by Pigeon Patrol | Apr 9, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
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The famous statue of ‘Jesus in Jeans’ on the front of St Philip’s Catholic Church, Uckfield is now pigeon-free, thanks to a halo of ‘flames.’
The £355,000 seven-foot statue, by Lewes-based sculptor Marcus Cornish, resulted in controversy and interest from across the globe when it was revealed in 2009. It was unveiled by The Pope’s ambassador to this country, the papal nuncio Archbishop Faustino Sainz Munoz, and the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton blessed it.
But birds soon found the statue a comfortable place to roost so the area below was soon plastered with bird droppings. The droppings are acidic and can damage painted, stone or wooden surfaces as well as making public areas slippery and unhygenic.
The church’s maintenance committee, helped by priest Father Stephen Hardaker, found a firm which could help. Cleankill Environmental Services from South London, which has expertise in controlling pest birds, was called in to assess the problem and came up with a solution.
Director Jon Whitehead, explained: “The sculpture has a hollow back which created a perfect home for around 20 pigeons. They would nest inside and rest on the halo creating an unsightly and unhygienic mess.”
So the firm used a special product called Bird Free Gel which they fixed to the statue at certain points, including the halo. The gel appears as flames to the birds so they are discouraged from landing.
The church’s maintenance head Alan Duncan said: “We are all so pleased that the problem has been solved. We were at a loss as to what to do next. At one point we put anti-bird spikes on various resting places, painting them gold to match the halo. Unfortunately, the pigeons were ‘most comfortable’ with the additions!
“The service we had from Cleankill was excellent and very professional, including many after-care visits.”
Cornish’s sculpture was funded by money left by Winifred Gregory, 87, a member of the congregation who passed away in 2008. Christ wears jeans and a shirt billowing in the wind while his hair and beard are neatly and fashionably trimmed. Marcus Cornish said: “The sculpture is simple and direct and I hope it sums up the feeling that Christ is always with us and that we are not to be afraid. The clothing is loosely contemporary in order to connect Christ to his people now as much as to his past.”
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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 | Apr 6, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
An underpass beneath the Long Island Expressway in Middle Village has gone to the birds.
Conditions at the pedestrian underpass at 80th Street and 57th Avenue have become increasingly worse over the last several months, according to residents who have complained about the unsightly and unsanitary conditions.
The underpass has seen a growing infestation of pigeons in the tunnel, which leave droppings, broken eggs, broken spikes and feathers along the pedestrian walkway. Along with the litter and other debris left by foot traffic, the underpass has become a hazardous and unclean environment for residents who use this bridge on a daily basis.
Recently, state Senator Joseph Addabbo and Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley visited the underpass.
Last week, Addabbo met with constituents at the underpass to discuss what could be done to fix the problems.
Addabbo had previously contacted the NYS Department of Transportation (DOT), which is responsible for the maintenance of the underpass, regarding the walkway’s conditions. The DOT had made efforts to clean up the sidewalks, but Addabbo believes that long-term measures are needed to prevent pigeons from gathering in the tunnel.
“The Department of Transportation listened to our concerns the first time around, and my constituents and I need them to hear us again now,” Addabbo said. “While we appreciate their efforts to tidy up this area, more needs to be done to prevent this situation from continuing to occur, worsening each time around. These pigeons and the mess they leave behind are making this walkway unbearable, and the people of Middle Village and the surrounding communities deserve better. Nobody wants to walk down a sidewalk covered in bird droppings and dirty feathers, and nobody should have to.”
Earlier in the week, Crowley joined members of the DOT to clean the underpass marred by nesting pigeons and debris. DOT started installing wooden planks along the underside of the bridge, blocking the areas from birds looking to roost.
“Pedestrians going to and from P.S. 58, Maspeth High School, Elmhurst Park, Grand Avenue and more walk under these elevated platforms every day,” Crowley said. “Keeping this underpass clean from pigeon dropping was a constant battle, but once complete, this project will give our residents the clean sidewalks and healthy space they deserve. This was a quality-of-life issue that needed our attention, and I thank the State DOT for taking action.”
A representative from the DOT confirmed the cleanup efforts at the site.
“We are adding wooden planks to deter pigeons at this location, and we believe this will serve as a permanent solution. We are also replacing any of the bird spikes that have been damaged, and we are adding additional spikes,” said Diane Park, public information office for the NYS DOT. “Additionally, this location is washed on a three-month cycle as part of NYSDOT’s bridgewashing program. It was last washed on Aug. 28, 2015.”
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 | Apr 3, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
A Monterey school was placed on lockdown as authorities investigated a man shooting pigeons with a pellet gun on a nearby roof, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
Around 2 p.m. Monday, students from private York School reported seeing a man with a rifle on a neighboring rooftop, and deputies placed the school on lockdown as they investigated the call.
Units from the Salinas and Monterey patrol areas of the sheriff’s office, a sheriff’s office K-9 unit, a sheriff’s bailiff, the sheriff’s air unit and the Monterey Police Department responded to the scene.
Deputies cleared the parking lot and the offices and determined the building owner at 24560 Silver Cloud Court was on the roof trying to eradicate pigeons with a pellet gun.
The man had left the area before authorities arrived but was compliant once contacted and admitted to using the pellet gun.
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 | Mar 31, 2016 | Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) — Two armed men are on the run after Clovis Police say they broke into a home and robbed an elderly couple. It happened Wednesday morning near Willow and Alluvial.
There were officers on every corner with a helicopter in the sky but only one person was able to confront the thieves – a woman named Marilyn Williams, “I heard my husband and he was like, ‘get the gun, get the gun…shoot him, shoot him,'” Williams said.
She was defending her home with a rifle and the men, she says were in her backyard, “I got up and went right out to them and they took off.”
Before this confrontation started, police say the thieves smashed a window to get into a home down the street and held an elderly couple at gunpoint.
“The assailants were armed with handguns and were wearing hoodies, masks and bandanas,” said Janet Stoll-Lee who is with the Clovis Police Department, “fortunately no one was hurt.”
She says the men took off with jewelry and a gun from the couple’s home.
Williams says they ran through the neighborhood, jumped some fences and landed in her backyard. That’s when she pulled out a rifle and she says they dropped a pillow case full of jewelry.
“Everybody is ok but they wouldn’t have been had I got to my gun soon enough,” Williams said.
Investigators recovered the stolen gun and jewelry but they need help finding the two home invasion suspects. If you have any information, you should call Clovis Police.
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 | Mar 28, 2016 | Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
A pensioner has been left with a £1,000 court bill for feeding the birds in her back garden.
Brenda Hawkins, 74, was hauled to court after neighbours complained about flocks of pigeons, jackdaws and seagulls descending on her home daily – likening it to a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.
After being fined £1,000 for ‘nuisance’, she was told the penalty would be as much as £2,500 next time if she continued putting out food – and a refusal to pay could result in a jail sentence.
Brenda Hawkins, (pictured) 74, was hauled to court after neighbours complained about flocks of pigeons, jackdaws and seagulls descending on her home daily
Ms Hawkins was fined £1,000 for ‘nuisance’ and she was told the penalty would be as much as £2,500 next time if she continued putting out food. A refusal to pay could result in a jail sentence
Locals in the seaside town of Rhos-on-Sea, North Wales, said up to 100 birds arrived in Mrs Hawkins’s garden every day, causing an intolerable mess and racket.
But yesterday, the retired personal assistant complained that Conwy council had punished her in a ‘draconian’ manner. Mrs Hawkins, who has lived in her semi-detached bungalow for more than 25 years, said: ‘I think it’s disgusting. The council has gone over the top to make an example of me.
‘My difficulty is that when feeding small birds, it’s inevitable that larger birds such as seagulls join in. I have no control over which birds turn up.’ She added: ‘I enjoy nature but now that’s been taken away from me. It’s a sad day for bird-loving people.’
Diane and Harold Fredman (pictured) live next door and their garden backs onto Brenda Hawkins. They said they see the birds all the time
Magistrates in Llandudno were told how around 80 to 100 pigeons, jackdaws and seagulls descended on Mrs Hawkins’s lawn and garden wall to eat seeds and other food she put out each morning
Neighbours said their cars, along with clothes on their washing lines, were regularly spattered with droppings
Magistrates in Llandudno were told how around 80 to 100 pigeons, jackdaws and seagulls descended on Mrs Hawkins’s lawn and garden wall to eat seeds and other food she put out each morning.
Neighbours said their cars, along with clothes on their washing lines, were regularly spattered with droppings. They claimed they felt threatened by the birds, which sometimes ‘dive-bombed’ residents in the otherwise quiet street.
The council first received complaints in May 2014, and Mrs Hawkins was offered advice on reducing the number of larger birds. But she refused to change her behaviour, and in June she was issued with a Community Protection Notice – similar to an anti-social behaviour order. She denied failing to comply with the notice, but magistrates found her guilty after hearing evidence from neighbours including Diane and Harold Fredman, whose garden backs onto Mrs Hawkins’s.
Mrs Fredman, 69, said: ‘The noise from the flapping of wings and the seagulls was horrendous. Putting that amount of food out with no consideration for neighbours is ridiculous.’
Her daughter Alex Harvey, 35, added: ‘It’s like a scene from the Hitchcock horror film The Birds when huge flocks swoop into the garden.’
But Mrs Hawkins’s husband Derek, 78, said there had been no complaints until the Fredmans moved in, describing the couple as having a ‘vendetta’.
Mrs Hawkins was fined £200, also paying costs of £409, a criminal court charge of £520 and a surcharge of £20, leaving her with a £1,149 bill.
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 | Mar 25, 2016 | Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
25India and her neighbours ought to remember that from superstition to intolerance is often a short step
We’re in a sort of skiff under a small bridge over the river Ravi in Lahore. Heavy traffic, incessant honking, and all the expected city noises fill the air. The river itself is sluggish, and, like the Yamuna in Delhi, more a drain than a river. As our little boat makes its way from one shore to another, a strange packet floats down from the bridge into the river. I think resignedly how alike we are across borders: stand anywhere, and chuck anything overboard without a thought about the consequences.
But I’m wrong — in one thing at least. This is not rubbish as I soon discover: a bunch of kites parked on a small mud island quickly wing it across and pick at the packet. Later, standing on the bridge, the story unravels. Dotted here and there along both sides of the bridge are men and women holding plastic bags. They’re poor, some are disabled and what they have in their hands is meat — the offal and leftover bits of meat that humans don’t eat, which they purchase from butchers for cheap.
Here, on the bridge, the meat-sellers stand and offer this to anyone who wants to leverage some good karma by feeding the birds. So, the rich and the middle-class stop by, and they or their drivers step out and buy, and then cursorily chuck it over the side. Good deed done, they can get on with life. Meanwhile, as an environmental activist tells me, the birds suffer, they grow fatter and fatter, and sometimes this kills them and their numbers fall.
I’m struck by how alike we are — no matter that we are across the border. And no matter that there may be differences in religion. Here, in Delhi, every day when I drive to work, I see a similar sight.
Turning off the main road to the lane that leads to my office, I traverse a small traffic island on my right. Here, every morning, a young man arrives bearing two large sacks of grain and chana, and a number of light metal plates. He sets himself up with four or five plates and, soon enough, cars stop, oblivious to the vehicles of office-going people they are blocking. They buy a plate and then chuck its contents right there. Then, there’s a great flapping of wings as hundreds of pigeons descend onto the food and begin to eat it up. Meanwhile the grain-throwers get on with life, secure in the knowledge that they have earned their brownie points for this life and the next.
The scattering of grain on the ground goes on all day. By evening, the pigeons are stuffed and disinterested, the young entrepreneur (what else can you call him?) is still there, and sometimes a desultory customer will show up and he’ll get some more business. One day I watched a young girl arrive in a large limousine. While her rich parent sat in car, the girl stepped out, ayah in tow. Instructions relayed from parent to driver to ayah to the supremely bored girl, who followed those nonetheless. Perhaps she had an exam to clear or an engagement in the offing.
Elsewhere there may be people feeding monkeys, or cows, or crows. It’s a strange thing: we destroy their habitat, and then feed them silly to gain good karma.
I’m struck by many things about this phenomenon: there’s the spirit of entrepreneurship. For the poor, whether it’s in Lahore or Delhi or elsewhere, it’s a way to trade on people’s blind faith and make a rupee or two out of it. You have to admire that.
But then, there’s also this question that bothers me every day: how have we become so deeply superstitious? Where does that come from? And why are we unable — or unwilling — to see that the pigeons and kites and other sundry animals and birds are being overfed?
There are other concerns too: it’s easy for me to laugh at the pigeon-feeders but this isn’t just funny. It’s precisely this kind of superstition and blind belief that kills the Dabholkars, Pansares and Kalburgis of this world. From superstition to intolerance is often a short step: you can convince yourself that, say, eating beef will bring you bad karma — even if it’s your neighbour eating it — and you then take law into your own hands and kill them. Or you can convince yourself that a woman is actually a witch and you destroy her life (and sometimes take over her property too).
Increasingly, in India today — and who knows, perhaps across the border too — using superstition and blind belief, or exploiting the human need for faith, have become weapons in the hands of cynical politicians and corporates.
If a builder can conduct human sacrifices to appease the evil spirits in a building where people will live and love and give birth and die, there has to be something seriously wrong with us.
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)
