Pigeons can become a problem for any building owner or dweller, especially in urban and industrial areas. They are noisy, make a mess with their droppings, and can damage a building’s structural integrity through their nest building habits. The challenges that may follow a pigeon infestation include dampness and potential health hazards.

Pigeons carry several potential disease-bearing organisms and are categorized as vermin on the same level as rats and other rodents by many. Given the potential they have to make humans sick, pigeon control is imperative.

Aside from inhumane solutions like culling, some deterrents could alleviate your pigeon problems:

Physical deterrents

If you have been battling for ideas on how to stop pigeons nesting in your industrial building, residential home, or apartment balcony, help is at hand. Several physical deterrents prevent pigeons from landing on surfaces, which ensures that they will not nest there. This ensures the absence of noise, feces, and endless breeding. Additionally, many physical deterrents are easy to install and ideal for anyone who does not mind a little DIY. They are not expensive either and should not be beyond the financial means of most households and companies.

Among the most popular pigeon physical deterrents are spikes and nets. Spikes are ideal for ledges where pigeons tend to land. If they cannot get beyond the spikes to a nesting place, they will look elsewhere. Nets are strung across areas where pigeons might nest, such as under a building’s eaves.

Chemical deterrents

Certain chemicals can act as pigeon deterrents. They are made into gels, which can be left in a tray or used to coat a large flat surface. These gels trick pigeons into thinking an area is unsafe for them. Gels affect a pigeon’s ultraviolet vision. They do not poison pigeons or kill them.

Other chemical deterrents include pigeon contraceptive bait. It works by disrupting a pigeon’s reproductive cycle. The contraceptive bait is mixed into pigeon food, which should be distributed daily. Once pigeons are consuming it regularly, they continue to mate, but females lay eggs that do not hatch. This could prevent pigeons from nesting or force them to move away.

This deterrent works well on large buildings, such as warehouses, factories, and power plants. These areas are often a mass breeding ground for feral pigeons as they provide the birds with an ideal nesting environment and proximity to food and water sources. Pigeon contraception is so effective that it can reduce a pigeon population by up to 50% within the first year.

Auditory deterrents

Playing loud music on a continuous loop to scare pigeons away is not the wisest approach. First, the pigeons will soon get used to it and disregard the noise. Second, it will not score any favorable points with your neighbors. However, there are auditory deterrents that will not affect anyone besides the birds you are trying to displace and deter them from returning.

Ultrasonic sound devices use sound waves that irritate a pigeon’s hearing and force them to look for somewhere else to nest. The human ear cannot hear these sound waves. Ultrasonic sound devices are an effective deterrent for multiple pests, including rodents like rats and mice. They are easy to install and eco-friendly as they use a small amount of power. Battery-operated and solar-powered devices can be placed anywhere as they do not rely on electricity.

Manual deterrents

Pigeons are wily creatures with strong survival instincts. Therefore, they can take a hint if you keep making it challenging for them to nest and breed. The first way to achieve this is to cut off their food and water supply.

Pigeons seem to be quite lazy as they do not favor living in areas where food and water are not easily accessible. There is no way to eliminate their food and water supply but cut it down by ensuring there are no birdbaths or stagnant water pools around. Pigeons feed on garbage, so cut their supply by ensuring bins are tightly sealed.

Continual nest removal is also effective. However, this is a challenging task as pigeons tend to nest in hard-to-reach areas. Additionally, it is not the safest approach as it could expose the person doing it to mites, fleas, and other dangerous organisms. Pigeon nests are lined with dander, and inhaling or having skin contact with it is dangerous.

Removal deterrent

By far, the least effective deterrent is trapping pigeons and removing them from your property. Pigeons are well-known for their strong homing instincts and will have no difficulty finding their way home. Indeed, you might find them waiting for you after you drive back from where you dropped them off.

Some pigeon fanciers might be interested in trapping your pigeons and adding the birds to their racing set. Then, they keep the pigeons at their new home for a while to reprogram their homing instincts.