Pigeons are one of the most common birds in North America, but that doesn’t mean they’re welcome visitors to your home or business. If you’re looking to get rid of pigeons, there are a few things you can do to deter them from congregating on your property.
Problems Pigeons Cause
Pigeons are very smart birds and have all kinds of interesting traits. They have managed to adapt amazingly well to human habitats, and you can find them in most large cities where food is abundant.
The pigeon might have learned to adapt too well to human settlements though. Their population can boom, and then they can become a real problem. This article will go over some of the common problems that pigeons cause.
Feces
Excessive pooping on the property is a major problem caused by pigeons. Pigeons can gather in large flocks on rooftops, power lines, and window sills leaving a large number of feces behind. Once large amounts of feces have accumulated it is very unsightly and causes a very strong odor. When pigeon feces are present on walkways it can cause slips and falls and create a liability to home and business owners.
Disease and Parasites
Pigeons carry ectoparasites such as bed bugs, chicken mites, and yellow mealworms in addition to disease. These ectoparasites can work their way inside buildings and come in contact with humans. Some of the many diseases that they can transmit through their feces include salmonella, encephalitis, meningitis, histoplasmosis, and cryptococcosis.
Overpopulation
Pigeon overpopulation in an area can be a real problem, often caused by an easy source of shelter and food. People feeding pigeons daily, as well as litter and trash bins full of easily accessible food, will bring pigeons back again and again creating a cyclical problem.
Corrosion
The uric acid found in pigeon feces is very corrosive and can cause severe damage to rooftops and air conditioning equipment. Paint can actually be eaten away from this acid unless it is removed from the surface. Over time the clean-up and repair of roofs and equipment can become quite costly.
Gutter Clogging
Pigeons will gather on roof ledges and gutters to nest. Then their feathers, feces, and nesting material can plug up the gutters. This will result in improper drainage, and water can end up flowing over the side of the house. This can cause basement flooding, growth of mold, and lawn destruction. The gutters will have to be cleaned out regularly to avoid these potentially costly problems.
Ways to Get Rid of Pigeons
Do you have a lot of pigeons hanging around your property? Are you sick of dealing with the problems they cause? Then it is time to take action and make your home pigeon-proof.
This article will go over the best ways to get rid of pigeons and stop them from coming back. You will not have to deal with their messy nests, feathers, and most importantly feces ever again. Common methods include keeping a clean yard, using bird spikes, and scarecrow devices.
Keep a Clean Yard
Perhaps the most important thing you can do is to keep your yard and the outside of your house clean. Also, keep up with external home repairs.
Pigeons will not stick around if there is not an abundant food supply. Typically they will feed on seeds, berries, other grains. Keeping your yard clean will clean up a lot of these things. If you have bird feeders, it might be a good idea to get rid of them. Pigeons will not feed on the perches, but they will clean up the seeds on the ground. If you don’t want pigeons around, never under any circumstances feed them. They will come back and in greater numbers.
Make sure your house has no broken windows, window air conditions, gutters, or chimneys. These are all common nesting locations on homes for pigeons. Like food, without nesting locations, pigeons will not stay. Keeping a yard clean and free of sticks, roots, and other sturdier debris will also prevent pigeons from having ready materials to build a nest with.
Loud Noises & Flashing Light
Most birds are easily scared by loud noises. If you clap loudly or bang yard equipment together, pigeons will most likely fly away. They may come back, but making lots of noise will get rid of the birds temporarily. The same goes for flashing lights, as this can represent a danger to the pigeon. A great solution to keep pigeons, and other birds, away are to use Pigeon tape. This is reflective material that makes noise as it flaps in the wind. Many people report having good results with it, plus it is a cheap solution.
Blocking Roosting Locations
Pigeons will build their nests in places that are high up or tucked away out of view. As mentioned previously, make sure you repair external damage to your home. Also, make sure that your house has all of its larger crevices covered. If you have gutters, invest in some good-quality gutter covers. Make sure that any holes in your roof are either patched up or made inaccessible from the outside. Place obstacles on high ledges to prevent pigeons from building nests on them. If you have trees, consider covering them with netting or wiring. Bird spikes work well on ledges and roofs.
Predator Statues
Large predatory birds, such as falcons, hawks, and owls will hunt and eat pigeons. Therefore it would be a good idea to place a statue or garden ornament of a falcon or hawk on your property to scare the pigeons away. The more lifelike the statue, the better your chances are of keeping the pigeons off of your property. Check out this owl statue, it should work well.
Professional Services
As a final resort, you may try avian poison. Your selection is limited due to strict regulations by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), and you may not even be able to get the poison without being a licensed applicator. If you have reached this point and you have already tried everything else without success, it would probably be best for you to simply call pest control and have a licensed professional take care of your pigeon problem.
How to Scare Away Pigeons
There are many ways to get rid of pigeons, but the best is to use methods to scare them away. There are many benefits to this. You are not harming the birds with chemicals, glues, or traps. You don’t have to alter your home in any way. Plus, it is a very cost-friendly solution.
This article will cover some of the most popular methods used to scare away pigeons. Not only will you scare them away, but you will also stop them from coming back.
Scare Tape
If you are looking for a cheap, effective solution to getting rid of pigeons, scare tape may be your answer. A lot of people have success using it. Pigeons are naturally afraid of loud metallic noises, and bright flashy lights. Scare tape can simulate these conditions.
Install it on your roof, window ledges, or around your garden. Wind will blow the tape around creating a rattling noise and causing the reflective surface to shimmer in all directions. This will help deter all kinds of birds, not just pigeons.
Predator Decoys
Pigeons are always on the lookout for predatory birds like falcons, hawks, and owls. These are the pigeons, natural predators, along humans. Avoiding predatory birds is an instinctual response for survival.
Placing a decoy statue on your home’s roof or near other nesting locations. This will keep pigeons away. Make sure you place it in a place where pigeons can see it most easily. If you place it on one side of the roof, the pigeons might just go to the other side.
Scare Tape & Decoy Combo
Not sure whether you are going to try scare tape or a decoy? There is a cool product that is a combination of both of them. The prowler owl is a predator decoy that will move around in the wind.
The wings are made of foil material. So when the wind blows they will move up and down and make noise. It is quite large and has a four-foot wingspan. Since it looks like it is always in flight, pigeons cannot adapt to their surroundings.
Eye Balloons
Another product that is effective in scaring birds away from balloons with large eyes painted on them. This may sound a little weird, but they do work. They are designed to look like the large eyes of a predator bird. Just like humans, pigeons are always aware of other animal’s eyes. So the balloons will get their attention right away, and then scare them off.
Hang these eye balloons from trees or poles in common areas where pigeons hang out. These balloons work really well for office buildings, and apartments, because you can hang them off of windows and ledges.
