Birds and businesses are two words that do not go well together unless of course, you own a pet store. Pest bird infestations can and often do lead to damages to facility, machinery and even product and also create serious safety hazards and health issues for companies. Starlings, pigeons, and sparrows are just a few of the pest birds that roost on commercial facilities in Vancouver, BC
Because of the issues mentioned above as well as the negative impact birds can have on a company’s image, it is very important for all business owners and managers to know how to keep birds away from their facilities.
Not only are birds and unsightly addition to facilities but it is the threat of disease, injury, and contamination that is the biggest problem. There are over 40 confirmed diseases that can be carried by birds as well as their droppings and nesting materials. Clearly, these are not animals that you want to be anywhere near your place of business. Thankfully there are a few ways in which you can protect your business from the negative impact of pest birds.
Limit their ability to find food, shelter, and water for nesting. This means avoid heavy gardening as some plants provide a great food source for birds. Also, steer away from the use of fountains or other water features which will inevitably become more like a bird bath.
Keep the doors and windows of the facility closed at all times unless they have a secured screen. An open door is after all an open invitation for anything to fly or crawl in. Once inside, birds can severely contaminate surfaces and cause damage to machines.
Be sure that birds do not have a chance to nest on your facility. They favor things such as close by trees and shrubs, corrugated roofing, entryways, and open beam structures. Once there is a nest in place, birds are likely to come back for generations. source
Along with precautionary measures listed above, it is a good idea for businesses to partner with a bird control provider to find a long-term solution to a pest bird problem.
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.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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Pigeons are incredibly complex and intelligent animals. They are one of only a small number of species to pass the ‘mirror test’ – a test of self recognition. They can also recognise each letter of the human alphabet, differentiate between photographs, and even distinguish different humans within a photograph.
Some pigeons can pass the mirror test after training in the prerequisite behaviors. In 1981, American psychologist B. F. Skinner found that pigeons are capable of passing a highly modified mirror test after extensive training. In the experiment, a pigeon was trained to look in a mirror to find a response key behind it, which the pigeon then turned to peck to obtain food. Thus, the pigeon learned to use a mirror to find critical elements of its environment. Next, the pigeon was trained to peck at dots placed on its feathers; food was, again, the consequence of touching the dot. The latter training was accomplished in the absence of the mirror. The final test was placing a small bib on the pigeon—enough to cover a dot placed on its lower belly. A control period without the mirror present yielded no pecking at the dot. When the mirror was revealed, the pigeon became active, looked in the mirror and then tried to peck on the dot under the bib. However, untrained pigeons have never passed the mirror test.
Pigeons are renowned for their outstanding navigational abilities. They use a range of skills, such as using the sun as a guide and an internal ‘magnetic compass’. A study at Oxford University found that they will also use landmarks as signposts and will travel along man-made roads and motorways, even changing direction at junctions.
Pigeons are highly sociable animals. They will often be seen in flocks of 20-30 birds.
Pigeons mate for life, and tend to raise two chicks at the same time.
Both female and male pigeons share responsibility of caring for and raising young. Both sexes take turn incubating the eggs and both feed the chicks ‘pigeon milk’ – a special secretion from the lining of the crop which both sexes produce.
Pigeons have excellent hearing abilities. They can detect sounds at far lower frequencies than humans are able to, and can thus hear distant storms and volcanoes.
Despite the social perception as dirty and disease-ridden, pigeons are actually very clean animals and there is very little evidence to suggest that they are significant transmitters of disease.
Pigeons and humans have lived in close proximity for thousands of years. The first recordings of this date back to Mesopotamis, modern Iraq, in 3000bc.
Although pigeon droppings are seen by some as a problem in modern society, a few centuries ago pigeon guano was seen as extremely valuable. It was viewed as the best available fertiliser and armed guards would even stand by dovecotes (pigeon houses) to stop others taking the droppings.
Pigeons can fly at altitudes up to and beyond 6000 feet, and at an average speed of 77.6 mph. The fastest recorded speed is 92.5 mph.
Pigeons are fed by many members of different religions including Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs for spiritual reasons. Some older Sikhs will ceremoniously feed them in honour of Guru Gobind Singh, a high priest who was renowned as a friend to pigeons.
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.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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Nest building is very simple and often consists of a few stiff twigs. The male will pick the site. They prefer small flat areas away from the ground. Look for nests along building ledges, bridge supports, air conditioning units, window sills, and the like. In crowded flocks, pigeons will even forgo nest building and lay eggs directly on a protected ledge. The young are fed pigeon milk, a liquid/solid substance secreted in the crop of the adult (both male and female) which is regurgitated. More eggs are laid before the first clutch leaves the nest. Breeding may occur at all seasons, but peak reproduction occurs in the spring and fall.
Pigeon Breeding
Pigeon are monogamous and a mating pair will typically have three or four broods a year. The female will usually lay two or sometimes three eggs at a time. The eggs are a solid bright white color. The eggs take roughly 18 days to hatch and then another 35 days before the fledglings leave the nest. Breeding may occur at all seasons, but peak reproduction occurs in the spring and fall. A population of pigeons usually consists of equal numbers of males and females.
Pigeon Cycles
Pigeons are not migratory. Their natural instinct is to stay near their birth site. This trait gives the pigeon a very determined personality when it comes to roosting at a particular site, much to the dismay of the inexperienced pest control technician. The daily cycle of a pigeon is to roost at night, feed in the morning, and loaf in the afternoon. The seasonal cycle begins with courtship in the early winter, then nest building in late winter and breeding in the spring. However, in warm climates, breeding will occur year round. Pigeons molt once a year in late summer.
Life Expectancy: Varies greatly from 3-5 years through to 15 years dependent on many factors, including natural predation and human interference. Predation: The wild pigeon is predated upon, almost exclusively, by the peregrine falcon, a bird that is also found living and breeding in coastal regions.
Behaviour
As gregarious animals, feral pigeons tend to nest in flocks. Once they settle, they tend to nest at the same place for the rest of their lives. Pigeons are extraordinarily intelligent. Even when removed from the nest, they will return back to it. The distance doesn’t play a role—pigeons have “built-in” compasses in their bodies which provide tremendous help with orientation. No matter how far away from their home they are released, they will still find their way back.
Feral pigeons breed rapidly. They lay two eggs, up to six times a year—depending on the food available. If a local population is decreased, pigeons from other areas flock to take advantage of the abundance of food. Thus, poison often causes population boom rather than decrease. source
What Attracts Pigeons
Basically there are two things that attract pigeons to your house or garden:
Food: Pigeons are not very pretentious when it comes to food. They could eat various scraps, leftovers, seeds, your dog/cats food, anything left behind. So don’t leave anything food-worthy in your garden.
Living space: the attic or the air space between last floor and roof is the perfect place for a pigeon to live. Close all entrances if you don’t want to have pigeon droppings and insects feeding with them.
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.
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 Patrol / Bird Control / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ most common types of sparrows , Damages Caused by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, de-fence, Pigeon Nesting and Breeding Patterns and Behavior
Picture this: you’re sitting on your living room couch, reading a book or dozing off, when you suddenly hear the sound of flapping wings. Intrigued, you look around, only to see a sparrow, a Mockingbird, or some other non-domesticated bird perched inside your fireplace. You barely manage to say “What in the world…?!” (or something a little less polite) before the terrified critter takes flight and settles on top of your mantle or a wall-mounted kitchen cabinet.
So, now you have an avian intruder inside your house, and neither of you are particularly pleased to see each other. What do you do?
Typically, when a bird winds up in a house via the chimney, it’s a direct result of either (1) the bird seeking out the warm/cold air that it senses emanating from the house and deciding to take shelter, or (2) the bird—especially if it’s only a fledgling—taking a tumble out of a nest that’s been built inside the chimney. In any case, while it’s really not a reason to panic or let your household descend into chaos, it is a situation that should be resolved as soon as possible!
What To Do About Birds That Get In Your House
If a single bird “drops in” unexpectedly, there are a few steps you can take to try to resolve the problem yourself:
1. Shut all interior doors leading into (or out of) the room where the bird is, and remove all pets.
Modern houses tend to have open floor plans with fewer doors and walls, so isolating the bird to one room may be a little tricky. But at the very least, closing off the area will limit the space in which the bird can flee. Getting pets out of the way is for both their safety and the safety of the stray bird; while dogs and cats may be inclined to give chase, interactions with wild birds can lead to illnesses or injury for both parties.
2. In the “bird room,” open up a single door or window and cover up all the others.
Remove any screens and close any curtains (or put up sheets) as necessary. The point is to make the bird think that there’s only one way out of the room. Covering up the other windows and doors will also decrease the likelihood that the bird will fly into a glass barrier, injuring—or killing—itself in the process.
3. Give the bird time to leave on its own.
If you’re lucky, it will notice the exit you made and see itself out. In that case, be sure to close the door or window immediately after!
4. Use a sheet to help guide the bird out.
If the bird seems hopelessly confused and can’t find the exit, you can hold up a sheet with two hands and try to shepherd the bird in the right direction. You are not trying to capture the bird inside the sheet; you’re simply using it as a tool to direct the bird’s movement. Holding the sheet in front of your face during this attempt can help you protect yourself from scratches or pecks if the bird lashes out in fear.
5. Check the chimney.
Hopefully, the bird that’s currently in your house is acting alone. However, it’s also possible that there’s an entire nest of birds living inside the chimney and this episode is just the tip of the avian iceberg. So take a look (and a listen) inside your fireplace; if you have any suspicions that there are more birds lurking within the chimney, then you need to…
6. Call for help.
If your attempts to get the bird yourself have failed, you may need to call a professional wildlife removal service and have one of their technicians take care of things. It’s also a good idea to get a professional involved if the bird appears sick, injured, or too young to fly on its own, as it may need help beyond simply relocating it outside. And, of course, if peeking into the chimney reveals evidence of a whole nest of birds instead of just a single stray, you’ll want to get professional backup ASAP.
Bird Blocking
Dealing with a stray bird isn’t as complicated or nerve-racking as dealing with a colony of rats or an ornery skunk, but it’s still not a great situation in which to find yourself.
Fortunately, you can reduce your risk by taking some preventative measures:
1. Have a chimney cap installed.
Birds can’t enter your home through the chimney if they can’t get inside (or build their nests) inside the chimney in the first place. Thus, adding a chimney cap (or replacing your damaged cap) is probably the more effective way to keep out birds and other animals.
2. Make sure the rest of your house is bird-proofed.
The chimney isn’t the only way that a bird can enter your house; exhaust vents and small holes in your roof are also prime targets. If you didn’t actually see the stray bird come out of your fireplace, check your attic to see if there are more of them living on your property.
3. Put screens on your windows and doors.
It’s not unheard of for birds to simply fly inside homes using these pathways instead of going through the trouble of breaching the walls or chimney. Sturdy screen doors and windows are a good way to enjoy the mid-spring breeze while keeping out birds (and bugs, too). Having a barrier in front of glass panes can also help prevent birds from accidentally flying into them, as well.
Generally speaking, people don’t really “fear” birds the way they do other pest animals. For full-blown infestations involving multiple birds, or any situation in which you find yourself feeling like you’re in over your head, Chimney and Wildlife Specialists is only a phone call away!
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.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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Avians aren’t the source of COVID-19, but some do harbor pathogens that can infect humans. Here’s what you need to know and how to stay safe.
COVID-19, the viral disease gripping the globe, is not bird-related. Researchers believe it likely came from bats. Still, this pandemic understandably provokes fear about wildlife diseases and so provides an opportunity to clear up confusion surrounding the question, “can birds get you sick?”
Karel Schat, professor emeritus of avian virology at Cornell University, says that birds generally pose a “very limited threat to humans,” at least not directly. If you want to admire the birds from afar in your backyard or your local park, you don’t have to worry about contagion. But if you are in contact with a bird with its excretions such as feces or saliva (that includes filling bird feeders), he advises observing common hygiene practices, including not touching your face and washing your hands right after. That’s because birds can carry some viral, bacterial, or fungal pathogens that cause human illness—think Salmonella or West Nile Virus. And if you see a dead bird, stay away from it and don’t touch it, he says (though you may consider reporting it to your state or local wildlife agency, which can come to remove it and may be tracking dead animal clusters).
Wild birds do also pass diseases to farm animals and vice versa, and that can pose the more indirect threat to human health. One of the most well-known examples of this is with avian influenza. A recent outbreak of a bird flu on a quail farm in the Philippines, for example, resulted in the culling of 17,000 quail to stop the spread.
Bird flu strains live in a bird’s gut and become exposed in fecal matter. Birds being birds, they may peck at their droppings and become infected that way. In more confined settings, like on an industrial farm or in a dense colony, airborne fecal particles can find their way into a bird’s eyes or respiratory tract, offering another avenue for infection. That is how bird flu spreads among birds.
Few strains of bird flu can cause serious harm to humans, and none are currently active in the United States, says Schat. “Fortunately, the transmission of those avian influenza virus strains from human to human has been fairly limited,” Schat says. “But it is a continuous problem that is in the chickens, it is in the ducks, and maybe in some wild birds, and it can always get to humans.”
The particularly deadly avian flu H5N1 strain, however, has occurred intermittently across Asia since 2004. It has led to 455 human deaths from about 861 recorded cases, mostly across the Middle East and East Asia, according to the World Health Organization (there have been no cases in the United States). These sporadic cases are largely in people who have close contact with infected live or dead birds, often before home slaughter— and spread from person-to-person is unusual, the health agency says. Still, health officials closely monitor for outbreaks and mutations of H5N1.
In general, it is contact with other animals, including humans, that gives any wildlife viruses— including coronaviruses and avian influenza— the best chance to mutate and shift into new strains. These types of interactions, however, mostly occur in settings that include many different species of animals in close proximity, like a live animal market. Habitat loss may also increase the amount of interaction between wild animals, farm animals, and humans. Even with these ample opportunities to interact with other species and mutate, avian influenza viruses seldom change into anything that poses significant risk for humans, says Schat. Still, given that deadly influenza outbreaks have occurred, the risk is always there, though it is lessened when birds are not kept with other species.
Birds, of course, do carry other diseases they spread amongst themselves (this is why it’s important to keep your bird feeders clean). For example, Newcastle disease, a virus common in chickens but also found in more than 200 bird species, is a well-known scourge that inflicts flu-like symptoms along with severe eye irritation in birds. Though it is mostly found in poultry, Newcastle was hampering Toronto’s Cormorant population as recently as 2018. While Newcastle is a nasty bug for birds, it does not pose a significant threat to humans. Birds also carry coronaviruses, but not the one that causes COVID-19. For example, the coronavirus that causes avian infectious bronchitis is a well-known scourge in the poultry industry, and many chickens are vaccinated against it, according to Schat.
Beyond influenza, the biggest virological threat birds can pose to humans is from the West Nile Virus, which has been in the United States since 1999. It is likely that an infected mosquito, surviving a flight from somewhere in the Middle East, brought the disease to the U.S., says Schat. Over time, this mosquito must have infected at least one bird by feeding on it, thereby making it a carrier for more mosquitoes to feed on and become infected as well. As the virus moved from this “mosquito zero” to birds, and to other mosquitoes feeding on those birds, particularly crows and jays, it eventually spread to humans. In 1999, hundreds of birds and seven people around the New York-New Jersey area died from the virus, but it continues to kill today. In the past year, per the CDC, 51 people died of West Nile in the United States.
So, while close contact with bird poop may not be a part of the everyday experience of most people, mosquitoes are a constant threat during the summer in many parts of the world, and they can serve as a conduit between birds and humans.
Overall, the lesson is: Whether you handle wild birds, or you admire them for afar, getting infected by one is something you probably don’t have to worry about, just as long as you maintain the same hygienic habits you’re probably already sticking to in this time of COVID-19. In other words, wash your hands and don’t touch your face. And please, unless you’re a scientist or trained worker with a purpose, leave the bird poop or any dead birds alone.
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.
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 Patrol / Bird Control / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ most common types of sparrows , Damages Caused by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, de-fence,
About Pigeon Patrol:
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