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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

Original poster

Bloody Pigeons!

63 replies

MontyDonsAssistant · 28/03/2023 14:15

Does anyone have an issue with this or any tips?
The pigeons in my garden are destroying some things. I've lived here for over 20 years and this year it's worse than ever.

There have always been about 6 pigeons flying around but now they are taking over.

They have a nest in one tree and are constantly flying about pooping on everything. I live in a village, not a city.

They have ravaged a honeysuckle hedge by eating all the new shoots (I've tucked silver foil amongst it which is working a bit.)

But at the moment they are eating all the new growth (leaves and blossom) on a cherry tree. There can be 8 in it at any one time. I am afraid the tree will be leafless and even die.

When I'm here, I do go outside and shoo them away but it's becoming a real nuisance.

Anything you can buy to deter them?

OP posts:
finalwhistle · 28/03/2023 14:19

I hate the bastards. Unfortunately our next door neighbour insists on having a bird table and piling it up with bird seed which encourages them (we never seem to see any other birds just pigeons!)

Not only do they crap everywhere they flap about frantically at the crack of dawn. My neighbour is a knob.

MrsWidgerysLodger · 28/03/2023 14:28

Following for ideas. Last year my neighbour decided to start keeping the bloody things. Not racing pigeons, just as domestic pets. I'd quite happily shoot the lot of 'em.

angiec89 · 28/03/2023 14:35

Absolute pests. I have a similar problem in my garden ☹️. Sorry OP, nothing I've tried has worked although the foil sounds like a good idea. Might give that a go.
Following for advice

pd339 · 28/03/2023 14:41

What a horrible bunch you all are. They are wild animals that have the right to exist. I'd rather pigeons than self-important humans.

Original poster
MontyDonsAssistant · 28/03/2023 14:46

pd339 · 28/03/2023 14:41

What a horrible bunch you all are. They are wild animals that have the right to exist. I'd rather pigeons than self-important humans.

Oh God.

They don't have a right to destroy my garden which has cost me £££s to establish, including trees and shrubs.

They are vermin and we are allowed to kill them if they destroy crops. Sadly my prunus and honeysuckle are not listed as a crop.

OP posts:
Ferntastical · 28/03/2023 15:20

I suspect some of pp's neighbours have learned the secret: feed them.

Seriously, when you feed them, they leave the plants alone (ime, anyway) Grin

Paranoidandroidmarvin · 28/03/2023 15:59

I don’t have pigeons. I have sea gulls. And we are miles from the nearest beach.

wouldn’t mind but they have seen off all of the smaller birds. They are loud especially in the summer with the windows open.

last year when we moved in there where about ten maybe. They went for a while and then when they came back there are more than twenty five now. The lady across the road feeds them. The mess is awful

AuntieMarys · 28/03/2023 16:02

They are horrible things. On our roof at 5am stomping around.

RudsyFarmer · 28/03/2023 16:02

They’re eating all the shoots from our hedges and trees too. Luckily I haven’t spent thousands on my garden so I’m sucking it up.

Hotchick1972 · 28/03/2023 16:19

crikey! Wild birds eating plants to survive as they were born to do
Shocking!!! Whatever next? Bees collecting pollen?

Original poster
MontyDonsAssistant · 28/03/2023 16:45

Hotchick1972 · 28/03/2023 16:19

crikey! Wild birds eating plants to survive as they were born to do
Shocking!!! Whatever next? Bees collecting pollen?

Pigeons used to be classed as vermin and they can still be shot in some circumstances. Why do you think farmers have those loud bird scarers in their fields of crops? The ones that go off every 5 minutes? A flock of pigeons can decimate a field of crops.

Bees improve the production of plants by pollination. Pigeons destroy it.

If you don't understand the issue or want to be sarcy maybe the AIBU pages are for you.

This is for gardening advice.

OP posts:
Original poster
MontyDonsAssistant · 28/03/2023 16:47

RudsyFarmer · 28/03/2023 16:02

They’re eating all the shoots from our hedges and trees too. Luckily I haven’t spent thousands on my garden so I’m sucking it up.

Not spend thousands, It was just a £££ sign- not supposed to be any set amount.

OP posts:
allthebestmumsusethefword · 28/03/2023 16:53

if you can/want to get a dog and a cat it might solve the issue as they're more wary of hanging out in the same areas as predators. not a cheap or quick solution but effective.

allthebestmumsusethefword · 28/03/2023 16:55

@Hotchick1972 bees are not in the slightest a problem. pigeons are arseholes 🤩

Anycolouryoulike · 28/03/2023 16:59

What the hell has living in a village got to do with it? Pigeons don't just live in cities.

MissMaple82 · 28/03/2023 17:10

How dare the bastards live their life and inconvenience yours!

Anycolouryoulike · 28/03/2023 17:25

It's them urban pigeons with their city ways.

SoCunningYouCanStickATailOnItAndCallItAFox · 28/03/2023 17:28

Can you put one of those model buzzards on a pole that are like a kite and make them think there is a predator.

Original poster
MontyDonsAssistant · 28/03/2023 19:04

SoCunningYouCanStickATailOnItAndCallItAFox · 28/03/2023 17:28

Can you put one of those model buzzards on a pole that are like a kite and make them think there is a predator.

That' s a great idea!

We have loads of buzzards and red kites where I am anyway, always flying over the house, so maybe could 'borrow' one and make it a home in the garden!

OP posts:
Original poster
MontyDonsAssistant · 28/03/2023 19:09

@Anycolouryoulike The reason I mentioned it wasn't a town situation, is that I anticipated people suggesting I put netting around parts of the garden, or spikes, to deter them from sitting on windowsills, ledges or roofs. (which people in large cities like London do to try to keep them away from courtyard gardens.)

And there are often directives in cities by councils to ask people not to feed pigeons. So there is a difference at times between town and country.

OP posts:
Xrays · 28/03/2023 19:12

My son and I LOVE pigeons! They are super intelligent and very clean, despite what people think. My son is 10 and has autism and his special interest is pigeons. It’s literally all he reads / talks about. We love to sit and watch them in the park - their mating dances are so funny! I really don’t know why people seem to think other birds are okay but pigeons aren’t?! They’re all birds! We actively encourage them into our garden, we leave food out for them and have a huge shallow tray we fill with water and they use it like a bird bath - they queue up and take turns! (They’re very polite)! Feel sad that so many people hate them. I love gardening too but I still love wildlife.

Original poster
MontyDonsAssistant · 29/03/2023 08:09

I posted here as I thought it was the right place to ask for advice on a problem- like Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time!

I didn't expect to be drawn into an argument over them.

@Xrays They are damaging my plants, in the same way that rabbits can. Eating plants. It's devastating to see a 30 year old tree being potentially stripped of all its leaves and blossom. If you have a garden and grow anything you'd know that other birds don't cause this damage.

Thanks for the sensible replies, folks.

OP posts:
Toomanybooks22 · 29/03/2023 08:25

Hotchick1972 · 28/03/2023 16:19

crikey! Wild birds eating plants to survive as they were born to do
Shocking!!! Whatever next? Bees collecting pollen?

Totally agree.

In addition, they may be wood pigeons and even though I think it's unfair any pigeons are called "vermin", I don't believe wood pigeons can come into that category at all.

We get some wood pigeons (amongst a variety other birds) in the garden and put down sunflower seeds on a bird table. None of the birds attack our plants.

WomanFromTheNorth · 29/03/2023 08:34

pd339 · 28/03/2023 14:41

What a horrible bunch you all are. They are wild animals that have the right to exist. I'd rather pigeons than self-important humans.

I agree. I despair of humans sometimes.

MereDintofPandiculation · 29/03/2023 09:02

Toomanybooks22 · 29/03/2023 08:25

Totally agree.

In addition, they may be wood pigeons and even though I think it's unfair any pigeons are called "vermin", I don't believe wood pigeons can come into that category at all.

We get some wood pigeons (amongst a variety other birds) in the garden and put down sunflower seeds on a bird table. None of the birds attack our plants.

Show quote history

You’re lucky! Wood pigeons (not city centre feral pigeons) eat my cabbages. I net them. Bull finches strip blossom, but I have only two of them, so I tolerate it. Blackbirds attack my apples while they’re still on the tree. But I have plenty of apples so I tolerate that. I’m trying to like wood pigeons, but it’s hard.