by Pigeon Patrol | Aug 6, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
Neighbors of a woman from Hull have won a four-year battle to get her to stop feeding birds.
The town took Gail Kansky to court because of the swarms of sparrows, pigeons, and other birds that surround her bird feeder and her home. It claimed the flocks of birds were causing a health hazard.
“There are people complaining of illness, complaining of odor. There’s quite a bit of noise,” said Hull Town Manager Phil Lemnios.
After repeated demands and a restraining order, the case ended up in court.
“The birds are on my back deck. They’re on my front porch. They’re on my roof,” said John McKinnon. “They leave bird feces on virtually everything we own.”
Kansky says she’s the victim of neighborhood bullies.
“The town is doing it because of the next door neighbors. They’re really their attorneys. They’re not doing it for the town. They know there’s no health hazard,” she said.
Now a housing court judge has ruled Kansky’s habit of feeding the birds creates a public health hazard, and has been ordered to stop. Kansky can still appeal the decision.
What should the town do to enforce the court’s order? Does Kansky have the right to keep feeding the birds despite the court order? Share your comments below, and watch for them on WBZ News in the Morning from 4:30 to 7:00 a.m.
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 | Aug 6, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News
A pigeon keeper whose birds were killed and lofts destroyed by a fire on Newcastle Quayside has spoken of his pain.
Shaun Dixon, 43, had only been keeping his beloved pigeons 18 months before he lost all 56 in the blaze, while one and a half of his two lofts were burnt to cinders.
Five lofts were destroyed altogether, while locks were also broken off many, with tools and other items missing from inside.
“I’m devastated,” said Shaun. “We get attached to our pigeons and they’re something we can never replace. This fire was definitely malicious, I’m going to have to start building all over again now.”
In total more than 400 pigeons were killed, worth tens of thousands of pounds to their owners.
This is believed to be the most recent in a string of arson attacks on pigeon crees in the North East.
Allotments were burnt in Benwell in May, while the Quayside site has suffered numerous previous incidents.
One pigeon keeper, who wished not to be named, said: “The people who did this weren’t kids, they must have been pretty strong to break the locks off the doors. They got in, took what they wanted and then set fire to the middle loft.
“Most of the guys here have been doing this since 1974. It’s a crying shame.”
Firefighters arrived at the scene where the huge blaze had taken hold on Skinnerburn Road near the Metro Radio Arena at around 9pm on Thursday.
The flames and smoke could be seen from the city centre and beyond.
The blaze happened while firefighters were on a 24-hour strike. Emergency crews put in place to provide cover during the walk-outs were dealing with the incident.
A spokeswoman for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service said: “The cause of the fire is now under investigation.”
Witness Andy Milne, 27, said: “I live on the other side of the river, when it first started I just saw smoke and it got bigger and bigger.
“It was a few minutes later the fire engines started coming down and it just got bigger and bigger from that. Some of the trees round there caught fire.
“It looked like a building on fire. It is quite a sight, especially from this side of the river. It was a bit worrying considering the fire brigade were on strike.”
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 | Aug 6, 2014 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News
Alderman Bill Wilson said he had received complaints from people concerned about the pigeons congregating in food areas and on tables.
The main problem spots were in the mall, Stewart St and southern Rooke Street, he said.
Alderman Wilson will table a notice of motion at Monday night’s council meeting calling for a report in relation to the health concerns related to pigeons in the CBD and whether measures are needed to eradicate them.
Alderman Wilson said that after seagulls became an issue at the MCG, artificial hawks on grandstands were used to deter the avian invaders from the ground.
“There are various methods to look at to deter pigeons if they are a problem in the city,” Alderman Wilson said.
“You can also put spikes around a building or have sloped surfaces so it doesn’t give the birds a place to sit.”
Burnie Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice-president Philip McCulloch confirmed yesterday that some BCCI members had raised feral pigeons as a problem at various times.
Mr McCulloch said the matter was then passed on to the Burnie City Council.
Last year Fosters Music Centre in Burnie addressed a problem with pigeons by installing metal spikes on the roof of the Cattley Street business to stop the birds from damaging newly painted signage.
Neighbouring legal firm McLean, McKenzie and Topfer had written to the Burnie City Council expressing its concern about large numbers of pigeons living in the CBD.
Burnie City Council general manager Andrew Wardlaw said at the time that the council would be responsible for cleaning up areas where pigeons were roosting if on council property or areas that the public utilised such as paths.
According to a fact sheet from South Australia Health, feral pigeons can become public health pests and tend to accumulate wherever there is food and shelter.
The potential health risks included transmission of diseases such as histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, and psittacosis (ornithosis), and attraction of ticks, mites, cockroaches and rats.
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 | Aug 6, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News
Sometimes the tiniest things bring happiness.
This week my little pearls of happiness were a few blueberries from our garden. Seemingly trivial over which to get excited, several years without a single berry made this morning’s handful of plump blueberries a trophy to tout.
It started five years ago with 10 select bushes of 3-year-old organic plants. Location selected, prepared, and soil amendments properly incorporated, all directions were carefully followed for transplant. The first year the flowers are plucked, allowing the plant to develop a strong root system, so no berries.
Year 2, spring came and the worms from nearby infested tress decimated the leaves yet some berries did appear. However, they fell off before coming ripe due to weather conditions. So I focused on growth of the plants, again.
Unfortunately, the hired help for fall cleanup decided the bushes looked like weeds and pulled each one out with much tugging. Devastated, I rapidly replanted back in the same holes somehow hoping that would magically assist in recovery of what had been, just minutes earlier, strong and vigorous plants. Then a friend moved, she dug up her blueberries and gave them to me. Surely, I thought, with three times as many bushes, we have much better chances to yield a great bounty despite the replanting! Next spring there were hoards of green berries, and bird netting went onto the bushes just as I had seen done by my neighbors, but the birds simply went under it for the feast, not one berry was had by a human.
The next year’s attempt included a wood-frame cage with bird netting tied to the fencing and posts, the bottom draped to the ground with extra to spare. Those pesky devils found their way through the three-quarter-inch netting leaving only when lifting the net to free them. Persistent, I nearly declared war on the birds I adore and feed round, but I wanted a ripe blueberry!
Instead I got really serious with the netting. A heavy gauge half-inch netting that I tediously hand sewed together and meticulously formed over a strong metal framework tall enough to walk inside with a bottom held down by 4-by-4s there’s not a gap anywhere. It is a fortress with a plastic owl sentry warning birds of my intended wrath.
Finally, this morning’s yogurt was adorned with a handful of nickel-sized, deep blue, sweet blueberries, absolutely delightful. Those blue pearls have made my summer wonderful!
Blueberries, anti-oxidant rich pearls great for snacking, salads, desserts and breakfast, are now in season. You can get plenty without fighting the birds, netting, or Mother Nature as locally grown blueberries are at the farmers market for the next 5 to 6 weeks perfectly ripe and ready to eat.
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 | Aug 4, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
The following questions were asked recently on the Wonderline:
Q: The Lincoln Avenue underpass has been recently painted by city employees. How much was budgeted for this project and what was actually spent, including the city employees’ labor? Also, the pigeons are still roosting in the underpass — how much was spent attempting to stop the pigeons from roosting where they have been for many years?
A: Mitch Doht, the city’s public works director, says “$165,000 was in this year’s budget for painting the underpass. Informal contractor estimates for the project were around $250,000. I don’t have final numbers on what the city spent because the project is not yet complete and because not all of the expenses have been invoiced, but my feeling is that we should be around $80,000, including all wages, equipment and materials. We only spent half of our budget, and not even one-third of what it would have cost for a contractor to do it. City government at its best, if you ask me. I’m really proud of our employees for the quality job they did and the money they saved taxpayers.”
As far as the pigeon issue, Doht had this informative and yet entertaining message, directed to the pigeons themselves:
“A personal message to all you freeloading pigeons in York. I realize you have been living in the same place for many years, following the same boring routine, into the underpass, out of the underpass, into the underpass, out of the underpass, etc., but today is a new day! Change is a good thing. Spread your wings and find a new place to live. Maybe Seward has an underpass? I realize that York’s city property tax levy is way lower than Seward’s, but you will be so much closer to Lincoln. Imagine the possibilities! By the way, consider this your eviction notice! I mistakenly left you a couple little spots at the underpass for you and your buddies to fight over, but alas, those too will soon be gone. Good luck and Godspeed!”
And he added, regarding the cost of pigeon proofing, that it “wasn’t much.”
Q: Every summer the City street department repairs and fills cracks in streets, however this year this job has not been done yet. Will this project be completed yet this summer or did the Lincoln Avenue underpass project take away the workers from other necessary street repair projects?
A: Doht responds, “They tell me that it has actually been many years since pavement crack sealing has been done in York. The city’s tar machine is a piece of crap and it wasn’t working for several years. So I borrowed a pavement router (Thanks Tom and Harv!), leased a tar machine, and we are back at it this year, and will be every year while I’m in charge.
“I totally agree that this type of work is necessary. A formal pavement preservation program is one of my goals for the street department. Well-timed, routine maintenance strategies can save us so much money over the life of a pavement.
“You are also correct, in that every project we do takes away from every other project on the list. Does that make sense? I’m not sure that people understand that we have a much longer list of needs than what will ever get done with our current resources. We do our best to prioritize projects and really try to make a difference. Thankfully, crack seal and underpass painting both made the cut this year. Crack sealing work has already started at several locations in town. Those areas will be finished in the next few weeks. A much larger pavement preservation project will happen this fall or next spring, depending upon how the new budget is finalized.”
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)
Neighbors of a woman from Hull have won a four-year battle to get her to stop feeding birds.
