by Pigeon Patrol | Jun 1, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes
AROUND New Year some Yorkshire farmers and landowners hold the first of what have become traditional shoots at woodpigeon roosts.
The bird is the most common found on UK farmland, and the huge resident population is boosted each autumn by migrants from the Continent. In some areas the shoots are a necessity owing to the woodpigeon’s destructive effect on crops. For example, one large flock – some are as many as 2,000-strong – can take out a field of sprouts or cabbages in a day. They also hammer crops like corn and rape.
A few years back I was invited to describe a shoot on one estate, which must remain nameless for fear of attracting animal rights campaigners. By tradition, the first shoot of the winter took place on the final Saturday of December, and after issuing an invite to friends and neighbours the farmer never knew how many guns to expect. Sometimes as many as 25 to 30 turned up.
It helped if there wasn’t much beechmast left, apparently, because when the birds are still finding plenty to eat in beechwoods there are fewer on farmland.
The woodpigeons started flying back to their evening roost in mature conifers about two in the afternoon, by which time everyone was in place beneath trees the birds were known to use year after year. There was no real need for stealth at that point since the pigeons were still out in the fields.
Every corner of the plantations had to be staked out, because once the first shot is heard the birds quickly try to find sanctuary. The guns positioned themselves in any woodland gaps which the birds would fly over on arrival or departure. Others went 50 yards or so outside the wood and tucked themselves behind a hedge.
That particular day there was a stiff northerly blowing and a bit of sleet, which the farmer said was good. Without wind, the pigeons would fly in very high and eventually drop down to their roost almost vertically. If the guns weren’t directly underneath them, they wouldn’t have much chance of a shot.
To begin with there seemed to be a lull, a calm before the storm, when there was no movement in either sky or trees, then suddenly there came lots of banging, pop-pop-pop-pop in the distance, and the sky was full of wings.
Sometimes, as a shot was fired, the bird disappeared behind branches and the gun stood listening carefully to hear the noise of it clattering down through branches and thumping onto the ground. There was usually some visual evidence of a hit, since woodpigeons have quick-release feathers which are thought to be an anti-predator device.
On that particular day the total birds shot reached three figures. Yet the farmer who had organised the shoot said ruefully: “It’s supposed to be all about pest control, but you would scarcely notice any reduction. The very next day these woods are usually blue with pigeons again.”
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 | May 31, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
PIGEONS in Poundbury beware.
This falcon is sweeping the skies to keep them clear from marauding birds.
Amateur photographer Sheila Hunn captured this stunning shot of the bird on a visit to Poundbury Garden Centre recently.
Sheila, 63, of Portland, said she was ‘thrilled to bits’ when she saw the photo.
“I was lucky enough to see the falcon with her handler. He told me she is flown regularly to keep the pigeons away and was kind enough to let me take a few photos.
“She is well trained and raised her wings on command from him.”
The bird is a cross between a peregrine falcon and a lanner falcon.
Sheila, a retired midwife, added: “She was a beautiful bird, standing there very proudly. I think she’s there most days. I’ve usually got my camera with me but I was lucky to get such nice shots.”
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 | May 30, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, UltraSonic Bird Control
Council orders staff to investigate ways to eliminate pigeon roosting at the Canada Summit Centre entrance.
HUNTSVILLE – Pigeons have been steadfastly opposing the municipality.
Pigeon control program in…
Despite the concerted effort of staff, pigeons have been roosting in large numbers at the entrance to Huntsville’s Canada Summit Centre. At the Dec. 21 council meeting, a motion was passed to escalate the town’s efforts in deterring the fowl.
Kari Lambe, executive director of community services and economic development, explained to council that there have been numerous attempts made to keep the birds from the Summit Centre and they have all been thwarted.
“We have tried a number of things in the past. We’ve tried the fake owls. We currently have the spikes. We even have the spikes serviced on a regular basis because the pigeons actually try to bump the spikes off and try to build nests on top of the spikes,” said Lambe.
“Pigeons actually try to bump the spikes off.”
– Kari Lambe
The pigeon issue has had serious consequences for the municipality. According to Lambe, staff members are routinely at the Summit Centre entrance dealing with it, which takes away from time they could be spending else where.
Scott Aitchison, mayor of Huntsville, said the whole problem has been exasperated by people within the municipality.
“I believe there are a number of well-meaning citizens feeding the pigeons at the Summit Centre. That’s probably not helping the situation,” said Aitchison.
Council voted to direct staff to investigate further options for keeping the pigeons away from the entrance.
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 | May 29, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting
Pigeons that congregate outside Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh mosque have been getting an extra ingredient in their breakfast.
Every day, pigeons that flock to the area are served a corn-based feed containing a drug called nicarbazin, which stops the female birds from producing eggs or causes them to lay eggs that do not hatch.
This new “birth control” method to limit pigeon numbers is being tested by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) at a field outside the mosque in Palmer Road, near Shenton Way.
The trial, which started on Oct 13 and will last a year, comes on the back of soaring complaints about the nuisance caused by pigeons.
The AVA has already received about 3,400 pigeon-related feedback from January to October this year, more than the 2,500 received for the whole of last year and the 2,100 in 2013.
It has also seen a growth in feedback about all kinds of birds, including pigeons, from some 4,400 messages in 2013 to 6,100 in the first 10 months of this year alone.
Mr Mohamed Idris, secretary of the management board of Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh, said pigeons have always been around, but the problem has worsened over the last 10 years.
The field outside the mosque has an estimated 400 pigeons, twice as many as two years ago.
The birds would fly into the mosque compounds, making them a nuisance to the staff and those who go to the mosque to pray.
“They leave their droppings on the floor and you walk on it… They congregate at the food areas as well,” said Mr Mohamed.
This has led the AVA to choose the mosque as the first area to try out the new method.
During a demonstration yesterday, Ms Janet Chia, executive manager of the Operations (Wild Animals) section at AVA, said it will take about a year to see a drop in the pigeon population there.
Around five mosque volunteers will be in charge of feeding the laced feed to the pigeons. The method could be rolled out to other areas in Singapore if the trial succeeds.
When tested in Italy, the method was found to reduce the pigeon population in the test area by 30 per cent to 40 per cent over four years.
The drug does not harm the birds and is not toxic to animals or humans if taken in small amounts. It would take 40kg of the feed to see toxic effects in dogs and cats, and 60kg for a child, said Ms Chia.
She also urged the public not to feed birds, as this “would encourage their population size to grow and encourage them to congregate and cause nuisance”.
Feeding pigeons is illegal and those found to have flouted the rules face a fine of up to $500. The AVA has caught 113 bird feeders so far this year, including 13 who did so outside the mosque.
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 | May 28, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Netting
A concerned gran is crying fowl, claiming flying visitors are making a South Tyneside rail bridge a ‘health hazard’.
Joan Marsh says roosting pigeons are still a problem at the Hill Street bridge, in Jarrow, every day on her route to work despite a major revamp by transport bosses.
Pigeon problem at Hill Street Metro bridge. Joan Marsh
Pigeon problem at Hill Street Metro bridge. Joan Marsh
The 53-year-old, from Pine Street, in Jarrow, says flocks of pigeons congregated under the bridge – with their droppings on the pavement and railings an ongoing issue.
Metro owner Nexus, which manages the bridge along with Network rail, says it has installed netting above all the walkways, but Mrs Marsh says the work didn’t go far enough.
Network Rail says it was unaware of Mrs Marsh’s concerns but is happy to meet with her to discuss the issue.
Mrs Marsh, a mum-of-four and gran-of-one, said; “There are still droppings on the walkway and on the railings. The netting that is attached to the underside of bridges to stop birds from nesting hasn’t been fitted properly.
Pigeon problem at Hill Street Metro bridge. Joan Marsh
Pigeon problem at Hill Street Metro bridge. Joan Marsh
“It has only been fitted on the outside edges of the underside of the bridge. The middle has been missed.
“I counted 38 pigeons sitting on the ledges under the bridge. It will soon be back to a smelly, pigeon roosting health hazard if someone doesn’t step in and finish the work properly.
Nexus and Network rail have completed a major overhaul of the bridge, with new crash barriers installed to prevent the bridges from sustaining structural damage if any are hit by a car or a lorry.
Nexus says it has installed netting on 20% of the bridge that it manages and also put the netting above all the parts of the bridge that are above the walkways as a goodwill gesture.
A Network Rail spokesman said; “We haven’t been made aware of any concerns over netting on the bridge, but if Mrs Marsh contacts us we will send someone out and see what work is needed.
A Nexus spokesman added: “As part of our modernisation programme on the Hill Street bridge, we have installed pigeon netting above all of the walkways. We have also installed pigeon spikes to stop them from landing and have cleaned up both of the footpaths.
“The netting and the spikes have been put in place to prevent pigeons from roosting on the structure.
“All the work was carried out following feedback from local councillors and residents.
“We share the ownership of the Hill Street bridge with Network Rail. Nexus looks after about a fifth of the bridge structure, but the netting above the footpaths has been erected all the way along the bridge as part of the upgrades.
“We would encourage Mrs Marsh to get in direct contact with us so we can discuss this issue with her in more detail.”
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)
