DIY Pigeon Proofing

Are Pigeons Driving You Crazy? Descendants of the European Rock Dove (Columba Livia), the pigeons that we see on our homes and other buildings are a feral population, meaning they live wild but are descended from domesticated individuals. Their ancestors are the very birds that humans have trained to be homing pigeons and messenger pigeons for centuries. That training explains why pigeons are so stubborn and extremely committed to their home and why professional pigeon proofing is so important. They have an average life span of 3 - 5 years in the wild. They are typically 11 - 13 inches long and have a wingspan of 20 - 24 inches. Their coloration is variable and includes gray, white, and brownish-red or quite often a mixture of these colors. The feathers on the neck tend to be slightly iridescent and may shine pink and/or green in the sunlight. Their eyes tend to be orange.

Feral pigeons are widespread and common in both our cities and in urban areas. Their diets have expanded from mostly just seeds to include offerings found in almost any setting, such as bread, vegetables, meat and many other items discarded by humans. Man's trash is truly a pigeon's treasure.

Feral pigeons have a great sense of community and tend to be found in sometimes quite large flocks. They nest close to each other in protected spaces such as under roof mounted solar panels. They also roost in groups and often feed together. If a pigeon or group of pigeons is disturbed, they will take off with a noisy flapping or clapping sound, which alerts the rest of the group that there may be danger present. If alone, an individual pigeon will try to avoid danger by keeping very still and trying to go unnoticed.

Nothing poops like a pigeon! They defecate many times per day - I have read every 15 minutes, though I haven't actually timed them myself. The accumulation of pigeon feces causes millions of dollars in structural damages every year and can have a real effect on property values. As the feces dries and becomes air-born it also presents possible health hazards to humans. They nest on their dead so often the actual nest can be found infested with maggots and/or various insects. pigeon feces is known to harbor dozens of various diseases and parasites.

The good news is that you do not have to live with a Pigeon Problem.

As the pigeon populations have grown and human/pigeon interaction has increased, pigeon proofing has expanded greatly as an industry. There are many DIY products available to the home owner or business owner that allow protection from a pigeon Infestation for any given problem area on any structure. Quality professional pigeon proofing can be expensive, but if you are not able to do the work yourself, you need to be sure to pick the right company. When interviewing pigeon proofing companies, there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Are they licensed and insured? Remember - to fix a pigeon problem one must get to the places pigeons live, which generally means climbing ladders and moving around/working on your roof. If something goes wrong you want to make sure that you're covered.

2. Do they have references right here in the Phoenix area, or in your town if you live outside of the Phoenix area? It's best if they can provide references from both very recent work, which shows that they are currently providing quality work, and from work that was completed a few years ago, which will show the long term quality of their work. Nobody wants to pay for pigeon proofing and then have to pay for it again in a year.

3. You need to see what the work will look like BEFORE hiring them. Pictures may do, but driving by a few homes will really tell the story. Once the work is completed you have to live with what it looks like every single day so be sure it looks great and blends in with the overall aesthetics of your home or business.

4. Does the person you're speaking with have a well thought out plan and are they confident in it? If you feel like they're making it up as they go or if their answers to your questions seem vague and not to point - call someone else.

5. Is the work guaranteed? Any professional pigeon proofing installations should be guaranteed to prevent access to the targeted areas/surfaces for a minimum of 1 year but preferably 3 years. Beware that most warranties for pigeon proofing work will only include the direct and specific areas/surfaces that were targeted and that is correct. At Goldshot Exterminating we do have a whole roof pigeon abatement system available which warranties the entire roof against an accumulation of pigeon feces and/or nesting, but I don't know of any other company that offers that. I would ask any company you interview if that is available.

6. Before contacting a pigeon proofing company, type the name of the company into a regular Google search and check them out thoroughly. You may be surprised what you find!

If you feel that you're capable of doing the work yourself, check out the best sellers and new releases we've curated here on this site. I hope this article has been helpful and I hope you'll consider GoldShot Exterminating as your DIY pigeon proofing solution. Happy hunting!

John H. Goldshot

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