Humane Pigeon Control

[ariadnegrrrl]

Hi everyone.

I'm really bummed out because the pigeons on my balcony are wreaking havoc on it.

When we moved in here, I spent a whole day on my hands and knees scrubbing the old pigeon poop from the balcony floor. I moved most things they could roose on and under over to one side (or away altogether), but they managed to find an old bin to lay eggs and have babies in.

Well, the babies are now growing up and all of the whole family is pooping everywhere, all over our furniture, digging up my planters (my shoots are all dead now, thanks to them), and the balcony is now disgusting again.

I'm a bird lover, but I am really angry right now. I can't afford to get that netting that keeps them away from the balcony, and I don't believe in hurting them, so what other solutions do I have to keep them AWAY?

Help!!!!

[ariadnegrrrl]

oops - roose = roost.

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi there,

Sorry to hear you're upset and frustrated. Not everyone wants pigeons on their balcony even if they are animal lovers.

What you can do is remove any eggs that the pigeons lay immediately. You have to be vigilant with this as you don't want to discard an egg with a developing chick inside. You can replace their eggs with fake plastic ones or nothing at all. If you use your balcony a lot they will get scared off. Eventually the pigeons will realize that your balcony is not suitable for nesting and look elsewhere.

Thanks for coming here and being compassionate at least in your plight


P.S. If you talk to any of your neighbours that have the same problem, try to convince them to do the same and be as humane as you

[John_D]

Hi,

Glad you seek a humane way of deterring the birds. Alternatives to neeting could be coiled wire, or wire 'tightrope' on the parapet of the balcony, like these:

http://www.birdsolutions.com/bird_coil.htm
http://www.birdsolutions.com/birdwire.htm

A 'slinky' toy is effective in place of special coiled wire, too (and probably cheaper!).

Otherwise, it is pretty much as Brad suggests - if their routine is disrupted it will just not be a good place for them to be. Was the apartment an empty one for a while before you moved in? Pigeons where I am will take advantage of unoccupied apartments' balconies.

John

[TitanicWreck]

[quote=ariadnegrrrl]Hi everyone.

I'm really bummed out because the pigeons on my balcony are wreaking havoc on it."






I notice the pigeon deterrent i see here in Boston are those spikes put on ledges- They seem to work, and I suspect if the pigeon sees the spikes, he/she will simply find another ledge
Im not sure if its common for a pigeon to accidently impale itelf on one of those spikes, I tend to doubt it....