How can I keep pigeons away from my property? 

Wondering how to keep pigeons away from your property? You’ve come to the right place! Pigeons are able to cause huge amounts of damage to properties, spread disease and disturb people with their noise and sometimes aggressive behaviour, so it’s no wonder we’re regularly called upon to tackle these problem birds.

In order to tackle pigeon pest control issues effectively, it’s important to understand pigeon behaviour. Once we recognise why these birds are so drawn to urban areas, it’s easier to come up with effective solutions to the problem.

Understanding Pigeon Behaviour

Urban areas are the perfect places for pigeons to survive and thrive – and for many reasons.

The first is our own behaviours – both intentional and unintentional – which provide them with plenty of food. Pigeons enjoy food from bird feeders and bird tables, as well as from those who enjoy feeding birds in our local parks. They also make good use of our rubbish: a dropped ice cream here and an easily accessible rubbish bag there will help to keep them well-fed.

There are great water supplies, too, from ponds, fountains and puddles – and artificial lighting, like street lights and floodlights, extends their feeding times. Buildings and urban heat islands provide the warmth that pigeons need, too.

Safety is also a big reason why pigeons love urban environments. Our buildings and structures offer them plenty of nesting and roosting sites – and the construction materials and designs that we use create ideal nesting spots. Cities and towns deter pigeons’ natural predators, creating safe breeding grounds.

These breeding grounds aren’t just safe either – because of our commitment to creating varied landscapes with plenty of green spaces, our cities mimic pigeons’ natural habitats.

Most of these pigeon attractants are beyond an individual’s control. There are, however, things you can do to keep pigeons away from your specific property.

If you’re not sure how to keep pigeons away, we’re here to help. The first step is to identify any sources of food, water and shelter that could appeal to them and look at how you could change things to remove some of that appeal.

If you have bird feeders on your property, consider removing these. Even if they aren’t accessible to pigeons, they’ll still be attracted by the food that other birds have dropped. Remember to secure your rubbish in lidded bins, too: pigeons and other birds can easily get into rubbish bags.

Bird spikes and netting can help you block off common roosting and nesting areas, while installing sloped window ledges and sills will prevent pigeons from being able to land. Be sure to keep gutters and drains clean – to remove potential water sources – and consider growing plants that obstruct their landing or that they find unattractive. You should also keep your eyes peeled for any pigeon droppings: removing any sign of these will discourage them from returning.

Various deterrents can also help. Reflective objects can scare pigeons away, while bird-repellent tapes and gels can be applied to common perching spots to stop them from landing. You can also buy ultrasonic bird repellers to help with the task. These emit sounds that pigeons don’t like – but you yourself won’t hear a thing.

Finally, consider motion-activated deterrents like lights or sprinklers. These will startle pigeons when activated, and hopefully stop them from coming back to your property.

While we’ve explained some tips on how to keep pigeons away, though, there’s no substitute for professional pigeon pest control services…The Importance of Professional Pigeon Proofing

Buying pigeon deterrents is an easy solution…but is it the most effective one? Not all deterrents actually work – and remember, pigeons are quite intelligent birds. Over time they’ll realise that these deterrents are nothing to be scared of, and they’ll enjoy making your property their home.

If your deterrents aren’t working, you might be tempted to take a more drastic approach. Remember, though, that all wild birds – including pigeons – are protected by The Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981. The Act makes it illegal to kill or injure wild birds or remove their eggs – and there are further laws in place that protect pigeons against the use of poisons.

Professional pigeon pest control solutions are not only more effective and sustainable, they’re also designed with laws, regulations and ethics in mind. By choosing a professional pest control service you can be sure that you’re not only tackling the problem but also that you’re tackling it in the right way. Pest Stop Boys’ Unique Approach to Pigeon Control

Our pigeon pest control solutions tend to focus on three areas: removing the birds’ access to your property, removing access to food sources, and placing appropriate deterrents. The deterrents we choose vary based on the scale of the problem and the locations in question, which is why we carefully tailor our solutions to every individual situation.

By choosing Pest Stop Boys, you’ll be safe in the knowledge that you’re working with a pest control company with years of experience in tackling pigeon problems. We’re fully industry-accredited, demonstrating that industry bodies have complete faith in our approach, and we have a variety of tools in our pigeon-fighting armoury to get the job done.

With every pest we tackle, we’ll always consider non-toxic methods first – and our positive Checkatrade reviews speak for themselves. What’s more, we’ll help you to avoid the same pigeon problems going forward. Once we’ve tackled the existing problem, we’ll give you plenty of advice to keep your property pigeon-free in the future.

Sound good? Give us a call to find out how we can help.