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How To Get Rid of Pigeons

How To Remove Pigeons From A Building
Pigeons are found worldwide and though some species have been domesticated there are many that are wild. They are the most common bird pest there is and there are no restrictions on removing them from businesses and residences. Pigeons get a lot of food from people and use their buildings for nesting quarters. Because of this close relationship there is very little fear of humans present in these birds. Once there is a flock that has taken over a building it is very difficult to get rid of them unless you already know how to remove pigeons.

Click any of the below photos for a larger high-resolution version:

Pigeons roosting at a gas station

Here are some pigeons I caught in a trap

Before and after. Needle strips work

I caught this pigeon coming out of an attic

Habitat and Biology
Pigeons live in heavily populated areas where there is plenty of garbage to eat. You will find them just about anywhere in the city, as well as dumpsites. The parks, bridges, and other structures such as buildings, steeples and attics are great habitats. It is impossible just to have one or two pigeons, as they are drawn to each other, so a flock will grow in a very short time. Pigeons lay a few eggs per cycle, with each cycle lasting about sixty days from mating to when babies start flying away. Cycles can go year round. These birds live about three years and sleep approximately eight hours a night.

What Do Pigeons Eat?
People have even grown accustomed to feeding pigeons, especially in parks and areas that they flock. Because of this, these birds will eat just about anything that is handed out as well as anything that is in your trash. Pigeons are scavengers and will hunt out their food. They will also eat insects, manure and seeds.

Why Are They a Nuisance?
The main reason that these birds are a nuisance is because there is never just one or two, it has been said that having a flock of a thousand pigeons is not unusual. They can damage roof top equipment, block ventilation systems, chimneys and gutters. This can not only cause property damage but can also create fire hazards. The health risk from pigeon droppings is also very real. If the spores from droppings become air borne when trying to remove the messes pigeons create you can end up with a serious lung disease or salmonella poisoning. Droppings have a high level of uric acid that can deteriorate and corrode metals and paint as well as allow hazardous forms of bacteria to grow.

Getting Rid of Pigeons
When people start noticing a build-up of pigeon poo they tend to start looking for the culprits and how to remove them. Trapping these birds and relocating them simply isn’t an option. You may try trapping them yourself and removing them but chances are that you will not get them all and if you have one or two left, you will end up with a flock in a short time. Additionally, there is a reason for Homing pigeons, they are quite capable of returning to a roost even when removed more than 15,000 miles away. Some people try repellents and plastic owls. Sadly these methods don’t usually provide the best answer.

There are many deterrents made to stop pigeons from roosting on your building such as spikes along the area they roost or blocking off areas where they nest. Loud noises will scare them away for a short time but they seem to adapt quite quickly to this. You will need to consider if they are living inside the actual building or simply roosting on various parts of it outside. If they’ve made a home in the attic or loft of a barn you’ll need to just block their entrance off so they can’t reenter. If they are resting all over the outside of the building you’ll need to do a little more work.

This can be dangerous not to mention tedious so it is best to hire a professional wildlife removal service and it is the safest and most efficient way to rid your building from the destruction of pigeons. Not only will the professionals devise a plan to keep these birds away, they will clean up the hazardous waste that is left behind. They have special equipment and clothing for safely removing droppings. They can also advise you of how to keep another flock from turning up on your building.

PHOTOS: For great pictures of bird control and removal, click on my: Bird Photographs gallery.

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A complete list of my bird control pages:
Bird Control
How to Keep Pigeons Away from a Building
Bird Photographs
How to Get Rid of Pigeons
How to Keep Pigeons Away From Balcony, Pool, Building
How to Kill Pigeons
Canada Goose Removal - How To Get Rid, How to Keep Away
Woodpecker Removal - How To Get Rid, How to Keep Away
Starling Removal - How To Get Rid, How to Keep Away
Muscovy Duck Removal - How To Get Rid, How to Keep Away

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