How to get rid of pigeons with gentle methods

The pigeons it can be a real nuisance. In cities, they often prevent neighbors from hanging their clothes, dirty balconies and windowsills, and make a lot of noise.

These birds are anything but shy: they defecate on balconies, dirty the walls of the house and the clothes line, and their constant cooing can become unbearable. Therefore, many people wonder how they can scare away pigeons. We explain how you can get get rid of them, but without damaging them.

3 friendly methods to get rid of pigeons

we are going to give you some ideas to get rid of pigeons on the balcony, window sills or in the garden.

1. Light reflections scare away pigeons

Light reflections can easily and effectively scare away pigeons. If you do mobiles with aluminum foil or metallic gift or even with old CDs and you place it on the balcony, in the windows or in the garden, the pigeons no longer feel comfortable there and will look for another place. Crystal balls also help scare away pigeons.

In garden centers or hardware stores too there is a special reflective tape It keeps the pigeons away.

2. Pinwheels and fluttering ribbons against the plague of pigeons

Pigeons don’t like noise either. if you place papers that crackle or tapes that flutter, the pigeons also feel out of place.

You can also place pinwheels in pots, for example. wind mobiles, on the other hand, they are not only effective, but also a beautiful decoration for the garden or balcony.

3. Deterrence by the presence of enemies

Place a crow or bird of prey on the balcony of your house. We are not talking about a real bird, but a plastic one, but the pigeon does not have to know that. The bigger the imitation bird, better.

Other tips to scare away pigeons

Don’t let them get used to: pigeons are not the most intelligent birds in the world, but they quickly get used to plastic crows or balcony windmills. So surprise them by changing the placement of things to keep scaring them or put up new deterrents.Maintain cleanliness and order: Don’t give birds a reason to settle in your home. Do not leave crumbs, fruit or food remains on the balcony or in the garden. Otherwise, you will be inviting them to stay.

Nets, spikes and chemicals are not a good idea

The special spikes to repel pigeons are effective, but present a high risk of injury to birds. Therefore, do not use metal spikes, only soft plastic spikes could be tolerated. advises against the use of a pigeon net on the balcony, since there is a risk that the birds get entangled in it and die trapped.Chemical agents, all kinds of weapons or violence they are, of course, absolutely taboo when it comes to repelling pigeons.bird repellent paste it looks like colorless silicone and is commonly used by pest controllers. The sticky mass is supposed to prevent the birds from settling. However with this method the claws of the birds that land on the paste stick together. By preening their plumage, they distribute the adhesive everywhere, preventing them from flying. There are countries where these stickers are prohibited.

Can pigeons transmit diseases?

Many people are disgusted and afraid of pigeons because they believe that the animals transmit dangerous diseases to humans. But this is usually not the case. The transmission of diseases from pigeons to humans is extremely unlikely.

However, the danger posed by bird droppings is indisputable, yeasts can grow in dried bird droppings, including a fungus that can cause life-threatening meningitis.

Therefore, you should wear a dust mask and gloves when you remove pigeon droppings. If the dried excrement in powder form is inhaled, in the worst case it can lead to allergic inflammation in the alveoli.

The best is remove pigeon droppings with plenty of hot water and clean the area with cleaning vinegar.

Do not feed the pigeons

Just because you don’t want to harm pigeons doesn’t mean you should encourage their proliferation. If you see fellow citizens feeding pigeons, you can confidently talk to them and explain that pigeons cause trouble in the city.

in many cities it is forbidden to feed the pigeons and fines of 750 euros can be imposed, as is the case in Barcelona.