To hate pigeons with every bone in my body?

[MargoLivebetter]

I live in a flat and we have outdoor space and the pigeons have moved in and I cannot get rid of them. I made a huge mistake in lockdown of letting two pigeons rear a baby pigeon on the deck. I hadn't realised that they'd laid an egg and when I found it, it had hatched and I couldn't bring myself to lob it over the balcony.

Oh what a price I have paid for my kindness / weakness. I now have a colony of the fuckers living on my decking. I am constantly on pigeon patrol collecting up their sad twig nests and endlessly lobbing their bloody eggs over the balcony. I have pigeon shit everywhere and on days I WFH, I listen to their endless mating noises.

I have tried everything (bar shooting them). I have vile sticky stuff all over the edges of things, which is supposed to deter them but doesn't. I had a bird startler noise thing, which they got used to after about 2 days. I have festooned the place in bird scarers and silvery things, all of which they completely ignore.

I am so fed up with them. Does anyone know a way of getting rid of these bastard birds?

Some humans need dealing with by pest control clearly.

This!

I wish people could be more compassionate towards animals. Even the term ‘vermin’ gets me. It’s a man made word and not a universal truth to the animals worth.

Pigeons are stupid and disgusting and I say that as someone who is generally a wildlife lover! We had one that spent 3 whole days trying to build a nest between tree branches that were clearly too wide and so had a huge pile of twigs under it. They shit everywhere and their shit is disgusting. Plus if most of them exist because of people breeding them back in the day we can hardly really call them 'natural wildlife' can we? Either humans are responsible for their existence or they are natural wildlife, you can't have it both ways. Plus does no one eat eggs?

I would definitely contact pest control and see what they can do. You can't relocate pigeons as of course they have amazing homing instincts (the one thing they are good at!) so anyone suggesting that is being ridiculous. Hopefully you can get rid of the disgusting things.

Shared from a friend:

"My husband grew up in New England where they have pigeons. Apparently they also hate them. He was always saying bad things about pigeons until I pointed something out that he never thought of before.

We domesticated pigeons. They are (nearly) all over the world because HUMANS BROUGHT THEM THERE. And, they were more than pets. They carried messages. People raced them. They lived spoiled lives as honored human companions for centuries.

Then we got telephones and we threw them out like trash.

Literally, we threw them away.

Their species had already been fully domesticated and they could not survive in the wild; they lost all their survival instincts during the centuries that they lived caged by people.

That is why they live in cities with people instead of in a forest somewhere. It's OUR fault. And not only did we throw them away, but now humans curse them as "winged rats;" casting them as pests.

But they don't know how to live without us, and their instincts tell them that they should trust us. So, they continue to come up to humans and beg for food, because it's the only survival skill left in their genes.

They love us because they were bred by us to feel that way, and yet we hate them."

I have tried everything (bar shooting them)

One has answered one’s own question Margo.

I can empathise with a pigeon problem! I also have a balcony and my insane downstairs neighbour has about 10 bird feeders which she refuses to take down or move away from the building so I had pigeons shitting all over my balcony too.

I found that this really worked: https://katycraft.com/product/premium-motion-sensor-bird-repeller-scarer/

It's a wee bit pricey but has kept the pigeons away! Good luck!

I’ve read that before and am on many bird sites where feelings about them are equally polarised. I adore them.

That picture you posted shows they are stunning birds. Imagine if they were rare how in awe we’d be of their colours and their gorgeous chubba.

Killing babies, eggs whatever you choose to call them to assuage your guilt is horrific and murderous. Would you stomp on a robins nest?

Vile.

I'm sure they hate you equally.

I know us homosapiens tell ourselves we're superior.. but we're really not, just look what's going on in the world.

I'm embarrassed for you OP.

@RefreshingCandour

Where I park my car sometimes in a beauty spot there are two Pigeons, man and wife. After I've walked the dogs and the dogs are tired and sleeping, I don't drive off straight away, I watch them for awhile.

They are wonderful. They mate for life although if one dies they will seek out a new mate.

%3D

How twee dear! Yes, I could have also put the box away etc etc but at the end of the day the flying rats produce the excrement and are dealt with accordingly.

I could have written this. We have pigeons above our bedroom window and they shit all over our front garden and path to front door.Even ended up on my arse after slipping in their shit on my way out . Have tried all the usual deterrents and spent hundreds paying people to fix prongs etc . The bastards managed to push them to the ground and they are bloody noisy and heavy footed at sunrise.
So tempted to bloody shoot them TBH !

@Noyok sorry to hear that! It is super slippery stuff. Another joy is when they shit on my clean laundry, that I hang out to dry because I'm such a disgusting human I try not to use the tumble dryer!

I have had a nightmare with them on my roof last couple of years and its a nightmare as they poo all over my drive /bins and car. I had a thing that made noises that worked for a bit. I had spikes put on and has helped as they go further back but they are still up there.

Rats are actually really, really lovely. We've had several pet rats. They were great little buddies. Each one was so uniquely characterful, every bit as much as a cat or dog. It was quite an eye opening experience.

I think it's horrible to destroy bird nests and eggs. Doesn't matter which type of bird. They have as much of a right to live as you do.

Agree.

Yes I have a pair of wood pigeons in my garden that cause me no bother. Op situation is obviously very different and is causing her a lot . Professional help is needed I reckon OP

So you lob them over the balcony and leave that mess for someone to clean up?

Destroying pigeon nests and eggs (indeed the nests and eggs of any bird) without a licence from Natural England is a criminal offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. If a neighbour sees you doing this and reports you, you run the risk of being prosecuted.

What a stupid and disgusting thing to say. Who truly hateful. They’re birds. Just trying their best to survive. If they’re disgusting it’s because they live in the filth we’ve created. To call a bird stupid and disgusting, what is wrong with you, I can’t even begin to imagine how your brain works and neither do I want to.,

This is a useful resource of information for clearing your balcony legally: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/birds/nests/moving

@DrJoanAllenby

"Very good insightful hit the nail on the head post"

@Janicepalace

I totally agree with your sentiments too,
we humans have created the issues we have with wildlife and nature..
Thank you for highlighting this very valid good point...

Pest control, and never feed them.

I think you will find pest control cannot remove an active nest without a GL41 licence from Natural England and for the OP they wont provide one in these circumstances.

I wish people with little knowlage of these things would stop posting rubbish.