Most building or homeowners know the horrors of an uncontrolled pigeon population taking over their lives, with the accompanying mess, noise, and inconvenience these birds bring. Pigeons have taken over suburban, urban, and industrial areas, forcing other bird species out. Their aggressive behavior and relentless breeding cycle have caused experts to label them as pests, equivalent to bugs and rodents.
Feral pigeon populations become a significant problem when people do not take the necessary steps to keep them under control. It is not always possible to hire pest control professionals, and many people resort to DIY pigeon problem resolution. Here are some tactics that they use:
An uncomfortable environment
Building owners who want to keep pigeons away should consider the environment they create for these birds. Pigeons love nothing better than finding a comfortable place to nest and breed. When no one removes them, these birds start breeding continuously, at least six or seven times a year. When extrapolating the numbers from there, with each new brood of pigeons leaving the nest and commencing with breeding activities, it is easy to see why pigeon populations get out of control.
One of the best things property owners can do is ensure that pigeons find their home or build a hostile environment that is not conducive to breeding. It helps to start with the pigeons’ food and water supply. Pigeons are scavengers and eat just about anything they can get hold of, including garbage. They favor birdseed and will chase other species away to monopolize it. However, feral pigeons are not averse to rooting through the trash for food if all else fails. Property owners benefit from ensuring that pigeons do not have access to food around their building by keeping trash cans and dumpsters sealed and not feeding the pigeons. Scattering a few breadcrumbs for these birds might seem like a harmless activity, but it attracts pigeons to a property, and they will not easily leave it.
Landing deterrents
Another step individuals can take to get rid of pigeons is making it challenging for them to land and nest. Pigeons will move to greener pastures if finding a place to live in a building is too challenging. To this end, property owners should use various strategies to deter pigeons from choosing their buildings as a home.
Placing pigeon spike strips along landing surfaces, such as on a balcony railing, deters pigeons from landing there. Netting can be spanned under a roof’s eaves to prevent pigeons from nesting there. While these methods are effective, they become less so when even the tiniest gap is left open. The pigeons will use it to access surfaces to build nests and breed.
Destroying nests
Pigeons do not favor building intricate nests as some other species do. Instead, they are content with a few twigs and leaves, constructing a rudimentary home for nesting and breeding. Pigeon dander lines their nests, often containing mites, lice, and other harmful organisms and substances.
Given their nest-building proclivities, destroying pigeons’ nests might seem counterintuitive. After all, it will only take them an hour or two to construct new ones. However, regular and persistent nest destruction is an effective way to get rid of pigeons. Despite their stubborn nature, pigeons know when the game is up, and it is time to look for somewhere else to live. Nest destruction is hazardous as inhaling pigeon dander can cause several respiratory conditions. Therefore, property owners should wear full protective gear, including masks, goggles, and gloves when undertaking nest destruction. They should avoid this activity if they cannot access the nests as it could lead to a fall.
Help from Mother Nature
Like all animals in a food chain, pigeons have natural enemies, including eagles, owls, snakes, foxes, and raccoons. Fortunately, property owners do not need to get living predators to help them solve a pigeon problem. Instead, they can place replicas of these creatures strategically to scare pigeons away. The latest models come with eyes that light up and have animatronic movement capabilities. They also emit predator sounds like hooting or hissing.
Pigeons are intelligent animals, and some predator replicas might not be enough to scare them off. Once they realize that the models are fake, they will ignore them and go about their business. Therefore, property owners should invest in the more expensive, realistic models, moving them around to create the perception of them being living predators.
Birth control
The most effective way of getting a pigeon population under control is by disrupting its reproduction rate. Pigeon birth control bait is an ideal way to accomplish this. Property owners start by feeding their pigeon population regular birdseed.
After that, they should slowly introduce the birth control bait into their pigeon feed mix. This approach has reduced pigeon populations by up to 50% within the first year of use following manufacturer instructions. The pigeons will continue mating, but the eggs will not hatch.
