Pigeons can be admired from afar; they have bright feathers, interesting group behaviours, and their funny walk is hard to miss. But when they make your home their home, they aren’t so endearing.
You don’t want to harm the pigeons, but you do want them to pack their bags and head elsewhere. How do you get rid of them?
At first, you might not understand why pigeons are problematic—they’re like pet birds for your backyard! However, their presence comes with a few risks:
If you own a business, you want to present a storefront that’s well-maintained, clean, and professional. A pigeon problem creates the exact opposite of that.
Waste produced by pigeons contains uric acid, a highly acidic substance. It can damage your home, business, and/or the plants in your garden.
Like many pests, pigeons can spread diseases that harm our health. One example is histoplasmosis, which causes symptoms of a respiratory illness.
You spend enough time cleaning up after people—now, you have to work on tidying what unwanted pigeons left behind? It’s just too much!
It’s rare to have just one pigeon causing problems. Usually, you’re forced to deal with an entire band of them. Here’s how you can fend them off:
You might have set up a bird feeder and bath to attract cute, small birds, but you wound up with pigeons instead.
Any food or water sources will attract these birds like a magnet. You’ll have to seal them off if you want to discourage these pests.
Pigeons often hide under awnings, roofs, or other crevices. But if you cover these areas to limit their access, they’ll need to fly somewhere else to take shelter. You can also use nets to protect your garden.
This sticky substance can discourage pigeons from hanging out around your house. Not only does it make the area uninhabitable, but the smell alone deters them. Be careful not to use too much; the pigeon could get stuck and hurt itself trying to escape.
But there’s a problem with this product: it can be very difficult to remove (just like pigeons!). If you put it on a highly visible area like a roof or balcony, it may be unsightly.
Do scarecrows really work? In this case, you’ll need more of a scarepigeon.
Just placing a statue (like an owl) won’t work for long. Pigeons are smart. If that decoy remains stationary, they’ll start to pick up on your clever ruse. You may need to move the statue around to keep the pigeons on their feet.
However, DIY solutions can only do so much. It seems that no matter what you do, those pigeons return to your stoop the next day. It might be time to call for professional help.
Contact Gilles Lambert for pest control services in Winnipeg. We’ve got the latest bird exclusion devices and netting systems to keep pigeons off your property. We’ll even get rid of their nests and droppings for you!
At GL Pest Control, we offer same-day service whenever possible to help our customers get back to enjoying their lives, not cleaning up pigeon droppings.
