Pigeons are probably the most well know wild bird in North America. They are often kept as pets, raced, used to carry messages and well loved by many people. But when they are covering the roof of a home, they can soon be labeled a pest. Pigeons have adapted very well to urban environments.
They will build their nest under eaves of buildings and homes, in gutters or even on your boat. They leave a mess behind of nesting material and feces. Pigeon dropping can carry any 60 known transmittable diseases such as West Nile Virus, Histoplasmosis and others. The droppings are also acidic and will corrode building materials and causing costly repairs.
Safely Clean Up Pigeon Debris
Before you can use any sort of pigeon deterrent you must first clean the area where the pigeons have been a nuisance. You must be careful when cleaning bird feces, the following steps are recommended.
- Be sure to ware gloves and a mask, you do not want to touch or breath any of the pigeon dropping dust.
- Never clean bird droppings dry; wet them down and scrap them off into a plastic bag and toss in a garbage receptacle.
- If one is available use a power washer to wash away the bird feces.
- Use a solution of water and bleach or ammonia to disinfect the surface. Pigeons are tenacious birds and will return to where their smell is.
How to Keep Pigeons Off Buildings
There are pigeon deterrents available that are inexpensive and easy to install yourself. Most can be purchased online or at a local hardware store.
- Pigeon Spikes are used to keep pigeons from landing on flat surfaces and roosting and nesting. They usually come in two foot sections and different widths depending on where you are putting them. Once installed the birds can no longer land. They work well on roof peaks and edges, patio covers, widow ledges and other flat surfaces.
- Pigeon Netting is used to exclude pigeons from areas like under the eaves of a home, fruit trees, gardens and other areas that you want to totally exclude pigeons from. Netting us usually easy to install and has a long lasting life.
- Bird spiders are bird deterrent devices that have 8 "arms" like a spider. These arms move with the breeze and cause a distraction to the pigeons keeping them from landing. The spiders come in different diameters; 2', 4', 6' and 8'. They are ideal for boats and marinas, working well to deter pigeon and larger birds.
It is recommended that if you do not feel comfortable installing a pigeon deterrent yourself, call a professional. Most pest control or animal control companies will also help you with your bird control issues. It is better to be safe than sorry especially if your pigeon problem is at on the roof of a three-story building.
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