If you live in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), the pigeon is an all-too-familiar sight. The plump and friendly pigeon – which include city doves, city pigeons, and street pigeons – is one of the most adaptable birds in the GTA. Pigeons are unafraid of people; at home on ledges, wires, rooftops and other structures. These birds are able to eat anything due to only having 37 taste buds (we have 10,000) – they love seeds, but will also eat popcorn, bread, peanuts, pizza, etc. 1 That certainly explains a lot!
Pigeons tend to gather in flocks and don’t have many predators in urban settings. Unlike most birds, pigeons have been known to have babies year-round, usually laying two eggs at a time up to six times a year, based on available food and nesting sites.
Many property owners find pigeons to be a nuisance when they roost or nest too close to their homes. Besides being a pain to clean when it gets on your property, pigeon waste is very acidic and can eat away at many substances, including tar-based roofing, causing leaks. Pigeon droppings can also transmit a number of crippling diseases, including cryptococcal meningitis.2 The birds themselves are host to numerous parasites, ticks, flies, fleas, mites, and biting lice, which can infest structures and bite both people and pets.
Pigeon control is best accomplished by the experienced team at City & Country Pest Control. City & Country will arrive at your home or business, conduct a thorough inspection, and provide you with a free estimate detailing the work necessary to solve your pigeon problem.
City & Country Pest Control can initiate a management control program to help reduce the number of pigeons. Excluding pigeons from roosting and nesting areas involves using bird wire, bird coil, porcupine wire, bird spikes, netting, screening, and other tools.
Contact City & Country Pest Control today at 905-455-1102 or sales@cityandcountrypestcontrol.com to humanely solve your wildlife problem, and to proof your home and business against all unwanted pests.
Sources:
1. “Pigeons!,” American Association for the Advancement of Science; http://ehrweb.aaas.org/ehr/parents/Pigeons!.html, last accessed May 6, 2013.
2. “Canadian woman battling crippling disease caused by pigeon poop,” The Globe and Mail, August 24, 2011; http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canadian-woman-battling-crippling-disease-caused-by-pigeon-poop/article577526/.
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