How to Get Rid of Pigeons on Your Roof

Talk to anyone living in an urban area, and the topic of feral pigeons and the nuisance they cause will soon arise. Pigeon populations in densely populated areas have reached endemic proportions, posing several risks to people living nearby. They are an inconvenience, making excessive noise and mess. Additionally, pigeons push other bird species out of the area, bullying them into leaving.

Feral pigeons typically nest on roofs, finding a quiet spot where they can breed uninterrupted. It allows them to reproduce at an astounding rate, contributing to the area’s pigeon population problem. Here are steps to take to eliminate a pigeon problem on your roof:

Pigeon birth control

One of the most effective ways to get rid of pigeons on your roof is to disrupt the reproductive cycle. Pigeon birth control allows you to do that by causing female pigeons to lay eggs that fail to hatch. It is a bait that you slowly integrate into a regular pigeon feeding routine. Pigeons are creatures of habit, and if you start a daily feeding schedule, they will be there waiting for you when the time comes. According to pigeon birth control instructions, users introduce the bait into their daily feeding routine incrementally.

Users should not worry too much about their pigeon birth control affecting other bird species. As mentioned before, pigeons are greedy bullies, not willing to allow others near their food source. When confronted by the convenience of being fed daily, they are unlikely to let any other bird species take advantage of it, chasing them away with their aggressive behavior.

Nest destruction

Another way to get pigeons off your roof is by destroying their nests. However, this is a hazardous process that should be approached with the appropriate precautions. Pigeon nests are full of dander that could contain mites, lice, and other germs. Contact with the dander, especially when inhaling it, could lead to various respiratory conditions or worsen pre-existing illnesses. Additionally, clambering around your roof might not be the safest idea either, as accidents and injuries occur easily.

When you choose nest destruction as an option, call in a professional service for help. Employees wear the necessary gear to protect themselves from getting ill and can maneuver around a roof easily. However, you will need to call them often as the pigeons might opt to rebuild their nests. Pigeons do not spend a great deal of time on nest-building and can have a new one ready within a matter of hours.

Landing and nesting deterrents

Pigeons will not nest in an area where they cannot land and walk around. Therefore, if you make your roof inaccessible to them, they will look elsewhere for somewhere to stay. This method requires you to destroy the existing nests and clean the area before implementing deterrent measures.

Spikes should be placed along surfaces where pigeons can land and nets spanned across your roof. However, full coverage is essential as a tiny gap is all pigeons need to get back onto your roof and make themselves at home. You should also consider using pigeon-repellent gels, which make surfaces slippery. Conduct regular inspections of your deterrents to ensure they are intact and functional if you want to maximize their effectiveness.

Uncomfortable environment

In addition to the physical deterrents that prevent pigeons from landing and nesting, make the area around your building less attractive to pigeons. Feral pigeons do not restrict themselves to eating birdseed. Indeed, most seem to prefer garbage and will make a meal of whatever they can find. These pigeons have adapted themselves into scavengers.

Cutting off a pigeon’s food supply will make it think twice about nesting on your roof. Ensure that access to any trash in bins and dumpsters is impossible for pigeons. They are pretty lazy by nature and would prefer to nest somewhere close to a food source. Once you stop providing them with one, they will move on.

Sound and visual deterrents

Buy an ultrasonic device that emits sounds that pigeons find annoying and frightening. Pigeon-specific products emulate the sounds of distressed birds and a pigeon’s natural predators, making pigeons regard your roof as an unsafe place to stay. These plug-in devices work best left switched on permanently and located near the roof, such as an upstairs room.

Visual deterrents include anything shiny that reflects sunlight. The sudden movement of these objects, including CDs and strips of aluminum foil, catches the light, startling and disorienting a pigeon. Pigeons lack natural predators in an urban setting. You might not want to invest in a real owl, fox, or snake to keep in your yard to scare pigeons off.  Consider buying realistic, life-sized models of them. The most effective products are ones that move and emit sounds, choosing solar-powered models that recharge themselves. Static models will not work for long as pigeons soon realize that they are not real and ignore them.