Pigeons are considered by many people to be the sky rats. Pigeons have not always had such a bad reputation as they do today. Formerly they were used as a way to send messages from one point to another and, in addition, they were considered a truly delicious delicacy for many families that hunted and ate them. Unfortunately, over the years, they have become birds capable of transmitting dangerous diseases to the population due to their poor diet. Pigeons eat absolutely everything they find on the ground or in city containers, and we cannot deceive ourselves or blame ourselves, since we humans are characterized by generating a lot of dangerous and polluting garbage that can end up serving as food for these or other birds.
Two of the main inconveniences caused by pigeons and for which they are less and less respected and loved by people are:
- Their high birth rate, because they reproduce quickly and very easily. They reproduce up to 6 times a year and obtain 2 eggs from each clutch.
- His multiple droppings. As the number of pigeons that exist in cities is so high, even being considered in some places as real pests, the result is the expulsion of large amounts of excrement on our cities, buildings, cars, and even on us. It could remain a joke in bad taste if it weren’t for the fact that pigeon feces contain uric acid capable of corroding metals. In addition, these excrements also contain fungi and bacteria capable of causing diseases in humans and other animals. Some of the diseases that these birds can spread are histoplasmosis, San Luis encephalitis or psittacosis. An easy way to be affected by pigeons is on crops. Imagine the farmer who stores his grain and it is attacked and filled with droppings by pigeons. No one will want to buy this contaminated product anymore.
How to drive away pigeons. It’s hard?
Luckily it is not, the biggest problem lies in the number of birds of this breed around you. The greater the population of pigeons, the more emphasis will have to be placed on solving the problem and driving them away. If you want to learn how to scare away pigeons, be sure to read the recommendations that we are going to make in the next post. Let’s get started!
What do you need to drive away pigeons?
To scare away the pigeons we are going to need
- Pigeons
- Patience and fighting spirit
- Bird barriers
- Special chemical products to repel this type of birds
- Pepper, cayenne, or other hot spices
- Reflective surfaces, such as music CDs that you no longer use
- Ultrasonic devices
- Predatory birds
- Various methods of extortion (water, loud sounds…)
Instructions to drive away pigeons
Step by step to scare away pigeons
Next we are going to show you some ways to scare away pigeons. We will start from the most harmless to the most aggressive. We recommend you use these tricks in this order and increase the aggressiveness of the treatments if you can’t get them to go away.
- Take advantage of your old CD’s. Surely you have a huge collection of CDs that you no longer use because you listen to your music through spottily or you have it all on your computer’s hard drive. It may even be that they have already been scratched and cannot be heard well. If that’s the case, take them out. Pigeons flee from reflective surfaces, be it white paper, CD’s or any other element. The only problem with this remedy is that it is temporary. Once they discover that these surfaces do not cause them any harm, they will start nesting near your home again. The good news is that this is a great initial solution until you take more aggressive action. In my house, for example, we hung CDs from strings in the trees to prevent birds from perching.
- Use exploding onions. Explosive onions are safe for children and can be a non-aggressive solution to fight pigeons in small areas. If, for example, you want to keep them away from your terrace or balcony, place some beads. As soon as they land, the explosive onions will explode with a loud sound that will scare away pigeons.
- Use hot spices. Pigeons hate spiciness, so a simple way to prevent them from bothering you in your home or in your crops is to spray the places where they usually settle with stinging substances. Cayenne chills or other spices are perfect for making them think twice about coming to your home. Apply enough to be easily felt and repeat the treatment after rainy days.
- Scare pigeons with water. An almost infallible technique is to wet them with the garden hose. If every time you see them your arm yourself with your hose and insistently spray the pigeons with water, they will soon understand that this space is not a pleasant place to live and they will end up leaving.
- Eliminate any food source. Pigeons feed on practically anything. I once saw pigeons taking wing bones in a square in Asturias. It was terrifying to me! A simple way to prevent them from maintaining their presence on your property is to remove any food. Prevents your pet’s pots from being outdoors; avoid constantly putting seeds in your garden if you notice that they do not germinate and of course never feed them. Forget that beautiful scene from Mary Poppins where that endearing granny fed the pigeons in the park. If you don’t want them to think that your house is their new home, the fewer food stimuli they find (if possible none), the better!
- Use sticky chemicals. If you spread some sticky chemical product on the surfaces where they usually perch, you will prevent the pigeons from locating there. The problem with this method is that the chemicals can be aggressive and can eventually corrode your surfaces or change their pigmentation. In addition, it is possible that you will only get them to settle in a place very close to your property and therefore continue to bother you.
- Use bird spikes. This system is a method that I do not share because it can be dangerous for your children. These are metal surfaces with nails that are located in all the places where pigeons usually perch. It is very common to find them on the roofs or on the facades of historic buildings. The problem with this system is that it is frankly very unattractive. It gives the feeling of being in a concentration camp.
- Use birds of prey or their sound. In large shopping centers, such as Carrefour supermarkets, where certain products are stored outside but with a roof, it is normal for birds to enter to prey on food. One way to ward them off is to use bird of prey recordings that scare pigeons away from entering the space. You can go for real birds of prey, but they can end up attacking other animals and eating your products too.
- It uses ultrasonic systems. If despite having used absolutely all the tricks on this list, there is still a pigeon that fiercely resists an infallible method to scare away pigeons is the use of ultrasonic systems. They are ideal for lofts, high ceilings, warehouses, or covered areas of very large spaces
Tips to drive away pigeons
Some last tips to scare away pigeons
- Do not underestimate the intelligence of these birds. Pigeons are very smart and have a highly developed instinct to return home. If they consider your house as their home, even if you use all kinds of systems to repel them, they will return again and again to claim their space. One way to avoid this is to confine them until they raise their chicks and then release them to find new homes.
- If you yourself are not able to drive away the pigeons, you may have to hire an expert to eradicate this pest that attacks your home or crops.
- If you cannot beat them, join him. Remember that in the past they were used to send messages and as a source of food. Let’s not forget that pigeons were considered a real delicacy until the last century. If you do not find recipes to cook pigeons, you can use one of those used to cook chicken or even those used for game birds such as partridges. You may discover a delicious delicacy. Of course, if you are going to use them as an alternative food source, it is convenient that you keep them locked in cages and control what they eat to prevent them from transmitting any type of disease to you due to their diet.
- If you have a high space, such as a deck above your loft, that pigeons won’t stop attacking, try trapping them and enclosing them in a cage. Little by little you can learn to train them and use them as homing pigeons with neighboring lofts. There are many people who are dedicated to training carrier pigeons and there are even contests with this type of bird. Who knows, your pigeon infestation may end up bringing you long-term benefits.
