How to Deter Pigeons

Where ever you go in the UK you always seem to come across pigeons. They are most obvious in our city centres where they congregate in large numbers. Cities, with their tall buildings, replicate the pigeon’s natural habitat of cliffs and they commonly build their nests on high ledges or window sills. Food is also relatively easy to come by in cities and pigeons will happily mop up what humans have discarded.

It’s not just our cities where pigeons thrive. They are one of the most adaptable bird species and, much like the urban fox, they have learned to successfully co-habit with humans.

Pigeons can be extremely noisy, and their faeces can also make an unsightly mess of roof tiles, windows, garden furniture and pretty much anything else outside your home. What’s more, pigeon faeces can also carry disease and, if there is enough, it may draw flies and rats to your property.

If you have the odd pigeon that potters around your garden for a bit and then flies off then you do not need to worry. If you’re finding their noise or poop to be a problem, then it’s worth taking action to deter them.

How To Deter Pigeons – DIY Solutions

If you’re looking to deter pigeons, there are a few simple do-it-yourself solutions you can attempt to fix the problem. Below we explain the pros and cons of five popular options;

Pigeon Proof Bird Feeders

If you enjoy feeding birds in your garden but don’t like the fact that pigeons hoover up most of the seed before other species get a chance then there are steps you can take. Pigeon proof bird feeders allow smaller birds to access to the seed but prevents larger birds and squirrels. If pigeons can’t access the food, they should soon move off to find easier pickings.

Spray Them With Water

This solution is very short term. While it may scare the pigeons off for a few minutes, they will soon be back.

Using Spices

Many people suggest using common household spices like chilli or curry powder to deter pigeons. As with spraying them with water, this may have a temporary effect. Long term, the pigeons will simply ignore the treated area. This solution also involves re-applying the spices regularly, and it could get rather time consuming and expensive!

Gel Repellents

Commercial, environmentally-friendly, gel pigeon repellants are available online and from many DIY stores. These make the landing or nesting areas sticky and therefore puts off pigeons from taking a perch. This can be an effective short terms solution, but frequent re-application is typically needed for shop bought gels. If you are trying to deter pigeons from your roof, then this could mean regular trips up and down a ladder.

Reflective Surfaces

An old gardeners trick is to hang CDs on pieces of string around a garden. The reflective surfaces can put off birds from landing. You may get some benefits from this idea, especially if you want to prevent pigeons from landing on your garden.

How To Deter Pigeons – Professional Solutions

If you want to effectively deter pigeons from your home or business on a long term basis, it’s best to seek professional help. Pigeon Control is carried out by Pest Control companies who have specialist equipment and experience for dealing with these issues.

At Confirm A Kill we have over 25 years of experience in pigeon pest control. We use several solutions to deter pigeons, depending on the scale or the issues and the environment we are working in, these include;

• Netting Systems
• Stainless Steel Spike Systems
• Bird Wire Systems
• Bird Deterrent Systems

All our pigeon deterrents and proofing solutions are installed to the highest standards by qualified technicians. Before any work is undertaken, we complete a full risk assessment that ensures all work is completed safely.

Contact the Experts

If you are looking for an effective method to deter pigeons, we can help. Our experts cover Nottinghamshire and beyond and we guarantee all our work so you can be confident that by calling us your issues will be resolved.

To book a free assessment, please contact us on 0115 913 5724 or send your enquiry through our contact form.