The Truth About Pigeons

Pigeons ... They're often considered a pest animal, although all pigeons were once domesticated animals and are only feral pests as a direct result of human activity. It's an activity that turned around to bite us in the butts, especially when you look at the extremes of damage and disease that the bird can bring along with it.

If you have a pigeon problem on your property, you'll need to deal with medical conditions such as cryptococcosis, salmonella, histoplasmosis, toxoplasmosis, and more. You will also need to bear in mind the impact that other pests and parasites can have, brought to your property by the pigeons — ticks, mites, lice, and fleas. All of these nasty bugs can be found not just in the bodies of the birds themselves, but also in nests, young pigeon squabs, bird feces, and even materials that they have come into contact with. Their feces is considered to be one of the most dangerous parts of the infestation, with certain disease spores being sent airborne once they have dried out and turned into a dust-like consistency. 

Not only will pigeon feces spread disease to people and other animals, including your pampered pooch and feline friends; it can also cause damage to the materials it comes into contact with. It has a high acidity level, which is quite odd, but it also makes it quite dangerous. The feces material will burn through other materials if there is enough of it, or if it is left where it is for long enough. Unfortunately, the feces material is not simply cleaned up by sweeping it away once it has all dried up. This airborne material — like dust — could contain histoplasmosis spores, as well as other bacteria, bugs, and organisms, that could then be inhaled. If you've ever watched a pigeon control professional working, you'll notice that they always face a breathing mask. (Or they should do.) This is to ensure their own safety.

We actually personally recommend hiring a professional for pigeon control, although we are meant to say that ... being the professionals in question here. When we tell you that this job is a big one, though, we're not kidding. Between the difficulties most people face when trying to get rid of the pigeons from their property in the first place (repellents and deterrents very rarely work), there's also repairing the damage (such as entrance points that allowed them to physically enter your attic/building), cleaning up the waste, and then making sure that the pigeons have nothing left to attract them there — food, etc. With great memories, pigeons WON'T forget about that roosting or nesting ground, and they may even return to it many years in the future. If your building hasn't been sealed and appropriately maintained, those birds are free to try and get back in again, and they'll probably manage it, too.