The Most Humane Solution to Control Pigeon Population

If you have ever woken up to a cacophony of pigeon cooing and felt irritated, you are not alone. Pest control experts rank pigeons with rodents and other vermin. Left unchecked, they multiply and take over an area, causing damage to it. Additionally, they carry ticks, fleas, and other germs that could make people around them ill. So, while you are entitled to feel that your pigeon neighbors need to go, this must be done humanely. Here are some suggestions:

Breeding reduction

By far, the most obvious and effective solution to ensure that the feral pigeon population stops growing is to interrupt the breeding process. Pigeons can have up to four broods each year, although some have been known to breed more if they find a safe, comfortable place to do so. Each brood contains one or two chicks. Chicks leave their parents’ nests after 35 days, leaving the original pair free to breed again. Considering how often this could happen, it should come as no surprise that intervention to control pigeon population is necessary.  

Disrupting the breeding process can be handled via pigeon contraceptives that will prevent pigeons from reproducing. Many large building owners use bait that ensures that pigeon eggs do not hatch. Pigeons will continue procreating, and the females lay eggs, but no chicks are born.

Used over a significant period, this method could shrink pigeon populations by between 50% and 90%. This method is the best solution for large areas and buildings, such as factories, hospitals, and educational institutions. 

Nest eradication

A more direct approach to reducing pigeon populations is removing their nests, which often contain eggs. This can be a messy and dangerous affair. Pigeons carry mites, fleas, and other germs that could cause illness. Inhaling a cloud of dust from a pigeon’s nest is risky. While you can get professionals to this work, it will become costly as they need to visit your home regularly.

It is possible to remove pigeon nests as a DIY task. With the necessary health and safety precautions in place, you can manage the job alone. Wear safety glasses, a dust mask, and disposable gloves when removing pigeon nests. Use a long pole to dislodge them, so you do not inhale the debris. Double bag removed pigeon nests and put them in a sealed garbage bin. Wear old clothing for this job and ensure that it gets washed separately as soon as you are done.

Deterrent systems

Preventing pigeons from nesting can reduce how frequently they breed. It might not be the ultimate solution but does play a vital part in population reduction. The aim is to make your home and surrounding areas an undesirable nesting area for pigeons.

Pigeons do not like bright flashing lights, so a few strategically hung CDs or aluminum strips dangling in the breeze and reflecting sun rays can make pigeons think twice about making your home their new domicile. Additionally, nets spanned under a house’s eaves prevent pigeons from accessing these sites for nest building. Spikes prevent pigeons from landing on building surfaces and make building a nest there an unattractive prospect.

Cut the food supply

Pigeons cannot thrive and breed if they do not have easy access to an unlimited food supply. Limiting how much food pigeons can get their beaks into can make a difference and disrupt the breeding cycle. Unfortunately, this might mean punishing some birds you would like to attract to your garden.

Cut off a pigeon’s water supply by removing birdbaths. Do the same with food by removing pet food bowls from outside and not filling bird feeders. Pigeons are flying vermin and are quite happy to subsist on garbage. Ensure that bins are sealed and never overflowing. If you still want other birds to visit your garden, get bird feeders and water stations that have a roof over them, making it impossible for pigeons to fit in between.

Fit pigeons into pigeonholes

A radically different approach to pigeon population reduction would be to create a set of pigeon holes where they can set up a house. This sounds counterintuitive and contradictory to all the advice mentioned before, but there is sound reasoning behind it. Once pigeons start nesting where you want them to, you have a modicum of control over the process.

With their nests within your reach, you can remove pigeon eggs and replace them with dummy eggs, available for purchase online and in many stores. The pigeons will continue to sit on these dummy eggs despite them not hatching. However, approach pigeon nests with caution for the reasons mentioned before. They pose health hazards to humans, and relevant precautions are necessary.