Pigeon pressure describes the bond a pigeon flock has to the area they are nesting. Pigeons are capable of traveling from one country to another if appropriately trained. But, they often don’t cross the place they live and like to flock together as a family.
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Pigeon pressure problems
Two young squabs come to the earth when a pair of pigeons hatch eggs on a tree-top, balcony, or agricultural land. They are grown with love by their monogamous parents, who reproduce nearly 12 young ones yearly, laying eggs every two months. The young females also start laying eggs in the nearby tree, rooftop, or a secluded area within six months. Their number increases enormously, and the site gets quickly covered by pigeon droppings, feathers, and toxic waste.
All the young ones that hatch have a close bond with the area where they were born and roam within a two or three-mile radius, returning to their nests every night. Areas with high pigeon pressure often have an abundance of food, like industries and restaurants spilling too much food waste. Urban areas with very little predator threat also have high pigeon pressure as the birds refuse to leave their living space without a fight.
The humans living in the areas try to control the pigeon population or drive away the birds using various common deterrents for pigeon control. Ovo Control is an expert in providing such effective deterrents suitable for various sites. They conduct a thorough site check with experts surveying the number of pigeons, their food source, and the way they enter or leave the premise and suggest working solutions.
Pigeon deterrents and pigeon pressure
There is a general belief that pigeon deterrents do not work properly and provide only temporary solutions. It is true to a certain extent because pushing away a family from their living space is not an easy task. Pigeons have high intelligence and often adapt to the urban world, quickly adjusting the motor noises, vehicle smoke, and urban pollution. A survey states there are more pigeons in New York than humans owing to the lack of other natural predators.
The pigeon pressure for these birds in their living area is very high because they get abundant food picking the waste bins. They never fall short of water because of the numerous ditches and stagnant water pits. They live like a big old community, considering humans a massive nuisance to their lives. Driving the pigeons away from where they were born and grew up is not an easy task, and a deterrent plays a small but significant role in repelling pigeons.
Different types of pigeon deterrents
Pigeon deterrents fall into three main types – visual deterrents, audio devices, and effigies. Effigies are small plastic owls, rubber snakes, and hawk or hunter scarecrows that frighten the birds. Pigeons get scared easily, even for a slight sound, and get very reluctant to approach any new animal or object. Even dogs and wild cats can easily chase them away with proper training and prevent them from returning.
Effigies of the natural predator animals prevent pigeons from visiting the areas for a few months or weeks. But, the birds will check whether the predator has left constantly and approach them slowly. They realize it is a doll that will not harm them sooner or later and start to return to the area with their siblings and friends.
Visual deterrents like reflecting lights and audio devices emitting the sound of an owl or a hawk also have the same effect. The birds get scared and fly away when they initially hear the sound or see the flashing light. But, they check the area stealthily and find out if the sound gets emitted at a regular interval or when they cross a sensor.
They understand there is no natural predator and the sound and lights are to scare them. They acclimate to the deterrents in a short period and teach the young ones not to be afraid of the light or sound anymore. Hence, most people switch to other methods of pigeon control instead of depending on the deterrents if the pigeon pressure in the area is high.
Effectiveness of deterrents
Deterrents provide excellent temporary solutions for areas with high pigeon pressure. The property owners make alternate arrangements like installing a net, spikes, or installing special high fences to prevent the pigeons from returning. They also take measures to capture the pigeons sneaking in and releasing them in the wild, using actual captors and pets to scare away other pigeons from returning.
Areas with high pigeon pressure take preventive measures to use new deterrents like propane cannon, real raptors, and new scarecrows to threaten the pigeons constantly. The pigeons quit coming back to the old area in two to three months if their food source becomes scarce and they realize there is a constant disturbance to their peaceful existence. However, they will linger only in nearby areas unless captured and released in the rural areas.
