Pigeon problems

[wee quinnie]

I am having real problems with feral pigeons at the moment - there are loads of them congregating on my roof, and next doors roof. Not only is there lots of nasty poo around, but there are lots of yucky feathers also. I have lived in ED for over 8 years, and it is only fairly recently that these dudes have arrived. I have a couple of bird feeders hanging in the garden aimed at little birds - however the pigeons have taken to landing on them and with wings outstpread shaking the feeders so violently that loads of seed then falls on the ground. Gah! I know that the obvious solution would be to remove the feeders - but is there any other way anyone can think of getting rid of them, short of resorting to a shot gun?

Minging, I know.

[benjaminty]

Get a fake Owl! When we moved in, there was one still in our garden but could tell what it is for. We don't have a problem with pigeons and dont want to risk it by removing said owl.

So a wooden pigeon would do but I've found this .... how can you resist?

http://www.pestcontrol-products.com/birdcontrol_repellents_owl.htm

[wee quinnie]

I am still having the bleedin' pigeon problems. God I hate them. To add to the problem my next door neighbour has started feeding them. FFS! I have just been on the web trawling for pigeon pest control items - like spikes you attach to your roof, and some kind of gel stuff, that makes it tricky for them to land. I was wondering if anyone knows if this stuff works. I am going to get Mr WQ to go round there and sweet talk the old lady - we don't want to jeapordise our supply of plums/berries/rhubarb etc., oh and neighbourliness, most important. Tricky situation.

[LuvPeckham]

You could borrow an Air Rifle... what you do with it is entirely up to you... ::o

Just make sure that no one is watching you when you do some 'target shooting'

[Brendan]

Get a real owl?

[SteveT]

An air-rifle would dissuade them, it wont kill them unless you can hit their head, but you would knock out a few feathers and make them fly off.

I had the same problem at my place and what got rid of them was the sparrow-hawk havesting them.

They all went suddenly one day after I discovered the remains of a pigeon which resembled an indian chiefs war bonnet, no body left just a ring of feathered remains on the lawn.

[cdonline]

Who knew that a plastic owl would be so expensive. Do you have a child you could dress up as one, twit-a-twooing as they go. Could make it into a game.

Could you ask your neighbour to stop feeding them?

[Azul]

http://meupais.free.fr/artesanato/fisga.jpg

[Anna_80]

Have you tried?

http://jaffafundcake.googlepages.com/tfl_pigeon.pdf

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Anyone ever seen a Baby Pigeon?

[Asset]

Yes, earlier this year. Underside of the bridge at ED station.

[wee quinnie]

Check this out peeps - I had always thought (until now) that Benjamity's post was a spoof:

http://www.pigeonstop.co.uk/default.asp?page=shopproduct&productid=Decoy%20Prowler%20Owl

Can't imagine it working in Trafalgar Square - although I understand they have a hawk - lucky things!

[Michael Palaeologus]

Shoot 'em, cook 'em, eat 'em.

[jollyrogers]

We have just installed pigeon spikes and so has our neighbour and that seems to have worked. We got them from a company on the internet called pigeonstop.co.uk but if you Google 'pigeon spikes' there are loads of companies that sell them. They were quite easy to install - we did it ourselves. Good luck!