by Pigeon Patrol | Jul 15, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, UltraSonic Bird Control
SINGAPORE — The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) has issued a warning letter to a home owner who had suspended a live mynah from a string from his window to scare the bird after it defecated in his Yishun home.
The AVA investigated the incident after it was flagged by the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), which had responded to a call reporting the incident in November last year. ACRES had also shared a video on its Facebook page showing the hung mynah.
Responding to queries, the AVA said the mynah had flown into a flat and defecated inside.
“The home owner caught the mynah and suspended it outside a window by its tied legs, in an attempt to scare the mynah,” said an AVA spokesperson. “The home owner had intended to release the mynah.”
According to ACRES, the father of the caller who reported the case to ACRES’s Animal Crime Investigation Unit had approached the home owner asking him to release the mynah, but was told to “get lost”. The bird was released after the police were called in.
In its response, the AVA said the public can deter birds from entering homes by ensuring that food and refuse are properly handled and not left out in the open or by installing bird-proofing equipment such as screens or netting on windows.
When contacted, ACRES founder Louis Ng expressed disappointment at the AVA’s “light” response.
“Obviously we had hoped for stronger enforcement (beyond) just letting him off with a warning, especially considering the abuse was intentional,” said Mr Ng, pointing out that the Animals and Birds Act had been amended to take into account incidents of intentional animal cruelty.
Mr Ng, who is also a Member of Parliament for Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency, added that the incident might have psychological repercussions for the bird, and a stronger penalty could have acted as a deterrence to potential animal abusers.
In a Facebook post last Saturday (March 5) sharing that the AVA had taken action against the home owner, ACRES also suggested humane ways of scaring birds off, such as by hanging wind chimes, placing scarecrow or predator visuals, and applying non-toxic bird-repellent spray.
“We hope that, through education, people can learn to live in greater harmony with our native birds,” it said in the post.
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 | Jul 10, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services
CARLSBAD N.M. (KRQE) – Saying their dirty and dangerous, a New Mexico town in cracking down on pigeons. Feed them and you can get in trouble.
People in the Cavern City say pigeons are everywhere.
“There are quite a few pigeons here around town and at the different businesses,” said Shayella Yarbrough, Carlsbad resident.
Now the city of Carlsbad has decided to take action. City council approved an ordinance that ban residents from feeding or providing environments that attract pigeons.
“It will help move them away from the city, move them out of the middle of this city. I get calls all the time about people wanting to know how to get rid of pigeons,” said Woods Houghton, Program Director for the Eddy County Extension Office.
The city says the ordinance will help eliminate some of the health risks associated with the bird’s droppings.
Also known as rock pigeons or rock doves, the city classifies them as birds not native to North America.
“They’re called trash birds because they communicate a lot of known diseases to both livestock and humans,” said Houghton.
Now people in Carlsbad caught feeding or harboring the birds could face fines up to $500 or even jail time but the city says it doesn’t want it to come to that. They just want people to stop making the birds feel so at home in Carlsbad
“You know in town it’s definitely a good thing to do, especially around restaurants, areas where there is food preparation for humans,” said Houghton.
A lot of people in town say they will be happy to see the birds gone. “It’s just really unsanitary and not really nice,” said Yarbrough.
The city also says people can still feed native birds and set up birdhouses just not for 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)
by Pigeon Patrol | Jul 9, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting
But the authority claims the note was delivered around the Palmer estate “in error”, and has launched an investigation into its “clearly inappropriate” content. The menacing letter, purporting to be from “quality assurance officer” Gassimu Jah, is littered with grammatical errors and orders residents to stop feeding pigeons due to a build-up of excrement on Littlefield Close and Greatfield Close. It reads: “Islington are not prepared to allow this kind of behaviour and will take steps to enforce the conditions of tenancy and covenant which may [sic] severe consequences including court action and could lead to injunction or the loss of your home. “Islington council have appointed a ‘professional witness’ to obtain video and hear say evidence to identify the culprits of this behaviour. No further warnings will be given regarding this issue.” But after being approached by the Gazette, a council spokesman said: “This letter was sent out in error and is clearly inappropriate. We are looking into how it went out and apologise for any upset. “We would only ever use a professional witness in instances where we believe serious crimes are happening or suspected, which is clearly not the case here.” Ryan Ross, who lives in Greatfield Close, told London24: “It seems strange it would say that they were delivered in error. They were hand delivered on Tuesday – I think the council is backtracking.” The 28-year-old added: “The council has delivered letters like this before, with a similar tone. It had a go at me once for not using a parking permit properly. “I never feed pigeons myself, so I didn’t feel particularly threatened by the letter. To be honest, I’ve never even noticed any pigeons around here. “What struck me most was the threat of spying. The people who feed pigeons tend to be elderly, so if this was real, it was targeted at them. Either way, it’s not something that makes you feel welcome.”
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 | Jul 5, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting
A new ban in this New Mexico city is ruffling a lot of feathers.
Carlsbad’s city council passed an ordinance prohibiting feeding pigeons, with punishments that could mean fines or even jail time.
The Cavern City blamed pigeons for spreading disease, damaging buildings and ruining outdoor experiences in the ordinance.
Many of the public health risks come from an abundance of pigeon droppings across the city.
The ban’s goal is to drive the pigeon population down by cutting off their food supply.
Pigeons have become a major issue for this New Mexico city, officials noted.
Pigeons have become a major issue for this New Mexico city, officials noted.
“It will help move them away from the city, move them out of the middle of this city,” Woods Hougton, program director for the Eddy Count Extension Office, told KRQE. “They’re called trash birds because they communicate a lot of known diseases to both livestocks and humans.”
The feeding ban will only apply to feral pigeons, as “domesticated birds used for recreation, racing, or show,” as well as injured pigeons being rehabilitated are excluded from the new ordinance.
Enthusiasts with feeders will be allowed to keep their birdhouses as well — as long as it doesn’t attract more pigeons.
While violating the feeding law can result in a harsh punishment, council members have said they hope it will not escalate to jail time.
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 | Jul 4, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, UltraSonic Bird Control
A rat or pigeon might not be the obvious choice to tend to someone who is sick, but these creatures have some superior skills that could help the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases.
Pigeons are often seen as dirty and an urban nuisance, but they are just the latest in a long line of animals that have been found to have abilities to help humans.
Despite having a brain no bigger than the tip of your index finger, pigeons have an impressive visual memory.
Recently it was shown that they could be trained to be as accurate as humans at detecting breast cancer in images.
Here are three more of our feathered and furry friends who could have a big impact in medicine.
From lab rats to lab technicians
Rats are often associated with spreading disease rather than preventing it, but this long-tailed rodent is a highly sensitive detector that can save lives.
Inside a rodent’s nose are up to 1,000 different types of olfactory receptors, whereas humans only have a feeble 100 to 200 types. This gives rodents, such as rats, the ability to sniff out subtle scents.
As a result, African-pouched rats – commonly described as “kitten-sized rodents” – are being put to work in Mozambique to detect tuberculosis.
The African pouched rats are highly accurate TB detectors
Their abilities are being studied at the Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo, where trained rats can detect a specific scent produced by TB bacteria in human mucus samples.
When the rats detect the scent, they stop and rub their legs to indicate a sample is infected.
Traditionally, lab technicians prepare slides and examine each sample using microscopy. A hundred samples would take them more than two days, but for a rat it takes less than 20 minutes.
This rat detection method is affordable and doesn’t rely on specialist equipment, which is often lacking in countries where TB is prevalent.
It is also more accurate – the rats are able to find more TB infections and, therefore, save more lives.
Doctor dog – the emergency seizure detector
Dogs have long been considered a human’s best friend – but over the years they’ve really proved how skilful they can be.
Recently, there has also been a focus on dogs that seem to have the extraordinary ability to detect when people with epilepsy are about to have a seizure – even when the person has no idea themselves.
Sally Burton’s epilepsy began as a child and affected every aspect of her life from a young age.
“I could never be left alone,” she says. “I had to be home taught and making friends or meeting new people was difficult. I often felt very lonely.”
Thirteen years ago she got her first seizure alert dog, Star.
“Having a seizure alert dog instantly made my life liveable,” Sally explains.
Robbie warns Sally when she is going to have a seizure
“One of the first things I did when I first had Star was to make myself a cup of tea, something I had not been able to do in 30 years because of the risks of having a seizure when holding boiling water. I then went into town on my own – again a life-time first.”
It is still not known how dogs can sense a seizure. It has been suggested that minute changes in a person’s gestures or posturing could alert the dog, but people have also thought that a scent or auditory cue might also be involved.
After Star passed away, Sally teamed up with her second dog Robbie. Like Star, he was trained by a British charity, Support Dogs.
The charity has shown they are able to train dogs that are able to provide signals, such as persistently nudging someone’s leg, between 15 and 45 minutes before their owner had a seizure.
Although there is still little other published evidence to back up their effectiveness, the anecdotal evidence for seizure dogs like Robbie is strong.
“When I am out it is reassuring to know that Robbie will give me a 100% reliable 50-minute warning prior to every oncoming seizure I have – so plenty of time to get somewhere safe,” Sally says.
The secrets of cow saliva
Drool, dribble, or spit. Whatever you call it, saliva can be thought of as disgusting. But many animals lick their wounds, applying liberal amounts of the stuff to try and prevent infection.
Saliva across the animal kingdom can have antimicrobial properties – including saliva from the humble cow.
Studies have shown that there are proteins in a cow’s bodily fluids, including its saliva and milk, that have bug-fighting properties.
Saliva across the animal kingdom has been shown to have antimicorbial properties
Salvia also contains proteins – called mucins – that can work to prevent further bacteria entering the wound.
Experts don’t recommend letting an animal lick your wounds as they could introduce other bacteria, but if you don’t fancy that then, luckily, your own spit also contains antibacterial properties.
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 | Jun 30, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
TransportNI plans to install spikes, mesh and possibly take other anti-pigeon measures on Craigavon Bridge in an attempt to solve a bird dropping crisis that has led to the closure of the footpath across the lower deck.
But engineers say the work will only be concentrated on areas of the bridge where the build-up of pigeon droppings has begun to pose a slippery safety risk for walkers and cyclists as it would be impossible to totally pigeon-proof the thoroughfare.
Harry Gallagher, a section engineer at TransportNI, has written to SDLP Councillor Martin Reilly, stating: “Additional measures are being planned at the worst location to help deter pigeon roosting mess at Craigavon Bridge.
“These measures are likely to involve the use of mesh and spikes although I am prepared to consider other means as well.
“Efforts are being concentrated on the worst affected areas as there are so many possible ledges on Craigavon Bridge it does not seem realistic to make it pigeon proof.”
Mr Gallagher went on to warn that spikes are not always a panacea for pigeon invasions and backed this up with a picture of pigeons happily ignoring them and roosting at an underpass at Stockman’s Lane in Belfast.
“Spikes are very much one of the measures available but I would add a note of caution as to their effectiveness,” wrote Mr Gallagher.
Meanwhile, the lower deck pavement remains closed.
“The lower footway on Craigavon Bridge is currently closed to pedestrians.
“Once the new measures have been installed next week the footway below will be cleaned but rather than reopen the footway immediately I would prefer to keep it closed for another week or two so that the effectiveness of the new measures can be observed (by the cleanliness of the footway),” wrote Mr Gallagher.
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)
