the pigeons, prevention is key. The goal is to make your home as unappealing to birds as possible. Installing physical barriers, such as screens or netting, can prevent pigeons from roosting, but it’s not always practical in certain locations. There are other options that deter pigeons from nesting, such as spikes, audio, or taste deterrents and bird wire. In some cases, it’s enough to install reflective surfaces or metal surfaces that reflect sunlight. These deterrents affect a pigeon’s ability to see and keep them away from your garden or home. Keep in mind that you may want to deter pigeons from roosting in your garden without repelling beneficial wildlife, such as hummingbirds or bees. Professional wildlife removal services can help you get rid of pests without harming other wildlife. Don’t try to deal with a pigeon nest on your own. Professional wildlife control services in North York are available to keep your family safe and to prevent re-infestation. Contact Skedaddle for safe, effective, and humane wildlife removal.
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or 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 Roosing / 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 26, 2023 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Law, Bird Netting, Bird Spikes
Through genomic sequencing, researchers at the University of Utah have discovered a single gene responsible for pigeon wing patterns and human blindness.
Genetic differences cause an infinite number of differences between species and within species, for example, the variation in human hair color.
Another example is that all of the pigeons that you see have one of only four different feather patterns. These feather patterns are due to genetic differences.
“Pigeon breeders and early pigeon biologists and geneticists found that these four different patterns seemed to be determined by a single genetic locus or a single spot on the genome,” said Anna Vickrey, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Utah and the lead investigator of this new research.
Vickery and her collaborators found that the one gene causes the four different feather patterns in pigeons.
“What we were excited to find is that there’s two kinds of variation… that was really exciting for us to find these two different mechanisms acting on a single gene that is making this suite of wing patterns,” Vickrey said.
In investigating the genetics behind pigeon feather patterns, Vickery and her collaborators made an unexpected discovery about blindness in humans.
“The gene that we ended up finding associated with the wing patterns is pretty well studied in humans in the context of a hereditary disease that causes blindness,” Vickrey.
Future research will explore this pigeon-human genetic connection.
“So in humans… what happens is their vasculature in their eyes doesn’t develop correctly and so we’re working with some collaborators to look at vasculature in pigeons’ eyes to see if it’s developing normally or if it might be similarly affected,” said Vickrey.
Source
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor or 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 Roosing / 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
