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These unpretentious birds are often called “flying rats.” They coexist with humans - they have mastered the urban environment, causing damage to farms and grain elevators. Knowing how to scare away pigeons will help you avoid many problems. Coping with an invasion is not so easy. To solve the problem, chemical repellent gels, mesh, spikes and other means are used.
Neighborhood Danger
The presence of pigeons is revealed by droppings - it covers the eaves on the facades of the building, the floor in the attic and balconies, and the roof of the building. In addition to the fact that aesthetics suffer, this creates other problems. Ammonia present in excrement corrodes surfaces. On farms, bird droppings contaminate feed and drinking water. Its dried particles are spread by the wind, and infections are spread along with them. The most dangerous of them:
- ornithosis is an acute infectious disease accompanied by lung damage, intoxication, and disruption of the central nervous system;
- encephalitis - this disease leads to inflammation of the brain; epilepsy can become a complication;
- salmonellosis - the disease leads to serious dehydration and intoxication, can cause kidney failure, it is especially dangerous for children and the elderly;
- histoplasmosis - the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum mainly affects the lungs, causes pneumonia, and in severe cases it spreads throughout the body.
The list below does not include all the diseases that pigeons can transmit to humans. This makes you seriously think about the question of how to keep them away from the windowsill and balcony.
Stuffed animals and dummies of birds of prey
Many wrote that it helped them. Give it a try.
My pigeons were afraid for the first 30 minutes. Then they sat next to the plastic crow like good old friends.
It is necessary to place not just a figurine of a bird, but a predatory one (owl, crow, kite, eagle, etc.). Those who are afraid of pigeons.
Simple measures
You should think about preventing unwanted proximity. Simple measures will help with this:
- in the attic it is worth sealing the cracks with mineral wool or other material, protecting the ventilation openings with grilles or special elements blocking access;
- You need to remove garbage from the balcony and garden plot - uninvited guests can build nests there;
- You cannot feed birds, leave food prepared for domestic animals open, it is advisable to complicate access to water;
- if possible, you need to take care of glazing the balcony or loggia.
Laser repeller
It is also a very effective method, but it has a number of serious disadvantages. The device uses a laser beam to control pests - and this is its main disadvantage. Unlike ultrasound, which the human ear cannot perceive, the bright green beam is visible to everyone - pests, people, and pets. And it makes me uncomfortable
But if your home is located in a deserted place, we recommend that you pay attention to such a device. It works in different modes
- Reaction directly to the presence of a pest. The sensor in the device tracks movement and fires a beam when an uninvited guest arrives.
- Preventive repellent. The laser turns on every 10-15 minutes, regardless of whether there is danger or not.
- Manual control. The owner independently decides when it is time to scare away thieves.
Since the beam is best visible in the dark, the most appropriate time for the device to operate is at night.
How can you scare away from the balcony?
In cities, open balconies and loggias become a favorite place for pigeons. There they shelter from bad weather, keep warm in cold winters, and find food. Before choosing a solution, it is worth assessing the scale of the problem. If birds land on the railing, it is enough to make it awkward for them to land. Special spikes made of metal or plastic are suitable for this. The sharp teeth have different heights - usually 2-3 cm is enough. They are most often secured with glue. Place it so that the pigeons do not have any free space to land - this will scare them away from the balcony. Thanks to the flexible base, the spikes can be attached to railings of any configuration.
If you choose the interior space of a balcony or loggia, then you have to decide how to deal with the problem taking into account financial capabilities. The most expensive, but at the same time the most practical option is glazing. In addition to protection from birds, frames provide other benefits - the room becomes warmer and quieter, and less dust penetrates from the street.
If such expenses are not planned, then the situation will be saved by a grid blocking access to the site. It can be made of plastic, stainless wire, nylon. The color, size of the cells, their shape and orientation (horizontal, vertical) are different, which allows you to choose the most aesthetic protection option. The materials used are resistant to ultraviolet radiation, precipitation, and temperature changes. They have a long service life (on average 10 years).
If necessary, “windows” (slits with Velcro) can be provided in the mesh.
This design serves as effective protection without interfering with free air exchange. The loggia or balcony of the apartment is used as before. The owner of the premises no longer has to think about how to repel pigeons. The problem is solved forever with minimal costs.
Other methods:
- fishing line stretched at a height of 50 mm from the outer window sill or railing (several strips will be required);
- old CDs - they reflect the rays of the sun, blinding the eyes;
- foil or silver paint (perform the same functions);
- brightly colored balloons (under the influence of the wind they move and scare away birds).
Why drive them away?
Bird droppings are also corrosive and spoil everything they come into contact with. And if pigeons have chosen a balcony, then everything on it will be spoiled.
Not everyone will like the noise that pigeons create.
. Their purring, flapping of wings and clicking of claws on the windowsill and balcony railings will cause dissatisfaction in any person, especially in the early morning.
Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to once and for all stop feeding pigeons near your home. The school habit of making bird feeders will do a disservice to both man and bird. Pigeons lose their survival instinct, they happily fly to easy food and abandon the usual methods of obtaining food. A person gets dirt and germs. It's not a very good partnership.
The second step is to install repellers: modern or handmade at home.
How to keep him away from the windowsill?
If the loggia is glazed, this does not provide a complete guarantee that the pigeons will not be annoyed - the outer window sill (drainage) becomes a convenient platform for them. You can keep them away from the window sill from the outside of the window by changing its angle to 45 degrees using special pads. This makes it difficult for birds to land. If the drainage system is already installed, then you can scare away pigeons from the window by attaching spikes to it, as is the case with the balcony railings.
Other methods:
- pasting the window sill with food foil;
- lubricating the surface with oil or Vaseline.
Flying rats - why it is advisable to ward off pigeons
It has long been known that pigeons are carriers of parasitic insects, in particular fleas, which, in turn, often become sources of serious diseases. Bird droppings are very difficult to clean off, easily eating into the surface due to the high content of uric acid . After contact with guano, it only takes a short time for the most durable paint to be corroded.
In the process of cleaning the surface from the products of pigeon intestines, you must be extremely careful and use rubber gloves and a breathing mask. The fact is that guano can be a hotbed for the development of a colony of bacteria dangerous to humans, which can lead to diseases such as:
- toxoplasmosis;
- pseudotuberculosis;
- psittacosis;
- encephalitis;
- salmonellosis.
And this is not the entire list; there are also rarer diseases carried by pigeons that can infect not only people, but also poultry, for example, Newcastle disease. It is most dangerous for chickens. Tularemia poses a threat to humans, although its causative agent is quite specific and infections have occurred infrequently in Russia. But this does not mean that these beautiful birds only cause harm; they have many benefits. Therefore, the least stringent control measures are proposed below.
Method | How and where to apply | pros | Minuses |
Grids | For the protection of balconies, apartment and attic windows, ventilation hatches, flower beds and beds in the yard. | Affordable, reliable, versatile. | Not very aesthetically pleasing. |
Spikes | On the eaves of houses, window sills, balcony railings, fences. | Prevents pests from landing on the surface. | Not very aesthetically pleasing. Needs to be cleaned periodically. |
Wire/line | On the eaves of houses, window sills, railings, fences, roofs, facades. | Effectively repels birds. More aesthetically pleasing than spikes. | From time to time you should check the integrity and tension of the wire. |
Electrical systems | To protect places and surfaces where flocks of pigeons flock. | Durable: service life - up to 8 years. Harmless, only repels birds. | High prices. Suitable for uninhabited places: roofs, industrial sites. |
Chemical repellents: gels, sprays, naphthalene | Any surfaces are processed: window sills, cornices, roofs, railings, lawns, monuments, etc. | They cause a persistent reflex, forcing you to avoid the treated areas in the future. | Some compounds are toxic and require proper use according to instructions. |
How to scare pigeons off your roof?
To protect the roof from “flying rats,” you can use spikes, but due to the large area, this is unprofitable. Since it is impossible to cover the entire roof, it will not be difficult for birds to find a place to land. This makes it advisable to use a laser repeller. It creates a cacophony of light in space - when it hits the eyes, the beam disorients. You can choose the method of operation - with or without beam rotation. The rotation speed is adjustable. Mounting options: on a tripod or on a bracket. The device operates silently and consumes little electricity.
You can also:
- install weather vanes;
- cover the roof space with a mesh at a height of half a meter;
- install an electric repeller (power supply with cable) - upon contact, the bird receives a non-life-threatening electric shock;
- sprinkle food mixed with sawdust, plenty of salt or a concentrated solution of potassium permanganate.
How to scare away from the site?
If the plot is large and poultry is raised on the farm, then pigeons pose a serious danger. They eat food and spread infectious and parasitic diseases. The enclosure can be protected by placing a net on top. It is unlikely that you will be able to scare away pigeons from the site forever, but the domestic stock will be protected. If we are talking about protecting the entire area, then you will have to purchase a repeller.
Sound vibrations that scare away pigeons are produced by a bioacoustic installation. It broadcasts sounds associated with predators or causing acoustic stress. Settings:
- contain several dozen sounds;
- able to operate on battery power for a long time;
- are programmed taking into account the tasks being solved (the volume, range of sounds, and the interval between them are adjusted).
The case is protected from precipitation, dust and temperature changes.
Additional options are available to protect the device from theft and damage. Such installations are used in suburban areas, on farms, elevators, gardens, fisheries and other farms. When used on farms, farm animals become accustomed to the sounds produced within a few days - installation of the device does not affect productivity. You can also use an ultrasonic or laser repeller.
If you have to fight with other birds, it is advisable to place a scarecrow on the site. Currently, you can choose a complex model that combines a “predatory” appearance (owl, eagle, falcon), sound, light, movement (the scarecrow flaps its wings, screams, its eyes glow).
Another way to fight is water. In case of a massive invasion of birds, they are watered with a hose. For constant repelling, sprayers are used - special devices with a motion sensor are especially effective.
Conclusion
With any option for measures against pigeons, you should first talk with your neighbors and find out their point of view on the problem. Perhaps you will find like-minded people and fight birds together.
If you don’t want to destroy this feathered addition to city life, there is a way to solve the problem humanely. Get together with your neighbors and set up a dovecote in the yard. The pigeons will settle there and everyone will be happy.
The article does not discuss the use of toxic substances, since the decision about excessive numbers of birds and a possible threat to human health is made by specialists. In the event of a mass extermination of pigeons, teams must work to collect the dead birds so that other animals are not poisoned and there is no danger to human health during their decomposition.
Pigeons are accustomed to living next to people and receiving food from them. City birds are not at all shy; they often settle very close to people, right up to the balcony, window sill or roof. How to get rid of pigeons and why should you do it? The reason is not only the “autographs” that birds leave behind. We invite you to learn about the dangers of pigeons and ways to scare them away.
How to remove pigeons from the attic?
To prevent birds from entering the attic, it is worth sealing the cracks, glazing the windows, if any, and protecting the ventilation holes with mesh. If they do settle in, you can use natural or chemical scents. Knowing which ones are best at repelling pigeons can quickly solve the problem. The birds do not die. Strong aromas are unpleasant for uninvited guests - you can use spices (cloves, mustard, cinnamon, paprika, cayenne or allspice). As for chemical agents, it is advisable to use ordinary naphthalene in powder form. Specific food - millet with pepper - will also force you to leave the attic.
Shop fixtures
Buy a special ultrasonic repeller from the store. As the name suggests, this device produces sounds that are unpleasant for birds. And most importantly, it effectively repels not only pigeons, but also sparrows, thrushes, starlings, crows and other birds that may take a fancy to your window or balcony.
Cooing pigeons are a symbol of love, and usually the question of how to get rid of pigeons does not arise until you have to wash your car or balcony of traces of their activity.
At the same time, the bird is cute and sociable - it is easily tamed, and very quickly begins to eat from hand. Pigeons that have settled on the balcony soon begin to consider themselves members of the household - they enter the rooms and the kitchen. It won't be easy to kick them out.
Pigeons are far from stupid birds - remember the instinct of returning home. They can fly from the other end of the earth to their home - so they can show perseverance.
Chemical repellents
When deciding how to keep pigeons away from your home, you can opt for chemical repellents. It is advisable to use relatively safe means:
- sticky substances - they glue paws, glue feathers, which makes birds refuse to visit “dangerous” places;
- non-toxic repellents based on strong-smelling substances (essential oils, menthol, capsaicin) with an unpleasant taste - they do not lead to poisoning (preparations with such properties can be found in the assortment of Pestman or other manufacturers).
Such means have their drawbacks. Sticky substances accumulate dirt over time, lose effectiveness, and spoil the appearance of eaves, window sills, and ebbs. If a small bird lands on the trap, it may subsequently die due to feathers sticking together and the inability to fly normally. It is difficult to clean surfaces from frozen substances. Strong-smelling substances should not be used in closed spaces if there are people present. In open areas they lose effectiveness over time.
Ways to fight
Residents of the upper floors know that the constant noise made by their feathered neighbors can torment even the most patient person. When small birds colonize an attic space, a large amount of droppings, feathers, dust and debris accumulate, making it almost impossible to enter there.
In addition, the danger of contracting a dangerous disease exists even when inhaling dust particles that contain microparticles of pigeon droppings. Bird control measures are divided into the following types:
- Warning. These measures involve a set of actions aimed at making the roof structure unattractive to birds. To do this, when designing a structure, it is necessary to avoid protrusions or niches that could become a convenient place for nesting.
- Repellent. These measures are aimed at creating conditions that will scare birds away from human homes. To make the roof of a house unattractive to birds, sound or light effects and anti-landing devices are used that make it difficult to land on the roof slopes.
- Fighter. These measures include the destruction of birds and their nests by physical or chemical methods. They are the most inhumane and cruel method of getting rid of birds, so they are used extremely rarely.
Important! When deciding how to get rid of pigeons on the roof of a balcony, you need to familiarize yourself with the Law “On Environmental Protection”, which states that the destruction of birds and their nests in their natural habitat is an administrative offense. Although pigeons and sparrows are not listed in the Red Book, they are also part of our ecosystem, so it is necessary to make their eviction from the roof as humane as possible