Pigeon Repellant? (roof, dogs, vent, outside)

[burdell]

Anyone ever have a problem with pigeons attempting to roost/nest in house/garage eaves? Any readily available repellants? Or is it time for a 12ga.?

[momof2dfw]

Best repellant is a good BB or pellet gun. Nothing else works.

[Cosmic]

The only sure thing is to kill some of them. Hang them around for the rest to see. The rest will take note and be gone. Nothing else works for very long. They only understand one type of message.

When Louie and Herbie buy the farm the rest of them get the message big time. Other than that, they all think it is a bluff.

You must kill a few or have something around that will eat them. No other message is heard.

[Baltic_Celt]

Cosmic - It doesn't work to place rubber snakes in the area? That used to be a common "remedy" in Boston, but I never heard any feedback on success... VV

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by KittensPurr

Cosmic - It doesn't work to place rubber snakes in the area? That used to be a common "remedy" in Boston, but I never heard any feedback on success... VV

If you try to fool them it can work, very, very short term. But they quickly figure out it is some sort of control and ignore it quickly. Same with trying to screen them out or stop them from roosting in a particualr spot. Same with crows, they are the same in trying to control.

Only one thing works. Kill some of them and leave them dead for the others to see. Messages gets across very quick. In the house I now have, strangely enough had problems with pigeons. Just a ways down the road is a feed store used by a county coop for farmers and the like. Lots of pigeons hang out there. They were using my roof as a place to stop in the morning. Driving me crazy, could hear them walking around and cooing. Crap all over the place.

Started sneaking up there and shooting some of them. Tied them to the lightning rods on the roof peak. End of pigeons using my roof. Still lots of pigeons around, they will not come on my roof.

Farmers used to shoot crows. Tie them to a pole out in a corn field. Until that bird decays the others will not come into that area. They do not want to end up like their buddies.

Both of them will also quickly give up an area if something is around like another bird that is hunting them. You can use a poison, but leave the dead birds visible for as long as possible. Better if you can shoot them. Apparently the others realize what has happened. Word really can get around the nest.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Originally Posted by Cosmic

The only sure thing is to kill some of them. Hang them around for the rest to see. The rest will take note and be gone. Nothing else works for very long. They only understand one type of message.

You must kill a few or have something around that will eat them. No other message is heard.

I always thought that would be a good idea for pedophiles as well...

In Texas thats what they do with coyotes.

Disclaimer: I am joking and would never take the life of another human being or encourage someone else to do the same unless my life or the safety of another was at stake...

[Baltic_Celt]

Cosmic -

Very interesting, thanks. They seem harmless but I do remember when I first moved to Boston as a teen from a small town setting & having pigeons roost on our roof. I'd never even seen one before. Woke me up in the mornings & drove me nuts cooing all day. We tried to chase them with brooms, but to no avail. For some odd reason, years later, they just left. To this day, I cannot stand the sound of that cooing. I never looked up to see if any poultry was hanging from a lightening rod.

Interesting read... VV

[momof2dfw]

We have the same problems in our area w/ the grackles (black birds). They are annoying, filthy, disgusting, etc. And can be very harmful as their **** can be toxic to dogs and cats (same for all birds) and humans. We had an employee that just recovered after being soooo sick last year and after a month in the hospital they finally figured it out and it is some disease you can get in your lungs by inhaling bird ****. The only way they figure he got exposed was hunting. If you have bird **** on anything outside be sure to wet it down before sweeping it as the dry particles are what can travel and be breathed in.

As for those rubber snakes, that and fake owls, tin foil, metal pie plates, etc. They only work for a little bit and that is it. You have to move the snakes and owls all the time or else they realize it is fake. As cosmic said, if you let one roost the rest follow so it is best to bump the first off and send the message loud and clear.

[burdell]

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

Best repellant is a good BB or pellet gun. Nothing else works.

I have no doubt this would work but i'm in a very urban area where they tend to frown on this type of thing, would probably result in a charge worse than dealing with the birds

[JustPassinThru]

Posted by burdell
"I have no doubt this would work but i'm in a very urban area where they tend to frown on this type of thing, would probably result in a charge worse than dealing with the birds"



In that case, would also avoid use of poison, as you have no control over the number of birds killed, and may also kill non-target species.

The sticky, entanglement-types of prevention are affected by cold and dust, and can lose their effectiveness. The fake snakes and owls are a waste of time. The plastic needles, wire needles, and razor wire work sometimes, but I have seen pigeons nesting between rows of these materials. In your situation, I would recommend netting. As long as it's secure, where the birds can't get under it, it does work. I would think, at this point, that eshetics are a secondary concern.

However, if the birds are roosting, rather than nesting, they might just move to another area of the same structure. I would follow the good advice given about wetting down the droppings prior to removing them. I would also wear a mask.