How to tackle the pigeon population humanely?

Most of us do not like pigeons. We consider them feathery pests that choose the most inopportune moments to drop their load. In a city, there aren’t too many predators, there is plenty of roosting and nesting spots, there are multiple steady sources of food and water. You can find them in pairs soaking up the sun on the rooftops, window ledges, bridges and abandoned buildings. Some locations in every city are notorious for the excessive nuisance pigeons create every day.

Pigeons like every other bird, mate and grow in numbers. However, the city offers limited space for their flocks. When they expand beyond control, people often resort to killing the birds. That is the cheapest and easiest way to combat the problem. Killing pigeon rarely works, and it almost never solves the problem.

There are more humane ways to control the pigeon population in the city. Here are the top three techniques you can achieve that. According to expert Pigeon Control Phoenix, you may need to combine multiple steps to gain control of the pigeon population.

Do not leave them unintentional food sources

Urban and suburban neighborhoods of Phoenix are safe havens for pigeons. These birds find bits of leftover food from the garbage bins, public parks, picnic benches, outdoor restaurant seating and town squares. You will find a higher density of these birds near tourist spots. Your target, as a responsible citizen, should be to minimize the access to such resources. Speak with the restaurant owners, volunteers and picnic-goers in your area to throw their leftovers in designated, covered bins only. That should curb pigeon activity in the area soon.

Do not feed them

Whether you are doing so intentionally or unintentionally, feeding them needs to stop. They get plenty of resources from the garbage, but there are sufficient pigeon lovers in the human community, who feed them regularly. The occasional bread crumbs, old cookies, leftover cake crumbs and bird seeds, encourage pigeons to roost in nooks closer to the sources of this food. Cutting their food supply down at one go is neither going to help you nor is it going to help your neighbors already annoyed with the pesky birds. Gently reduce the quantity and frequency of feeding over several days and weeks, if necessary.

Do not provide them with roosting places

Roosting and nesting increase the bird population in the area. When pigeons find flat surfaces tucked far away from the human touch, they pick them over trees and branches. Beware of flat surfaces where they can build a nest. There are several ways you can make these flat surfaces inaccessible, like putting wire gauge in front, creating a slope or a slant with tough covers they cannot crack or install bird wires to keep all birds off the rails, rooftops, ledges, and awnings.

Killing pests is not always a smart or practical solution. Pigeons are cosmopolitan birds and killing them is equivalent to making space for new ones. The humane solutions are long-term, and if you continue to practice them, you can protect your home and neighborhood from another pigeon infestation in the future.

Most of us do not like pigeons. We consider them feathery pests that choose the most inopportune moments to drop their load. In a city, there aren’t too many predators, there is plenty of roosting and nesting spots, there are multiple steady sources of food and water. You can find them in pairs soaking up the sun on the rooftops, window ledges, bridges and abandoned buildings. Some locations in every city are notorious for the excessive nuisance pigeons create every day.

Pigeons like every other bird, mate and grow in numbers. However, the city offers limited space for their flocks. When they expand beyond control, people often resort to killing the birds. That is the cheapest and easiest way to combat the problem. Killing pigeon rarely works, and it almost never solves the problem.

There are more humane ways to control the pigeon population in the city. Here are the top three techniques you can achieve that. According to expert Pigeon Control Phoenix, you may need to combine multiple steps to gain control of the pigeon population.

Do not leave them unintentional food sources

Urban and suburban neighborhoods of Phoenix are safe havens for pigeons. These birds find bits of leftover food from the garbage bins, public parks, picnic benches, outdoor restaurant seating and town squares. You will find a higher density of these birds near tourist spots. Your target, as a responsible citizen, should be to minimize the access to such resources. Speak with the restaurant owners, volunteers and picnic-goers in your area to throw their leftovers in designated, covered bins only. That should curb pigeon activity in the area soon.

Do not feed them

Whether you are doing so intentionally or unintentionally, feeding them needs to stop. They get plenty of resources from the garbage, but there are sufficient pigeon lovers in the human community, who feed them regularly. The occasional bread crumbs, old cookies, leftover cake crumbs and bird seeds, encourage pigeons to roost in nooks closer to the sources of this food. Cutting their food supply down at one go is neither going to help you nor is it going to help your neighbors already annoyed with the pesky birds. Gently reduce the quantity and frequency of feeding over several days and weeks, if necessary.

Do not provide them with roosting places

Roosting and nesting increase the bird population in the area. When pigeons find flat surfaces tucked far away from the human touch, they pick them over trees and branches. Beware of flat surfaces where they can build a nest. There are several ways you can make these flat surfaces inaccessible, like putting wire gauge in front, creating a slope or a slant with tough covers they cannot crack or install bird wires to keep all birds off the rails, rooftops, ledges, and awnings.

Killing pests is not always a smart or practical solution. Pigeons are cosmopolitan birds and killing them is equivalent to making space for new ones. The humane solutions are long-term, and if you continue to practice them, you can protect your home and neighborhood from another pigeon infestation in the future.