Pigeons seem to be an innocent breed of birds that are not only fun to breed and have as pets, but also used to send messages across long distances for a long time. So when you’re told that you should be concerned about their population, it might sound crazy to you. Most people don’t know this but pigeons are considered pest birds, as they can cause significant damage to property and spread diseases. One seemingly innocent pigeon might look harmless but when they are in a flock they can be quite catastrophic. Here’s why:

• Pigeons make rather flimsy nests but reuse the same location multiple times, often building one on top of another. Also, as they don’t actively clean their nests of feces, these nests get sturdy, and mold-like, and can easily block drains and gutters.
• Their droppings have a relatively low pH value, and this acidic excrement can damage buildings and paint jobs.
• As they are mostly found in flocks and make a mess wherever they go, they are known for carrying many different types of pathogens and zoonotic diseases. They depend mostly on humans for food, so they are easily found around grain handling facilities. If not managed properly, they can contaminate large quantities of food.

Now, even though it seems like a huge problem, handling pigeons isn’t that hard. As a matter of fact, people have been dealing with pigeons for a long time. There are many methods available, from traditional methods like Bird netting, Bird wire, and shock systems, to modern bird birth control methods like OvoControl. But  what are the solutions to get rid of pigeons and how do they work? Also, how to choose which one is ideal for your use case?

For that, you need to know how they work and whether they’ll be as effective in your case. This step by step guide should help you find the right solution for your problem.

Identifying the problem

By identifying how these pest birds are affecting you, you can make an informed decision about what bird control solution to choose. There are three main reasons why you might need bird control.

Mess and odor

If your building is infested with pigeons, their presence and droppings will eventually cause the area to have a very unpleasant odor, not to mention all the mess their droppings and feathers cause. These can also cause slipping hazards and overtime cause damage to surfaces through acid corrosion.

Contamination

As these birds stay in flocks and reproduce rapidly, these produce a lot of bird fouling. This can not only cause odor and mess but also contaminate water sources, food storages, and HVAC systems. Under some conditions, their manure can harbor airborne spores that can cause allergies or in worst cases, diseases like histoplasmosis – a fungal infection caused by inhaling spores.

Insect infestation resulting from pigeons

Pigeons are known to carry fleas and harbor other pests in their nests. Their droppings are a great source of food for cockroaches and other insects. It is quite possible that your other pest problems are also caused by pigeons.

Diseases

There are over 60 known diseases that pigeons are known to carry. In some sensitive places like hospitals and others, a bird infestation can be devastating. Besides, as mentioned above, their droppings can contaminate water and air. 

Bird control solutions

Bird Birth control

A relatively new method of bird control. Here, birds are given a special type of feed that interferes with their reproductive cycle, causing their eggs to not hatch, resulting in a permanent, humane but slow solution to your bird problem. This type of solution is ideal for refineries, manufacturing facilities, chemical production facilities, and hospitals.

Bird Netting

It is one of the most common, quiet, cheap, and simple methods of controlling pigeons and other bird populations. All you do is enclose an area with netting, preventing any bird to access that area. It is very effective in facilities where you don’t care much about the appearance of the building. But it’s not a permanent solution as birds still tend to get tangled in the netting, these nets can fall over time and have holes which can allow birds to enter.

Anti-perch spikes

In areas where appearances matter and your main problem can be easily dealt with by not letting birds roost or settle, Anti-perch spikes are a great solution. A great example would be a business building that is suffering from all the mess and droppings from pigeons. Causing slipping hazards and odor. Just by adding some well-placed spikes, the problem can be completely eradicated. But it cannot completely end the problem if contamination and surface damage is also a problem, as you cannot cover everything with spikes.