Termite Inspection Orange County Termite Terry Pest Control

Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, South Orange County, Long Beach Area

Are Pigeons Making A Mess Of Your Property?

    Many people find pigeons to be interesting and even attractive. But, when their populations become numerous, they often become a pest. That is because of the damage they do to our properties and the potential health problems they present.

What Should We Know About Pigeons?

    Pigeons are not native to our country. They are descendents of domestic homing pigeons brought over from Europe and released here in about 1606. These pigeons originated from the sea cliffs of Europe and were domesticated by the Romans over two thousand years ago.   

    They have several traits that have allowed them to dominate our urban landscape. Because of their history, pigeons are not afraid of man and they will readily roost and nest in man-made structures. They also have a diverse diet which consists of seeds, grain, some fruits and human food scraps. When their preferred foods become scarce, pigeons are known to eat a relatively wide variety of other foods.

    Pigeon droppings deface our structures and foul areas where people walk or work. This can easily create an image of a dirty, unkept building. These droppings are at times very slippery and may increase your risk of a slip and fall accident.

    Their droppings are high in uric acid which is very corrosive. This acid can eat away at many substrates, especially tar-based roofing materials. Did you know that  

the life expectancy of a warehouse roof can be cut in half with just a light and continuous application of pigeon droppings? These droppings can also cause extensive damage to air conditioning and other roof-top machinery.

    Roofs and other parts of the structure may be damaged when debris from roosting flocks builds up and clogs rain gutters and drains.

    The serious health problems pigeons create are unmatched by any other bird. Ornithosis, encephalitis, Newcastle disease, histoplasmosis, cryptococcases, toxoplasmosis, pseudotuberculosis, pigeon coccidiosis and salmonella food poisoning are just some of the diseases they are known to carry and transmit.

What Can You Do To Help
Solve Problems With Pigeons?

    Before any control measures are taken, you need to determine the “pigeon pressure” in your area. Here are a few examples of pigeon pressure:

A.     High Pressure. This means that the pigeons are very determined to return to the site. Perhaps they were born in a specific location or may have raised their young there and they consider this to be their home. A site with heavy pressure will always provide them with shelter from the elements.

B.     Medium Pressure. In sites like this, the pigeons are a little less committed to the area. A medium pressure area may have food nearby or they may simply find it to be a safe and comfortable place to rest during the afternoons. Pigeons will be fairly committed to areas like this, but they won’t roost or nest there.

C.     Low Pressure. These areas are places where pigeons will stop by to rest after a meal or take in the sun. Good examples of low pressure sites are park benches,  patios, ledges, structural beams, and utility lines. These areas don’t provide food or shelter, so they are just a casual place to stop and loaf.

   Here are three behavioral traits you need to understand when dealing with pigeons:

  • Pigeons are flocking (their offspring stay with them). They don’t migrate so they aren’t going to go anyplace else.
  • The number of pigeons is determined by the amount of food and shelter which is available.
  • Pigeons that are established residents will fight harder to reclaim a site. The problem is even worse when you have nesting birds with their young.

7 Steps You Can Take
To Gain Control

  1. Sanitation. Start by removing spilled food or refuse. Remove their nest and clean up nesting areas.
  2. Build them out. The best solution is to make your building pigeon-proof. Openings in buildings, exposed rafters, structural braces, overhanging roof docks, etc., should be screened with rust-proof wire mesh or specialized bird netting.
  3. Pigeon-proofing products. There are many different products available to help keep pigeons off your structure. Some of the products in use today are bird spikes, bird wire (small wire that is stretched over an area, about 3 inches above the control surface), wire coils, “Daddy Long Legs” (stainless steel wires extending from a rotating base that looks sort of like a spider), electric shocking devices (wires or tracks) and slanted plastic or metal flashing for ledges. If installed properly, these can provide very effective results.
  4. Bird gels. Some of these gels are made to be sticky so that pigeons will feel discomfort when they land on them. Other gels contain ingredients which deter pigeons with various taste and smells. These gel products only offer short-term control and do require repeated applications.
  5. Reproduction control. This method is like “birth-control” for pigeons and is done by feeding them with a specially treated bait. They do not harm pigeons but, if applied on a regular basis, these products will substantially reduce the population size.
  6. Poisonous baits. These baits can be very effective but must be applied carefully by a highly trained specialist. Please be aware that many in our society disapprove of killing birds and special permits may be required.
  7. Don’t feed pigeons. There are more pigeons on earth today than at any time in history. Besides the damage to our properties and the health risks, pigeons are also harming many of our native birds. Pigeons have proven to be resourceful and they don’t need your food.

Feral pigeons are not protected by federal law but you should contact your state and local agencies before attempting any method of population control.

These seven steps are a great place to start but there is no one answer that will work every time and everywhere. You’ll find that a substantial amount of ingenuity and imagination will be required because these pigeon problems vary so greatly from one place to another.