Most Effective Ways to Get Rid of Pigeons

We know that you'll want to take the safest and most humane approach to pigeon removal and dispelling once they set up residence in your backyard, and that's good news, because culling nuisance pigeons is actually classed as unlawful activity in all states. This fact is not commonly known by homeowners, but removing pigeons from your back yard the WRONG way really could land you in a lot of hot water. And before you think that you probably won't get caught, the long-term repercussions for pigeon-removal going wrong could spread far and wide. It could even mean the death of household pets all around the neighborhood.

The most effective way to get rid of pigeons is going to be the fastest way, combined with the most secure way. You will need to go through steps that ensure the birds themselves are removed, as well as the nesting material they leave behind, droppings, and all holes that allowed them access in the first place. Sadly, there is no magic solution to put a bird invasion right. It is a series of steps that will take time and effort, and no doubt more than a little money, but as long as you do the right thing, you will be bird-free for the foreseeable future.

The WRONG ways to remove pigeons from your property include:

• Using poison — there is no registered or legal poison to kill pigeons. Anything that you do manage to put together will be classed as illegal activity and, if caught, you will be subject to federal and state laws.
• Using a firearm — it is also illegal to shoot a bird that is either wild or nesting. If you attempt to shoot a bird, pigeon, sparrow, goose or otherwise, you will once again be performing unlawful action.
• Waiting for them to leave — they won't leave. If they do leave, it'll be to go somewhere a bit warmer for the winter. They will come back. They have extraordinary memories and can remember roosting spots for a long time, and from miles away. You cannot wait for this bird to leave and then be thankful that it left. The flock will wreak havoc on your property during that time, and they will also spread disease and cause damage with feces and other waste/contaminate material.
• Using lethal traps — the chances of a pigeon using a lethal trap that has been designed by another animal is slim to none. There is no lethal trap for pigeons because it is unlawful to kill them.
• Using live cage traps — have you ever tried to get one bird in a cage? It's tricky work. Very tricky work. Now repeat that twenty, thirty, forty times … or until you have managed to get rid of the entire flock of pigeons. It would take you a very long time and by the time you have caught one, released it, and then returned to try and trap another, the first one will be right back home again. These animals fly, giving them an immediate edge over humans. Not only that, but they can fly great distances. You're going to need to travel for miles, or hours, perhaps even days to release that pigeon somewhere it can't find its way back home again, and you'd still fail.
• Net trapping — any kind of trapping, regardless of how you manage to trap them, will not help you to remove pigeons. As previously mentioned, you wouldn't be able to drive enough of a distance away to keep them away for good.

So … now you know the WRONG ways, what are the RIGHT ways to remove pigeons from your property?

There are a few that you can choose from. We personally recommend a combination of methods, depending on the space that you need to protect. Bird netting, for example, can be used over a wide area with awkward nooks and crannies. This kind of solution is perfect for warehouses, large outbuildings, and also local government buildings. You will find bird netting is used by big organisations all around the world to try and keep these birds at bay.

Bird strip spikes are great for straight edges, such as ledges, window sills, and the tops of fences, etc. These are pretty much what they sound like -- strips of spikes that are attached to surfaces to stop birds from landing there. There are different sizes of spike strips just like there are different sizes of bird netting, and you'll need to ensure you've got the right one for your bird. You will also need to consider that both of these options only treat one bird problem at a time. If you have bird problems that include large and small birds, you'll find that strips and nets only work for one or the other, rarely both.

Repellents are probably not the best idea, as many of them have been shown not to work at all. There are more than a few that you can try your hand with, however, and many of them are fairly inexpensive. We don't recommend anything chemical-based, and it's likely to be illegal if that chemical could threaten the life of pigeons or other animals it comes into contact with. (That includes mothballs, ammonia-soaked rags, etc.)

The old-fashioned methods of bird removal, such as scarecrows and other moving objects, can work quite well when used in your back garden. Anything that moves or mimics the activity of humans can dispel any birds that are hanging out, out there. Unfortunately for us, pigeons are no longer as fearful of humans as they used to be, so scarecrows and other human-mimicking items are not as effective as they were a few decades ago. Pigeons (and other pests/wild animals) have come to rely on humans for food, and with so many humans actually feeding those animals, the fear factor goes right down. How can you associate humans with fear when they're also providing you plenty of sustenance?

Not only that, of course, but pigeons are quite comfortable living in back gardens right alongside us now. Once upon a time, they wouldn't have dreamed of setting up home in a residential area, because that area would be too lit-up, noisy, and filled with predators — humans. Over time, living alongside us has led to them being absolutely comfortable with us. And again, being in our back garden means that we are feeding them. They don't know that the bird feeders are for the smaller birds, and not them. They just assume it is for them and help themselves.

The most successful and reliable form of pigeon removal is to use a professional company with plenty of knowledge and experience on their side. In almost all cases, using the professional is the fastest, most effective, and cheapest long-term pigeon removal solution.