Okay, here's a truly bizzarre topic...pigeons!  I'm hoping that maybe some of you may have suggestions or even success stories with getting rid of pigeons!  Here at my place of business I am situated in town between two other buildings, we're not connected ,so there is a small walkway on either side of us.  One side is completely unaffected, whereas the other is absolutely plagued with hundreds of pigeons that are making a terrible mess, leaving their disease-ridden droppings and feathers everywhere.  Fortunately this mess cannot be seen from the front of my shop, thanks to a closed alley entry-way, but my side walk way is absolutely horrid and unusable.  To try to control the mess and the smell I have been trying to wash it away with a bleach/soap solution, but I do not have a hose hook-up here, so it's done bucket by bucket.  I've tried fake owls and snakes as suggested by some people around here, they eventually just got used to them.  I don't have the money to try expensive sound and light tactics like I've read about on different sites, and I don't have the heart to poison or kill them.  I've gone as far as having pictures and a story written up for the local paper, which in turn attracted the attention of two local news stations that came and did a story on it.  Everyone was in an up-roar (towards the town borough, that is) for a while, and action was supposed to have been taken.  Well, it all has since died down and nothing has been done.  I'm still working on that end, but until something can be done to permanently remove them by the town, is there any way to repel them from my property?

ANY suggestions would be greatly, greatly appreciated...honestly!

Maggie

I did a little research online and found a product called Irri-Tape, which is an iridescent foil that is suppose to scare pigeons away. It seems to run between $75-$50 for 100 feet but I found a site where it’s only $40, perhaps you can find it for even less.

I have no idea if this product works but I wanted to help.

http://www.pestproducts.com/birdx/BXirritape.htm

Oh, thank you ollave, you are so sweet for wanting to help!  As a said, at this point any and every suggestion is worth a million bucks to me, I'm so desparate to get rid of them!  I'm going to check that foil out now, I never heard of it before, but it makes sense because I think bright light seems to scare them.  Thanks!  ;D

ETA:  I just looked at the site, and this stuff seems like a real possibility, and affordable too.  I really might give this a whirl, thanks again!

I don't have pigeon problems, but a neighbor has had woodpecker issues.  We hung CD's to blow in the wind - it has about the same effect as the tape.  You might try that for an inexpensive option.

The CD's are best if they have no labels on them and you tie them up with monofilament line (fishing line).

Good luck - I know how bad the mess can get.   :P

Another good idea!  I've read about hanging tin pie plates out to bang around, so this is similar to that.  I've also read about spike strips to place in the places they like to perch, it prevents them from landing.  The strips are expensive to buy, but can probably be made.  Thanks for the suggestion...and the empathy!

Plus hanging CD's makes such an interesting decorating statement!  ;)

I once knew a lovely punk who fed Alka-Seltzer-laced pieces of bread to pigeons just to watch them keel over dead. Er...this probably won't help you, but I thought it was a funny story, nonetheless.  ;D  :P

Anywho, aside from keeping a bird dog on the property, I'm really not sure what you might do. Most of the buildings in my hometown have metal spikes on the perimeters of the rooftops, as well as lights and any other places that the infernal pests might land. It keeps them off of these features well enough, but doesn't keep them out of the parking lot.

Well anyway, good luck! Something has got to work, one way or another.  :-/

I've heard about the ol' alka selter trick, makes their stomachs explode, I guess.  Nope, don't have the heart to do it.  If I could only make them stop pooping, or put diapers on them....

Quote:

or put diapers on them....

lol now there's an interesting mental pic!

wrote on Jan 31^st, 2006 at 8:21pm:

Plus hanging CD's makes such an interesting decorating statement!  ;)

Are you making fun of my decorating abilities?  ;D  I make Christmas tree ornaments from CD's.  I tat a snowflake over the CD - they are very pretty hanginon on the tree or in a window.  I have to have things in my windows to keep the birds from trying to fly through my house!  ;D

Oh no, BB, I wasn't making fun at all! I actually think that CD's make wonderful decorations!

It looks totally cool if you completely cover a wall with them or hang them from the ceiling for that "serious music addict" look.  ;)

Honestly, what else can you do with the free trial junk CD's that come in the mail? You're talking to an artist here, ya know...  ;D

We "wallpapered" one of our cubicles with AOL CD's.  There were no duplicates!

I like mobiles made from CD's especially when you use the small ones along with the standard size ones.

hehehe that is cool.

It's a great look for an in-home studio too.  ;)

OK, back on the topic... you wouldn't want to kill the little beasts anyway because then you'd have to worry about what to do with them afterwards & those suckers are loaded with disease!  :P

wrote on Jan 31^st, 2006 at 8:21pm:

I once knew a lovely punk who fed Alka-Seltzer-laced pieces of bread to pigeons just to watch them keel over dead. Er...this probably won't help you, but I thought it was a funny story, nonetheless.  ;D  :P

I believe that you should kill an animal only if you want to eat it.


MAGGIE: I heard about the CDs with the fishing line, and some folks laid out the green outdoor type carpet and the pigeons didn't come back (until the winter hit and it was covered in snow) And just putting up fishing line in about 10 inch distance (like cloth lines)
keeps them away - supposedly!

wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2006 at 4:03am:

I believe that you should kill an animal only if you want to eat it.

Oh, I totally agree.  I haven't eaten (or killed, for that matter!) an animal in over 15 years, so I certainly couldn't kill a totally innocent and beautiful pigeon.  I just want them to...go away & poop somewhere else.  They're big suckers, and big animal = pig poop, it's almost like cows flying overhead!

But seriously, the CD and fishing line idea sound like good ones.  The CD's would probably have the same effect as that irridescent tape that ollave suggested.  Only one problem...I don't have any spare CD's lying around, but I think you can buy blank ones pretty cheap, right?

You can buy CD's cheap.  Just find a terrible brand. (I think Digital Quality is absolutely awful, but I don't know anymore)

I don't have any suggestions for you, unfortunately.  You could always hire a little kid with a big stick and have him/her scare them away on a regular basis. ;)

I have CDs.  I'll send you a bunch - how many do you think you need?  I have at least 20 laying around my desk right now.  They do have a label, but you could glue two together, or just use them as is.

Quote:

You could always hire a little kid with a big stick and have him/her scare them away on a regular basis.

LOL!! Good one, Pan.  ;D

Now don't all get your knickers in a twist, I said it was a gal that I knew wayyy back in high school who blew up the pigeons....not me. I don't suppose it helps that she later threw the bodies over the fence & into her neighbour's pool.  :o  :P Bleagh. Still funny though...

Are the pigeons seasonal or are they there all the time? If it's a seasonal thing, you may be able to use that to your advantage. Alter the climate somehow so they won't find your store a comfortable retreat for their -um- necessities.  :-/

Oh, I love you guys, you are all just too funny!!!  ;D

Bikerbraid:  Thank you so much for the offer, if you truly have no other use for the discs I would be grateful for them.  I've got at least 10 windows I can hang them by to keep them off the sills, so whatever you'd be kind enough to spare I could put to use.  You are so generous, I'll gladly pick up the shipping...just let me know.  Wow, thanks again!

Pan:  I'm still laughing about that one, it would have to be a reeeeally long stick, ooooor a freakishly tall boy...

Angel:  Oh, I would never get my knickers in a twist over you, you're far too sweet :-*!  I know it's really terrible, but it is a little funny that she would throw "the bodies" into her neighbors pool *giggle*.  And no, unfortunately they're not seasonal, they are there ALL THE BLOODY TIME!  I thought maybe for the winter they'd leave & go somewhere else (problem just started this past spring), but nope, it's even worse now.  They're looking for shelter and trying to nest underneath my covered porches and anywhere they can.  They don't even get scared, one was walking around on my porch and I tried to scare it by banging the door.  Nothing.  Then I put a long curtain rod through the door where there is a piece of jealousy glass missing, and tapped the porch right by the pigeon.  Nothing!  So then (this is funny) I used the rod to poke the bird, and still nothing!!  It wouldn't fly away.  Well, I started to pull the rod back in through the missing slat, and the stupid thing finally decided to fly up, right by the missing slat of glass where I was still trying to pull the rod in, scared the s**t out of me!  I panicked and tried to close the big door, with the rod still stuck through the door, and bent my curtain rod.  I thought the pigeon was gonna fly into the kitchen!!  That would have been just fabulous!  :P

LOL Maggie omg...

Of course, I don't mean to laugh at anyone's misfortune, but that scene with you, the bird & the curtain rod played out so comically in my head. hahahaha Such an interesting life you lead!  :D  ;)

I really hope those CD's work.

Oh! I have another pigeon story I just thought I'd share...
   Once I was riding along w/my family in their van & we came upon a red light. While we were stopped, I looked out the window at the sidewalk, which was lined with small trees.
   Suddenly, a pigeon fell out of one of them, dead as a doornail, and landed on its back with its legs sticking straight up. This was the 2nd bird that I had ever actually seen die...it was just a tiny bit disturbing.
   Well, the light turned green and the van started rolling. I stayed watching just long enough to see a pair of old ladies come walking down the sidewalk, find the dead pigeon and stoop over it saying, "Oh my gosh! What happened?"
   After telling my mother this story some months later, she said that the bird had probably had a heart attack. Apparently birds have them all the time, just out of nowhere. Strange. But in some way, it kinda made sense.

I've heard about pigeons in the east & how stubborn, troublesome & unfazed they are. In New York, you can literally swat & push them, but they still don't move! Dastardly little things.
   They are scavengers who feed on what other creatures leave behind, which is helpful, yes, but that's also what makes them so dirty & disease-ridden. Bleagh. I really hope you get rid of the pests soon!

If it makes you feel any better, seagulls are the same way here on the west coast!  :-/

wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2006 at 2:07am:

I've heard about pigeons in the east & how stubborn, troublesome & unfazed they are. In New York, you can literally swat & push them, but they still don't move! Dastardly little things.

When we used to take trips up to New York we'd see the pigeons all over the place, especially gathered in parks, and I always thought they were "charming" and "cute".  I thought it was neat that they were so stubborn, it was amazing that you could walk right up to them and they wouldn't scatter.  Well, now I can honestly tell you the any ounce of "charm" they ever held for me is long gone.  I no longer think that it's neat that they act as permanent fixtures wherever they so decide, my view on them is much different now!  If you ever watch Seinfeld, you know the relationship that Jerry & Newman have, that's me & the pigeons.  They utter a little "Hellloooo Megan", and I return it with a "Helllooooo Pigeons"  >:(, and we go on about our days.  Yeah, they really do talk, they're becoming more human every day...it's amazing!  ;)  Pretty soon I'll be cooking dinner for them and their friends and inviting them in...

Lol, Maggie and Angel Spun you two are too funny.

I'm an animal person through and through but I can't say I've ever cared for pigeons. (My fiancé feels that way about squirrels but I think they're cute.)

Anyway I think the CD idea is brilliant- both as pigeon repellant and as a decorating element.

I'm really interested in finding out how it works! :)

I found just a few scrap cd's, so I'm going to give this a go...I'll keep ya posted!  ;)