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Pigeon Diseases are Real Disease spread by pigeons is not common, nor should it be considered a serious public health risk, but it would be irresponsible to call the existence of such diseases "unsubstantiated." According to the New York City Department of Health, there are three reported types of diseases humans may contract. Each disease spread by pigeons seems to require an excessive amount of exposure to pigeon droppings, but the three most common infections caused by pigeons in the City of New York include: Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection, inhaled during the cleanup of pigeon droppings. Cyptococcosis is another fungal infection caused by contact with pigeon droppings which is only considered a risk to people with auto-immune diseases. Psittacosis is a bacterial infection that may be transferred from pigeons to parrots, and to humans as well.	How to Get Rid of Pigeons	Natural Pigeon Control There's no such thing as a natural pigeon repellent: plant-based or otherwise. The strategies of pigeon control outlined below are simply more physical and habitat modification controls intended to make your property less attractive to pigeons. Eliminate standing water around your property. Pigeons, like other home pests, require standing water sources to replenish themselves. If there isn't a source of water on your property, the chances of pests like pigeons taking up residence are much lower. Cleaning up bird seed, grains, and other sources of food should reduce pigeon populations, since pigeons are scavengers. Just like restricting pigeon's access to sources of drinking water, reducing the amount of food scraps, seeds, and other food types aside from vegetable matter should help control the pigeon population. This is particularly effective on farms, and is best accomplished with drop-feeders or feeding systems that require the livestock to trigger the release of food. Nest removal seems inhumane to some people, and perhaps they're right, but one of the best ways to disrupt a flock of pigeons (or any other bird for that matter) is to mess with their nests. This is usually accomplished with a long pole. I've used tent a number of tent poles put together to get hard to reach pigeon nests before. You may end up having to break some eggs, but eventually the pigeons will get the point and leave the area to find a safer place to nest.
If you've ever been to Europe, you've probably come to the conclusion that getting rid of pigeons is not a particularly easy objective to accomplish. Pigeons, as a species, like the rat (to which they've been compared), have adapted quite well to urban environments. In fact, their presence in rural areas is almost unnoticeable, making it seem that in some respects pigeons have become domesticated or dependent upon humans, much the same way dogs (wolves) became dependent upon humans. Pigeon control isn't an impossible matter, however, and many cities have employed successful integrated pigeon management programs to reduce populations, thus hindering the physical, economic, and health damages associated with these pest birds. In this article, we will attempt to teach the private property owner how to get rid of pigeons, or at least make their property less attractive to the pigeon population. Pigeon Control
Suggestions or Questions? Check our Pest Control Forum.
You may not like the idea of shooting animals, but if you're serious about getting rid of pigeons, you should consider it. The lack of fear pigeons seem to exhibit around humans makes them easy targets, requiring little more than a small gauge rifle like a .22 caliber. Since pigeons are an invasive species of bird, and are considered pests in many states, laws usually do not restrict the extermination of pigeons. However, you may want to consult your local law enforcement center for information about firearms laws in your township or district. The direct control of pigeons with guns is particularly effective in rural areas where pigeon populations are lowest.
Using live traps to get rid of pigeons is possible, and seems to be the most effective form of population control in urban areas. Pigeon motels, as they are called, are relatively cheap considering some of your other pigeon control options. Bait a particular area for a few days to get the pigeons used to feeding there. Then, put the pigeon trap down, leaving the doors open, so that the pigeons learn to walk in an out of the trap. After that, you may begin to set the trap doors to close, leaving some pigeons in the trap to help attract more pigeons. Make sure to leave some water for the birds you intend to leave in the trap. Where you relocate the birds or what you do to them after that is none of my business.
Bird netting or stainless steel wire mesh fencing can be used to get rid of pigeons by excluding them from their typical roosting sites. I'll be honest with you, this isn't the cheapest way to get rid of pigeons, but it is one of the most effective deterrents available. If pigeons cannot roost nearby your property, they are likely to move on, and establish a larger community elsewhere. Wire mesh, screening, or bird netting may be hung under eves, in lofts, and anywhere else pigeons have been known to roost.
Bird strips, as they've been aptly named, are another good way to get rid of pigeons by reducing roosting sites. Bird strips are those metal spikes or wires you've seen on large institutions, where large colonies of pigeons tend to roost. In an effort to reduce pigeon populations at my alma mater, pigeon deterring bird strips proved quite effective, making the local pigeon population relocate and disappear within a matter of months. Don't discount bird strips, or bird spikes as they're sometimes called, for repelling pigeons just because of the price. You may save money in the long run by preventing physical damages incurred by pigeon droppings.
Bird scarers or bird alarms are another way to get rid of pigeons, but their effectiveness is questionable. The kind of bird alarm sold by companies like Martley may employ both an audible alarm and a visual deterrent, but I've seen pigeons not move so much as an inch while someone was trying to shoot them with a rifle. So, the effectiveness of audible bird alarms and visual deterrents is left to the anecdotal evidence given by people who have used such bird control devices. I can't recommend these in light of the effectiveness of the four more direct pigeon control strategies outlined above.
Suggestions or Questions? Check our Pest Control Forum.
Chemical Pigeon Control For chemical bird control or pigeon control, like we're dealing with here, you have two choices: pigeon poison or pigeon repellent. The question is: which is more effective? Well, one of the more common bird control poison brands is Avitrol, and I can't think of anything both as underhanded and as effective as poison to control pigeons. The company that makes Avitrol calls it a flock-frightening chemical because the behavior exhibited by pigeons after eating it scares the rest of the flock away from the area where the poison has been distributed. The reality is probably closer to this: birds in the pigeon flock get sick and die, and the rest of the pigeons either get the picture and move on, or they take the proverbial kool-aid and join their friends in birdy heaven. The safer option is probably Bird-X bird repellent, which has gained itself a name in the field of bird control, even earning itself an endorsement from the Audubon Society. Bird-x is readily available from vendors online. Bird-X also makes the bird spikes mentioned above.
Home \| Pest Control \| how to get rid of pigeons

Disclaimer: Jonathan Hatch & Natasha Laumei cannot accept any responsibility for any injury or damage that you may cause to yourself, others, or property when following any advice given on this site.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

Home | Pest Control | how to get rid of pigeons

Pigeon Diseases are Real

Disease spread by pigeons is not common, nor should it be considered a serious public health risk, but it would be irresponsible to call the existence of such diseases "unsubstantiated."

According to the New York City Department of Health, there are three reported types of diseases humans may contract. Each disease spread by pigeons seems to require an excessive amount of exposure to pigeon droppings, but the three most common infections caused by pigeons in the City of New York include:

Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection, inhaled during the cleanup of pigeon droppings.

Cyptococcosis is another fungal infection caused by contact with pigeon droppings which is only considered a risk to people with auto-immune diseases.

Psittacosis is a bacterial infection that may be transferred from pigeons to parrots, and to humans as well.

How to Get Rid of Pigeons

Natural Pigeon Control

There's no such thing as a natural pigeon repellent: plant-based or otherwise. The strategies of pigeon control outlined below are simply more physical and habitat modification controls intended to make your property less attractive to pigeons.

Eliminate standing water around your property. Pigeons, like other home pests, require standing water sources to replenish themselves. If there isn't a source of water on your property, the chances of pests like pigeons taking up residence are much lower.

Cleaning up bird seed, grains, and other sources of food should reduce pigeon populations, since pigeons are scavengers. Just like restricting pigeon's access to sources of drinking water, reducing the amount of food scraps, seeds, and other food types aside from vegetable matter should help control the pigeon population. This is particularly effective on farms, and is best accomplished with drop-feeders or feeding systems that require the livestock to trigger the release of food.

Nest removal seems inhumane to some people, and perhaps they're right, but one of the best ways to disrupt a flock of pigeons (or any other bird for that matter) is to mess with their nests. This is usually accomplished with a long pole. I've used tent a number of tent poles put together to get hard to reach pigeon nests before. You may end up having to break some eggs, but eventually the pigeons will get the point and leave the area to find a safer place to nest.

If you've ever been to Europe, you've probably come to the conclusion that getting rid of pigeons is not a particularly easy objective to accomplish. Pigeons, as a species, like the rat (to which they've been compared), have adapted quite well to urban environments. In fact, their presence in rural areas is almost unnoticeable, making it seem that in some respects pigeons have become domesticated or dependent upon humans, much the same way dogs (wolves) became dependent upon humans. Pigeon control isn't an impossible matter, however, and many cities have employed successful integrated pigeon management programs to reduce populations, thus hindering the physical, economic, and health damages associated with these pest birds. In this article, we will attempt to teach the private property owner how to get rid of pigeons, or at least make their property less attractive to the pigeon population.

Pigeon Control

Suggestions or Questions? Check our Pest Control Forum.

You may not like the idea of shooting animals, but if you're serious about getting rid of pigeons, you should consider it. The lack of fear pigeons seem to exhibit around humans makes them easy targets, requiring little more than a small gauge rifle like a .22 caliber. Since pigeons are an invasive species of bird, and are considered pests in many states, laws usually do not restrict the extermination of pigeons. However, you may want to consult your local law enforcement center for information about firearms laws in your township or district. The direct control of pigeons with guns is particularly effective in rural areas where pigeon populations are lowest.

Using live traps to get rid of pigeons is possible, and seems to be the most effective form of population control in urban areas. Pigeon motels, as they are called, are relatively cheap considering some of your other pigeon control options. Bait a particular area for a few days to get the pigeons used to feeding there. Then, put the pigeon trap down, leaving the doors open, so that the pigeons learn to walk in an out of the trap. After that, you may begin to set the trap doors to close, leaving some pigeons in the trap to help attract more pigeons. Make sure to leave some water for the birds you intend to leave in the trap. Where you relocate the birds or what you do to them after that is none of my business.

Bird netting or stainless steel wire mesh fencing can be used to get rid of pigeons by excluding them from their typical roosting sites. I'll be honest with you, this isn't the cheapest way to get rid of pigeons, but it is one of the most effective deterrents available. If pigeons cannot roost nearby your property, they are likely to move on, and establish a larger community elsewhere. Wire mesh, screening, or bird netting may be hung under eves, in lofts, and anywhere else pigeons have been known to roost.

Bird strips, as they've been aptly named, are another good way to get rid of pigeons by reducing roosting sites. Bird strips are those metal spikes or wires you've seen on large institutions, where large colonies of pigeons tend to roost. In an effort to reduce pigeon populations at my alma mater, pigeon deterring bird strips proved quite effective, making the local pigeon population relocate and disappear within a matter of months. Don't discount bird strips, or bird spikes as they're sometimes called, for repelling pigeons just because of the price. You may save money in the long run by preventing physical damages incurred by pigeon droppings.

Bird scarers or bird alarms are another way to get rid of pigeons, but their effectiveness is questionable. The kind of bird alarm sold by companies like Martley may employ both an audible alarm and a visual deterrent, but I've seen pigeons not move so much as an inch while someone was trying to shoot them with a rifle. So, the effectiveness of audible bird alarms and visual deterrents is left to the anecdotal evidence given by people who have used such bird control devices. I can't recommend these in light of the effectiveness of the four more direct pigeon control strategies outlined above.

Suggestions or Questions? Check our Pest Control Forum.

Chemical Pigeon Control

For chemical bird control or pigeon control, like we're dealing with here, you have two choices: pigeon poison or pigeon repellent. The question is: which is more effective? Well, one of the more common bird control poison brands is Avitrol, and I can't think of anything both as underhanded and as effective as poison to control pigeons. The company that makes Avitrol calls it a flock-frightening chemical because the behavior exhibited by pigeons after eating it scares the rest of the flock away from the area where the poison has been distributed. The reality is probably closer to this: birds in the pigeon flock get sick and die, and the rest of the pigeons either get the picture and move on, or they take the proverbial kool-aid and join their friends in birdy heaven.

The safer option is probably Bird-X bird repellent, which has gained itself a name in the field of bird control, even earning itself an endorsement from the Audubon Society. Bird-x is readily available from vendors online. Bird-X also makes the bird spikes mentioned above.

Home | Pest Control | how to get rid of pigeons

Disclaimer: Jonathan Hatch & Natasha Laumei cannot accept any responsibility for any injury or damage that you may cause to yourself, others, or property when following any advice given on this site.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.