Pesky Pigeons: How to Prevent Them

Believe it or not pigeons are a major pest problem for home and business owners, especially those living in urban areas, but also for those living in suburban and rural areas as well. Homes and other buildings provide the perfect area for these pesky pests to roost, rest, and nest in. Also, residential and business properties often provide ample food and water sources for these birds to easily live off of.

Feral pigeons have dark, blue-gray heads and often have glossy yellow, green and red-purple markings along their neck and wing feathers. Their bill is grayish pink in color, and they have two distinctive dark bands on their wings. They also have a single dark band located across their tail.

Pigeons are not just annoying to have living on your property, they can transmit diseases to you, your family, and guests. The feces that these pests leave behind can pass on diseases like encephalitis, toxoplasmosis, and Salmonella just to name a few. Also, having your home and property covered in feces isn’t aesthetically pleasing, and can lead to slips and fall injuries.

They can also cause serious damage to the structure of your home or building. Their droppings will damage and accelerate the breakdown of things like roof shingles, siding, vent systems, and gutters. Their nests will clog gutters and not allow them to work properly directing water away from your property. For this reason and more it is super important as a property owner that you do everything possible to stop pigeons from choosing your building to live on or in. Completely preventing pigeons from roosting on your property is difficult, but there are things that you can do to deter and prevent them. Pigeon prevention tips include:

• Hiring a professional bird control expert to reduce your current pigeon population through trapping and other methods.

• Reducing or eliminating potential food and water sources from your property. Take down bird feeders, and other food sources that you notice them feeding on. Remove bird baths and other receptacles that can hold water.

• Placing wire mesh over gutters and roof lines to stop them from roosting in those areas and clogging the areas with their feces and nests.

• Use pigeon spikes on your roof to make it uncomfortable for the birds to land on top of it.

For help with a current pigeon infestation or to help prevent a future problem with these pests contact the professionals at Holder’s Pest Solutions. Our bird removal experts will be able to assist you in eliminating your current pigeon problem and work with you to set up a system to prevent future problems.