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Pigeons, which resemble winged rats, may be somewhat entertaining from time to time, but they can quickly become a menace when they choose your home or garden as the perfect nesting ground. Although pigeons themselves are harmless, they can cause quite a bit of damage to your property, car, and may possibly introduce disease-bearing mites or ticks into your home. So, what can you do if you don’t want these amusing, yet dirty birds to call your property home?
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Jordan Forster, pest control expert at Fantastic Pest Control, said: “Pigeons can be a major nuisance if they are not taken care of properly. There are a few ways that actually work if you want to deter pigeons.
“Although pigeons are not commonly considered pests in gardens, they can destroy young plants and fruit. Aside from installing bird deterrents, it would help if you made your garden as uncomfortable as possible for them.”
Here are five ways the expert suggested will work to stop pigeons returning to your garden.
1. Spray them with a hoses
Spray pigeons with water from a garden hose. Pigeons won’t appreciate the force or concentration of the water being targeted at them.
For gardeners using this method it is important to spray the birds when they first arrive. If they wait until pigeons set up house, it will be too late.
READ MORE: Natural repellent could ‘successfully’ deter rats from your home
2. Install a scarecrow
Scarecrows have been a tried and tested method of scaring off birds for hundreds of years and, as the name suggests, were originally invented by farmers attempting to scare crows off of their farming crops.
Today you are less likely to find them in fields, but they nevertheless remain quite an effective deterrent against pigeons.
The pest control pro shared: “Many bird-scaring decoys are available, but the most effective ones tend to resemble hawk silhouettes and move and make noise.
“As long as the decoy’s position is regularly changed, the pigeons will learn that no real danger exists.” This could even lead to the birds perching on top of them.
READ MORE: ‘Effective and inexpensive’ solutions to prevent rat infestations
3. Keep sheds protected
Jordan said: “You can prevent unwanted visitors from visiting your shed or other garden constructions by installing bird netting. Using netting protects any garden building without harming birds.”
Using netting in your garden can be one of the most effective ways to prevent pigeons from entering your garden. Pigeons will happily consume a wide variety of foods, including spring shoots, vegetables, fruit, and berries if netting is not being used.
Garden netting is widely available from garden centres and is relatively cheap. It comes in various sizes and can easily be cut down to the appropriate size.
4. Use reflective surfaces
The majority of garden birds are easily spooked, and reflective surfaces can provide an extremely effective deterrent against pigeons known to be particularly skittish.
The expert noted that this is “an old gardener’s trick” to deter pigeons from gardens. He explained: “Often, we see this in shiny objects that reflect sunlight, such as CDs. Pigeons can temporarily lose sight and stay away from your deck or garden because of the reflective surfaces.”
Gardeners can purchase reflective disks that are designed to hang freely from tree branches and gently rotate in the breeze, creating flashes of light as they rotate, which scare pigeons (and the majority of birds) away. They are humane and very wildlife-friendly, non-toxic and harmless to birds.
However, DIY versions can be created by using an old CD or DVD tied to pieces of string and similarly hung from branches.
5. Keep an eye on bird feeders
Jordan said: “There is a stereotype that pigeons don’t share. Once you fill the birdseed feeders, a bully bird’ will join the flock. It scares off the smaller birds and steals as much food as possible. To keep bird peace, you must keep these intruders at bay.” The only way to do this is to keep these intruders away altogether.
The expert added: “It is best to combine pigeon repellents with preventive methods for maximum and effective results to stop pigeons destroying your garden. Don’t allow standing water to accumulate anywhere in your garden.
“By keeping your property free of seeds, grains, and other food remains, you can keep birds and pigeons away from your home and garden. Keeping your garbage can with a closed lid and sweeping your floors regularly will help you achieve this.”
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