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 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
Rome has been invaded by thousands of gulls – the birds boldly steal food, make a mess on statues and have even attacked the Pope’s doves of peace.
I was on the bus the other morning, drowsily heading for work, but through the window I spotted something that woke me up – a rather gruesome scene.
On the pavement a big, powerful gull was standing over a pigeon it had killed. Then the gull grabbed the carcass in its beak, launched himself over the top of my bus, dropped into a piazza and starting to tear the pigeon apart.
I suppose I still expect gulls to do the sort of things they’re supposed to, like ride the wind on lonely shorelines, follow trawlers, live off scraps of fish – not devour pigeons on city streets.
But in many places these birds are giving up on the sea, and moving to town. Rome is no exception.
For thousands of years it had no nesting gulls. They only began coming in the 1980s, lured by bins and dumps groaning with food chucked away by modern Romans. Now there are tens of thousands of gulls here and this latest invasion of the Eternal City can be a bit barbaric.
Earlier this year Pope Francis was at his window, high above the masses in St Peter’s Square. Beside him two children held two, pure white doves of peace. They released them, and the crowd cheered.
Horrifyingly one bird was almost immediately attacked in mid-air by a gull. He got the dove up against a wall of the Pope’s palace, but he only had his prey by the tail.
The pigeon got away, leaving the gull with just a beak-full of feathers. Still, it was hard to imagine a more disturbing omen for peace. And things didn’t get any better when a vicious looking crow savaged the other hapless dove.
But Rome’s gulls surely love the autumn most, when millions of starlings come to the city. They swarm at dusk. It’s one of nature’s great air shows.
The flocks make vast, dark, swirling smudges in the sky. Hundreds of thousands of birds moving, almost as one, twisting and turning through the fading light. Then they roost in a screeching mass in the trees along the Tiber.
In ancient Rome the shapes the starlings made in the heavens were watched for signs – a way of knowing the mood of the gods. But these days, the swarms are hunted by the gulls. For them, it must be a sort of banqueting season.
The gulls aren’t only bothering the local wildlife. I was at a rooftop bar the other evening. A posh place with white table cloths and a sweeping panorama of the city skyline.
But the gulls were making trouble. They’d perch on the edge of the balcony, almost within touching distance and fix you with a hungry glare. They wanted your snacks.
I watched a big gull make his move. As soon as a table was abandoned he was on it – ravenously gulping down the leftovers on a plate.
Next to us another gull was threatening an assault on a table that was still occupied. A smartly-dressed lady with blonde hair piled high on her head didn’t like this, and her male companion was struggling to calm her down.
But it wasn’t so much a scene from Hitchcock’s The Birds – more of a pantomime really. A gull chick was slithering around on the tiles demanding food from his mother, screeching and screeching.
The restaurant’s pianist was doing his best, tinkling away. But the place still sounded like Aberdeen when the trawlers come home.
As soon as we stood up from our table a gull was on it, pecking at the peanuts. A chubby waiter trotted over, and wearily flapped a menu at the big bird.
Those lucky enough to have rooftop apartments must loathe the gulls who become their rowdy neighbours in the nesting season.
The birds can be aggressive if they think you’re threatening their chicks. You can be subjected to much squawking, and dive-bombing assaults or even be the target of a well-aimed streak of seagull droppings. That’ll spoil your morning on your terrace.
But as it happens I don’t live up at the top of a palazzo and I don’t mind the gulls. In fact, I reckon these latest arrivals add something to the ancient city.
I like to see flocks of them cooling off in the river when I cross the Tiber on a summer evening. I like to watch them go drifting, wings out-stretched across the red rooftops, gliding gracefully between the domes of the churches in the setting sun.
And they’re here to stay. The seagulls have become Romans.
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 2, 2014 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
A big problem with pigeons and the mess they leave behind is one of the driving factors behind a $900,000 renovation project at the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority’s downtown bus station in New Bedford.
“There are droppings everywhere. You can see them all over the place. That’s all from the pigeons,” said Vince Livingston.
The birds have been flocking to the steel rafters of the building ever since the ceiling was removed in the mid 2000’s.
“It’s a pain in the neck because you know they crap on you. I’ve seen them crap on a lot of people and it’s just sickening you know,” said Bobby Texeira.
An administrator with the SRTA says a major reason for the renovation is to help fix the pigeon problem.
“They do make quite a mess and especially in the wintertime, that’s really where we struggle the most in terms of cleaning it. It is difficult to go out and steam clean a sidewalk when most likely it is going to freeze,” said Erik Rousseau, an SRTA administrator.
The first phase of the renovation project started last year. The project is now in its second phase which involves ceiling tiles being put up.
“We really want this to be a comfortable convenient place for people to travel. We don’t want to add stress to them by having them worry about birds,” said Rousseau.
Bus riders say they have already noticed a difference since the tiles have started going up.
“Now that they started doing the work it’s less of a conflict. It keeps the property a whole lot cleaner,” said Willy Hart.
The renovation is being funded by both federal and state money. It is expected to be complete by the end of next month.
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 30, 2014 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
COUNCILLORS are looking at ways to tackle the problem of pigeons in parts of their town.
At the latest meeting of Welshpool Town Council, during the public question time slot, County Councillor Francesca Jump raised the issue of pigeons in the Puzzle Square area of Welshpool.
Councillor for that area of the town, Ann Holloway assured members the problem had been resolved and the passages were being watched.
Cllr Dr John Morgan told fellow members he was in the process of getting a legal opinion from the British Association of Shooting and Conservation on the shooting of the pigeons.
He said: “I am in the process of getting a legal opinion on the legalities of getting an airgun for the pigeons in Hopkins Passage.”
However, Cllr John Corfield said he would like to investigate a “more humane way” of tackling the problem.
He said: “I would not be in favour of shooting any pigeons, due to the cruelty aspect. It’s an animal after all, it lives and breathes.
“I know it’s a problem but we should investigate other more humane ways of sorting this.”
Cllr Phil Pritchard agreed.
He said: “While they are a nuisance, I could not be party to shooting them.
“However I’ve got to say, while we’re talking about pigeons, we should also be talking about the seagulls in Oldford. Wherever Powys (County Council) put the bins, they follow. We have as much as a problem with seagulls, as well as pigeons.
“However, I cannot support the killing of the birds.”
Cllr Steve Kaye suggested the council should partner up with the community and seek the possibility of letting hawks go, to scare the pigeons off.
Cllr Morgan agreed to seek further legal advice on the matter as he said they are a health hazard.
He said: “In particular it’s a health hazard with their droppings in the Hopkins Passage area.
“Someone could slip on the droppings and break something.
“I would also like to urge people not to feed the pigeons either.”
Councillors agreed to discuss the issue further at a meeting of the council’s business forum.
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)
Alderman Bill Wilson said he had received complaints from people concerned about the pigeons congregating in food areas and on tables.
