by Ryan Ponto | Nov 13, 2016 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products
No matter your own personal feelings about street pigeons, a visit to a major European city just wouldn’t be the same without encountering the ubiquitous winged urbanites in overwhelming droves: bathing en masse in fountains, teetering upon — and defecating from — the ledges of historic buildings, congregating in public squares in such great numbers that the pavement morphs into a filthy, squawking sea of feathers, beaks and imperious attitudes.
Similar to London, Venice and Paris, Barcelona has long struggled with taming its own sizable — and seemingly perpetually multiplying — feral pigeon (Columba livia domestica) population. City-dwelling descendants of the wild rock dove have all but taken over — and left their unsightly mark on — some of the Catalan capital city’s most popular and iconic plazas and public spaces including Plaça de Catalunya, Plaça Reial, Plaça de Sant Jaume, Parc Güell and the stressfully pigeon-heavy area around Font Màgica.
Joining animal control authorities in neighboring municipalities, Barcelona officials have signaled that it’s high time that they ramp up their pigeon control game by employing what might seem like a most unusual tactic — a tactic that’s been heralded by animal welfare activists as being exceptionally ethical when compared to other more gruesome methods of curbing feral pigeon populations.
They’re putting pigeons on the pill.
Avoiding the cull
Citing a recent article published by El Mundo, Motherboard reports that animal control authorities were initially going to go the quick and dirty route: a large-scale culling in which hundreds of birds would be rounded up and killed. However, the government was ultimately persuaded by numerous animal rights groups to consider a just-as-effective method that, ideally, will not result in a single pigeon death: providing the birds with birth control.
Following an extensive pigeon census that will help officials better understand exactly how many pigeons they are dealing with (current estimates in Barcelona hover around 85,000), 40 bird feeders stocked with contraceptive-laced pellets will be installed in particularly pigeon-heavy areas. The pellets will contain nicarbazin, an anti-parasitic drug first used to treat poultry. While effective as a coccidiostat, a well documented side-effect of the drug is that it renders female birds infertile by halting egg formation. In turn, nicarbazin has emerged as an increasingly popular choice amongst animal control experts looking to control pesky bird populations — feral pigeons and Canadian geese, in particular — without resorting to gratuitous slaughter.
A spokesman with the Barcelona city council tells the Daily Mail that officials anticipate that by providing the scourge of street pigeons with birth control, the population could drop by as much as 20 percent within just one year. Within just a few years, the population could be reduced by 70 to 80 percent.
Considering the rather harrowing current state of pigeons in Barcelona, a reduction of 80 percent will likely be viewed by most as welcoming news. But while Barcelona’s wealth of historic building and monuments will be less poop-stained and its residents and visitors less inconvenienced/intimidated thanks to such a dramatic drop in numbers, one does wonder about a virtually pigeon-free city. For better or worse, the birds are part of the urban fabric in Spain’s second largest city. Would a pigeon-free — or pigeon-lite — Plaça de Catalunya have the same authentic charm as a Plaça de Catalunya that’s swarming with hundreds of birds? Will another bird take over in the pigeons’ absence? And what will become of those little old Spanish pensioners who never, ever leave home without a small paper bag filled with breadcrumbs?
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 Ryan Ponto | Nov 12, 2016 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
News — In response to a request for answers to questions posed at a special Committee of the Whole meeting on the 2017 budget, Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth submitted a report at South Frontenac Council’s regular meeting last week in Sydenham.
Of those responses, street lights and salt dome doors generated the most debate.
Segsworth told Council that the cost to run a streetlight is about $0.13 per day per light.
“The majority of our lights are 43w or 0.043 Kw and run for about 12 hours per day,” he said. “At a rate of $0.25/Kw-hour that’s 0.516 Kw per day for an estimated cost of $0.13/day per light.”
He said enough money has been set aside for about three streetlights for intersection lighting along arterial roads based on a figure of $10,000 per light if no pole is present.
“We don’t have locations yet but there are lots of potential places for streetlights,” he said.
But doors for salt domes drew more response, especially when Segsworth noted that false rumours of $10,000 per dome were circulating.
“I’m not anticipating $10,000 for doors,” he said. “More like $5,000.”
Segsworth noted that they aren’t using the domes to store winter sand an salt any more, for example the OPP boat is stored at the Hartington dome along with some cold mix and other road supplies. However, the domes seem to be popular with pigeons and with no doors on them, the birds come and go as they please, leaving droppings in their wake. This creates health and safety issues, Segsworth said.
“They (the domes) were built without doors and I don’t know a more cost effective way of dealing with the pigeons,” Segsworth said. “We have big clay owls but the bottom line is the pigeons get in and they’re problematic.”
The report also pointed to several roads projects, such as Green Bay Bridge, Carrying Place Road and Deer Creek Road.
But the suggestion that the Township buy a new garbage truck with compacting capabilities didn’t sit well with Mayor Ron Vandewal.
Segsworth said they have one truck without packing capabilities that sometimes has to be emptied three times a day, meaning extra travel time for staff. He suggested trading that one in on a truck that has packing capabilities.
“The budget we were close to passing had these things taken out,” Vandewal said. “You’re going to get zero dollars for that truck.
“Let it go to its life spawn.
“As far as which road gets done, if the budget numbers are the same, I don’t care which road it is.”
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 Ryan Ponto | Nov 11, 2016 | Animal Deterrent Products
Planet Earth II’s final episode last night left viewers brimming with amazement once more, this time at a giant predatory fish who hunts down pigeons.
The ancient French city of Albi plays host to ‘monstrous’ Wels catfish, who have ‘virtually exterminated the local fish stocks’ over forty years, according to David Attenborough.
And BBC One viewers could barely stomach footage of pigeons being ambushed by the scaly killers as they took a casual dip in the River Tarn.
Because pretty much everyone can agree birds are meant to eat fish, seeing the finned catfish get their own back felt all kinds of wrong.
Apparently it’s the pigeons’ biggest strength — a lack of fear — that allows the beasts to prey on them so easily.
It seems a catish is only able to pick off one pigeon at a time, usually by pulling down their feet with their mouths.
Seeing as pigeons have lived in Albi for as long as we humans have, it’s rather unfortunate that they’re now being hunted by an upstart, watery intruder.
‘After thousands of years living in this city, pigeons are now having to learn to avoid a fish,’ said Attenborough.
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 Ryan Ponto | Nov 10, 2016 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting
A bar assistant who slipped in pigeon poop at the open air restaurant in which she worked at Dublin’s Heuston railway station, has been awarded almost €25,000 damages against CIÉ.
Circuit Court President, Mr Justice Raymond Groarke, heard that Leann Walsh (25) tended tables on the decking outside the Heuston Refreshment Rooms.
Barrister Karl Finnegan, counsel for Ms Walsh, told the court she had been working outdoors on May 15, 2013, when she stepped in pigeon faeces and her right leg went from under her. Mr Finnegan said she fell on her knees and back, suffering soft tissue injuries to her ankle, knees and lower back.
Gerry Ryan, counsel for CIÉ, told the court the Irish Rail Company had entered a full defence. Barrister Sarah Corcoran, for the Heuston Refreshment Rooms, said her client had denied liability.
Ms Corcoran told the court the problem of pigeons was a serious one for her client, who had asked CIÉ to deal with the matter.
Judge Groarke, awarding Ms Walsh, of Merrion Court, Blackhall Street, Dublin, €22,500 damages with special damages of €2,148, said he would make an order in favour of the restaurant against CIÉ.
He said the restaurant had tried to get CIÉ to deal with the problem but CIÉ had decided not to take appropriate steps.
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 Ryan Ponto | Nov 9, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes
Sane New Yorkers regard them as rats with wings, and they make use of the many tools to combat pigeon on their property. But things get complicated when a neighboring property owner doesn’t care that pigeons are emitting toxic piles of excrement in a shared space between buildings.
Such was the case on the Upper West Side, where pigeons set up housekeeping on a grocery store’s outdoor air vents and cooling system. Residents of a co-op that shares a courtyard with the grocery store hired an exterminator, but the nests remain. The store’s management did not respond to calls. What’s a co-op board to do?
“The mere presence of pigeon droppings in the courtyard is an unsanitary condition” and could be grounds for a violation, Kempshall McAndrew, a real estate lawyer at Anderson Kill, tells the New York Times’ Ask Real Estate column. The board should keep the courtyard free of pigeon droppings in case an inspector visits.
Beyond that, McAndrew advises the co-op board to call the Department of Health and Mental Hygienedirectly, bypassing 311. The board should photograph the area, documenting the nests as the source of the problem. It should also keep records of calls to the grocery store and of the exterminator’s efforts.
If such measures fail? The board could sue the grocery store for an injunction and for monetary damages.
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)
