Pigeons, who are flying rodents, might be mildly entertaining at times, but if they decide that your home would be an ideal place to nest, they can soon become a problem. Pigeons can rapidly become a nuisance.

Pigeons, in and of themselves, do not pose a health risk; nonetheless, they may inflict significant damage on your property and automobile, in addition to the chance that they will bring disease-carrying mites or ticks into your house.

In this piece, we will go over some of the most effective methods for discouraging pigeons from roosting near your home so that you do not find yourself in a situation where you are always required to clean up after them.

Dangers and property damage due to Santa Fe pigeon infestation

Diseases: As you’ll see in the next section, pigeons aren’t exactly the healthiest of birds to have around. They may spread a wide variety of parasites and illnesses by their droppings and the dust they leave behind, which can enter buildings through the vents. Pigeons may transmit various infections, including E. coli, Histoplasmosis, Psittacosis, and Cryptococcosis.

Pigeons are known to spread airborne parasites, and the droppings they leave behind are exceedingly acidic. Pigeons also leave behind an incredible amount of droppings. The faeces are highly acidic; they leave stains on the surfaces they are on, and they can even hasten the rate at which a structure deteriorates. The birds will foul everything in the area, including your car and the new awning you just put up, so don’t expect them to spare either of these. In addition, after it dries out, their excrement becomes quite robust, and it is this property allows it to be utilised to strengthen the construction of their nests so that they can last the winter.

Pigeons are prolific producers of feathers, and they also leave behind a mess on your property by leaving behind nesting material all over the place. It can obstruct water drainage by blocking gutters, eaves, and air vents. It doesn’t take long for the lot to become overwhelming, and it’s back practically as soon as you’ve done cleaning it up.

In addition to the diseases they carry, Pigeons are known to effectively spread several kinds of vermin, including ticks, bed bugs, lice, and bird mites. Even if the birds leave the nest, the insects may continue to torment you even after they’ve moved on.

Noise: Anyone who’s ever had pigeons around for a more extended period would agree that their cooing isn’t quite as romantic as it is shown in movies, especially on a Saturday morning. Pigeons can make a lot of noise, especially early in the morning.

The pigeon is a nuisance for gardeners since it will not think twice about destroying crops, plants, and vegetables in its pursuit of food. Additionally, it will discourage birds and other creatures from feeding at feeders.

What about structures do pigeons find so appealing in the first place?

Pigeons and humans have shared a long and complicated history. Over several hundred years, humans made use of them as a means of communication, food supply, and amusement. They have been around for such a long time that they no longer have any fear of human beings. Because of their lack of fear, they have no qualms about nesting in or close to our houses.

Pigeons, like most other pests, look for secure areas close to reliable sources of food that allow them to nest there. Pigeons tend to congregate in large groups, so once such a location has been discovered, several additional nests will quickly follow suit. Pigeons typically do not feel the need to hide their nests since there are so few natural predators that target them.

One of the reasons why it is so challenging to discourage these birds is because of their adaptability when it comes to their diet. These feathered dinosaur descendants are not the least bit fussy regarding the foods they eat. They are just as content to eat seeds from bird feeders or vegetables grown in gardens as they eat garbage left out in the open.

The question now is, what can you do if you don’t want these entertaining but filthy birds to make your property their home?

Necessary: When trying to discourage pigeons, be sure to follow the law.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 states that it is illegal to cause harm to pigeons, their eggs, or their nests while the pigeons are present and using them. You will still be held accountable for the measures of control employed, regardless of whether you decide to deal with the annoyance on your own or pay a professional to do it for you.

How to prevent pigeons from entering your Santa Fe, New Mexico home.

Pigeons are known for their ability to fly. Pigeons are incredibly adaptive, clever, and brave when dealing with people, as briefly noted above. Pigeons are a burdensome nuisance to eliminate due to a combination of these characteristics. It is recommended to use various anti-pigeon strategies to keep the parasite-ridden demon spawn at bay.

Your mission to get rid of your feathery housemates should begin with a thorough inspection of the outside of your home and creating nesting locations that are as uninviting as you can make them.

Make the sites where birds roost unattractive to them

Install anti-roosting spike strips—strategically select vantage points such as ledges and windowsills to prevent pigeons from landing.

Run a thread across the regions where the birds roost. Pigeons will have a difficult time landing on strings that have been attached an inch above their nesting places.

Cover the windowsills and ledges with sloped pieces of material. Pigeons will move on to find a new area to settle down if there aren’t any flat surfaces available to balance and construct their nests.

Could you not give them any food? If you feed pigeons, just like most other animals, they will continue to return, and the abundance of food will also cause other pigeons to come. Pigeons are notorious for spreading rumors, which is a truth that few people know.

Eliminate all other potential sources of nourishment. In the same way that they will enter your home if you actively feed them, they will do so for any food source that is easily accessible. Be sure that all of the garbage is disposed of in a container that has a lid that is securely fastened before throwing it away. Check out the garden protection suggestions below if you have a vegetable garden.

Close off any points of entrance.

Pay close attention to your home’s eaves and attic when looking around the outside of your property for possible places where animals could nest. A strategy for excluding pigeons that involves sealing the apertures that the birds may use is quite successful.

Close off the attic space. Either seal any openings that are of a size that would allow a pigeon to get through them or place a metal wire mesh over the top of the apertures.

Cover up the chimneys. If your house has a chimney, capping it with a metal wire cage can be a brilliant idea to keep animals out. Pigeons have a reputation for building their nests in ducts, which can prevent smoke from escaping. It’s even possible for a bird to become stuck within the chimney and perish there.

Mesh or netting should be placed all around the nesting places. If you have an air conditioning unit, you should do this since pigeons like to make their nests on the trays underneath the team.

Employ qualified people. When everything else fails, it’s time to call in the professionals. Pigeons that have made a nest in your home may be removed from your property in a way that is kind and compassionate by the trained technicians at Fantastic Pest Control.

How to repel pigeons from your backyard

Pigeons are not typically considered a garden pest; nonetheless, they are more than capable of robbing your garden of its young plants and fruit. Pigeons are also known as rock doves. To protect the results of your effort in the garden from being eaten by birds, you will need to construct several devices that the birds will find unpleasant.

They were doused with water from a hose. You will only successfully use this as a deterrence if you can capture the feathered trespassers before establishing nests. As soon as you see that they are intruding on your zone, use the hose to spray them with water to frighten them away. You also can purchase an automated water jet that will keep birds at bay around the property’s perimeter.

Put up a scarecrow in the yard. There are many kinds of bird-scaring decoys available, but the ones that seem to be the most successful are the ones that have the silhouette of a hawk on them and the ones that move and make noise. However, you will need to move the decoy around frequently so that the pigeons do not figure out that there is no actual threat and mockingly perch on top of it. If this does not happen, the pigeons will learn that there is no genuine threat.

Use reflective surfaces. This is an old tactic that gardeners have used to keep birds away from their plants. Most of us have witnessed someone using this method. As an illustration, it is not uncommon to find gardens decorated with CDs or other shiny surfaces. The reflecting covers provide a prism effect that, when exposed to sunlight, can momentarily impair the pigeons’ eyesight. As a result, the pigeons will avoid your garden since it is an area that has reflective surfaces.

Guard the outbuildings. It may be necessary to install bird netting to prevent unwelcome guests from entering your shed or other garden buildings. The mesh is a practical approach to safeguard any garden structure without inflicting any harm on the birds.

Keep an eye on the bird feeders. Pigeons have a reputation for not being the kind of birds that are willing to share their food. As soon as you place food in your bird feeders, a giant bird known as a “bully bird” will quickly approach, frightening away the other, less powerful species and snatching as much food as it can into its beaks. The only way to ensure that the birds may live in peace is to eliminate all these predators.

If it turns out you do not want to contend with the pigeons that have made your Santa Fe home their Santa Fe pigeon home, call the pros at Parker Pest Services at 505-401-9380.