It may sound hard to believe, but pigeons are actually a bit of a nuisance to human populations, no matter how attractive these pests can be. Pest control measures frequently include pigeon deterrent procedures due to the risk of disease and property damage that pigeons can bring.
When getting rid of pigeons, practical traps and repellents are the best options to utilise to ensure the birds are repelled from your property. Falconry, anti-bird spikes, parallel wires, bird netting, bird gels, decoy kites, and lasers are all effective in ridding pigeons from your property.
This article will go over some basic tips about pigeon behaviour as well as a range of ways to help keep pigeons away. Read on to discover more. If you are interested in our pigeon control services then please contact us for a quote.
Pigeon Behaviour
Pigeons have long been a bird that is renowned for its beauty but feared for its nuisance behaviour. The types of pigeons that regularly cause concern for home and business owners are known as feral pigeons.
Pigeons will typically gather together in a behaviour known as roosting, which is easily seen by detecting large groups of pigeons congregating on rooftops and the eaves and sides of buildings. Even if you go to great lengths to never feed pigeons to help get rid of them, most people usually feed pigeons inadvertently by dropping grain-rich foods on the ground and leaving the lids of waste bins.
Similar in the way that cockroaches and bed bugs are dependent on humans for food and shelter, it can be said that pigeons share the same trait. These pests have come to rely on grains for survival, which is why pigeons are a staple of the surrounding environment of agricultural sites, feed processing plants, as well as parks, large recreation areas, and restaurants located within cities.
This may not sound alarming, but pigeons regularly drop waste on sidewalks and buildings, which can damage the exterior look of structures over time. Additionally, people can slip and fall when walking through pigeon waste, and feral pigeons can actually carry a range of diseases.
With this in mind, considering how to get rid of pigeons is a valid question to ask.
How to Get Rid of Pigeons Without Hurting Them
It is illegal to kill pigeons or any other wild bird species due to the wording of the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. This means that the birds can only be repelled, and by far, the best way to scare pigeons and keep nesting pigeons away is to use falconry.
Falconry
There are some products that you can use to deter pigeons (more on these below), but the use of birds of prey is great because this natural method directly triggers the fight or flight response within pigeons.
Our method is to allow our birds to circle and fly over the problem area on a regular basis. Pigeons soon get the message that the territory is occupied by a predator, and will take wing and move on.
Using a natural threat like this is the most humane and effective way to rid your property of pigeons on a long-term basis. Falconry can deter pigeons and prevent pigeons from becoming a nuisance to your property, and you do not have to worry about utilising spike strips or other pigeon deterrents to get rid of pigeons.
Additional Procedures to Take to Keep Pigeons Away
When it comes to figuring out how to get rid of pigeons, falconry is the most natural and effective form of pest control you can use. Precautionary measures like removing bird feeders or leaving food and water out of bird feeders can be effective, but it will likely take more than refraining from the urge to feed pigeons to break up the habit of roosting.
In all of the following procedures, you have to make sure that whatever form of pest control you take, the pigeons may become accustomed to the devices, and therefore, you may have to change up the procedure from time to time to get rid of pigeons and keep them away.
Let’s explore some methods to get rid of pigeons:
Anti-Bird Spikes
Anti-bird spikes or ‘spike strips’ are a set of attachable spikes that can be fastened to a surface to prevent pigeons from perching or nesting in areas you want to keep bird-free. The spikes will not necessarily harm the birds, which is good in order to stay on the right side of the law; however, the spikes will deter the birds from setting up shop wherever the spikes are laid.
Parallel Wires
Bird-proofing with parallel wires is a great way to keep pigeons away from your roof or other areas of your home that are attractive to the birds. This method works by using parallel wires that run across the structure that prevents pigeons from landing and nesting.
Bird Netting
Bird netting is somewhat unsightly but is very effective at keeping pigeons out of certain places. This mesh netting works much like the previous examples and creates a net barrier that prevents the birds from nesting.
Bird Gels
A sticky trap, or sticky gel, is a bird repellent that keeps pigeons at bay by using a chemical that creates a translucent barrier across structures that causes a bird’s feet to become stuck to the surface, which makes the bird struggle to get free. A pigeon would not want to go through the experience of having to break free of the sticky chemical a second time and therefore, will avoid landing on structures that contain the gel.
Decoy Kites
Decoy kites can get rid of bird populations by using a kite-shaped decoy bird image to sway in the wind to deter a pigeon from landing in a certain area. This method can be effective, but it may not work since decoys can sometimes be easily overlooked, which makes this method problematic to get rid of pigeons.
Lasers
Lasers used against pigeon populations can be effective due to the piercing light that blinds the pigeons once they scout an area for nesting or roosting. This method can be initially effective, however, the pigeons may become accustomed to the lasers over time and simply get out the way.
What Do Pigeons Hate?
Pigeons hate the sight or presence of other domineering birds, such as birds of prey. This is what makes falconry such a successful deterrent in getting rid of pigeon populations.
Additionally, pigeons do not like strong smells, such as cinnamon or hot pepper juice or spray. If you can safely reach the areas where the pigeon colony is roosting and nesting, you can spray and apply these substances to help drive the birds away.
How Do I Get Rid of Pigeons On My Roof?
Pigeon colonies look for places to hide and nest and there is no better area better suited for this than the roof. When it comes to figuring out how to scare off pigeons from your roof, the best method is to figure out methods that will keep populations away from the roof.
A good pigeon repellent to consider using for your roof is bird netting or parallel wires. These two methods need little upkeep on your part and can work around the clock to keep the birds firmly off of your roof.
If you are wondering how to scare pigeon colonies from roof structures, decoy kites require less installation, but you have to make sure the birds do not become used to the sight of the decoy kite.
Falconry is the easiest method to consider since our birds mimic the same basic patterns of flight and acclimating to heights as pigeons.
What Smell Do Pigeons Not Like?
As previously mentioned, strong and repellent scents and smells like pepper or even essential oils may deter pigeon populations for a time. To get rid of pigeons completely with smells, you would have to consistently spread the scents all over their roosting and nesting spots to make the habitat unlivable.
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