Making nesting places inhospitable and hostile for Pigeon control
Spring and autumn are the peak seasons of pigeons’ breeding. They find shelters in slopes, shelves and open blocks of walls for their nesting. These birds have the ability to steal from crops very easily and quickly. Particularly at small orchards, the damage of agricultural products is at a significant level. This damage is not ignorable and can easily be detected as it follows specific trends or patterns and usually increases at the time of crops maturation. Generally throughout the year and particularly in the mentioned seasons, they become a source of great irritation for the homeowners and those who are associated with farming or agricultural business either at small or large scale. Proper techniques for pigeon control are required to make the slots or places inhospitable for pigeons where they tend to make nests. Pigeons mostly depend on humans for their feed. They prefer to live near agricultural or green areas, warehouses of factories and grain production units. Apart from any proper techniques, just avoiding pigeon feeding can also prove to be useful in getting rid of these uninvited guests and save your personal properties, farms and crops.
10 pigeon control or pigeon proofing techniques are elaborated as under:
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Make use of netting
Netting is an actually operative and successful technique. Most of the times, a net which is available in different material types and sizes is fixed directly over the crops to block the approach of pigeons. When crops are cultivated over large area of land, this method can be expensive but it is considered as a one-time investment. This is because the net once purchased, has long life. Once it is applied over the agricultural land, it can be reapplied for a number of times.
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Pigeon traps
A subtype of netting is live pigeon traps. These traps catch pigeons without causing any harm to them. Like rat traps, pigeons and birds are attracted towards food items, grains or corns, which are placed inside the ploy. They enter the traps from one side and see other pigeons already there and the entrance is closed afterwards.
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Pigeon spikes and wires
Pigeon spikes and wires are used as a cost effective technique of pigeon control. These spikes and wires are placed at balcony or slopes outside windows.
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Remove all sorts of food and water sources
Taking away all sorts of food and water sources from the places where pigeons are comfortable to roost or make their nests can also decrease the birds’ interest. In case of agricultural land, drop showers and fertilizer feeders are used instead of direct supply to crops.
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Ovo-control
It is another chemical mixed birds’ attractive product. Pigeons get hooked up with it quite easily. It is considered as a cheaper technique as compared to netting and spiking.
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Use of Get Liquids
Gel liquids, that are either hot or slippery are also applied at land surfaces and areas which are birds’ friendly. These fluids do not harm the birds. This is a temporary and messy remedy for pigeon control.
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Scaring the pigeons
The use of scaring tactics through various visual and noise making devices was common in past, but now their practice has become scarce. For this purpose plastic snakes and owls or other big birds were kept in the crops. Canons were used sometimes to make explosions and frighten birds. The reason of unsuccessful reputation of these tactics is that, pigeons and other birds become familiar with these and with the passage of time they do not get scared of these things.
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Electrified devices
Electrified devices give a light dose of voltage to pigeons, making them annoyed and disturbed at once and they leave their place immediately. These devices sometimes include spikes and different sort of wires as well.
Chemical sprays and repellents are also used at small fruits and crops which temporarily change the smell and taste of grains or fruits and prevent pigeons from taking those. Methyl Anthranilate, Methiocarb and Mesuorol are the registered and commonly used chemicals for this purpose. These chemicals are somehow not considered good for human health as well.
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Lethal techniques
These techniques are adapted rarely for pigeon control. These include getting rid of pigeons and birds through shooting and killing. Legal procedure is also involved to take permission for such activities.
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Placing dead pigeons
Placing dead pigeons at places where pigeon control is necessary can also be useful. According to a study, birds also do funerals in their own way. They warn and alert other birds about nearby dangers.
Apart from these techniques, crops are guarded and grown through high-wires and nets. Even some of the agricultural crops such as tomato and cucumber are known as high wired crops. This high wire technique assures large production of crops and also save them from pigeons and other birds. However it changes the production pattern in many ways. A high wire crop also has high productivity and growth rate. Hail netting is a bit similar to it, and is one of the oldest and widely used methods for crops’ protection. Thunderstorms, hailing, heavy rain and other natural calamities cause fatal damage to crops. Hail netting includes nets which are usually thick in density and protected with woven, UV polyethylene, or canopy (non-stretchable) coating.
Avoidance is Threat
Pigeon control is crucial also because these birds are messy creature. They carry injurious viruses with them. Presence of pigeons leads to the birth and growth of pests like ticks, lice and louses. Avoiding pigeon control can impair human life by causing many harmful diseases. One of such diseases is a sort of fungal infection known as Histoplasmosis. It is caused when human body inhales such virus with dust containing pigeon dropping. Another disease is Cryptococcosis which is rarely found, but individuals suffer from immune system infections due to this. In addition to these two, Psittacosis is another transferable infection. It is shifted from pigeons to other birds, such as parrots and also to the human beings.
The nest of pigeon is home to a number of bugs. When thrown somewhere or abandoned, these bugs spread all around. Wiping out the places that were host to pigeons with anti-bacterial sprays and chemicals can decrease the toxic effects of the presence of such bugs.