Tag Archives: pigeons

Problems Caused by Pigeon Population Growth

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Pigeons, these flying birds have grown in number alarmingly in the past few years. You find them flocking around in your garden or sitting on your window sill cooing in their particular manner. It seems like they are everywhere and have started to feel annoying. So, what can be done to control their vast population? And how did it increase so much?  Is using a pigeon birth control tactic the answer? If so, then which tactic could be the most effective in controlling their population? Read on to find your answers.

It has been estimated that the worldwide population of pigeons is 26,00,00,000. The main cause behind these big numbers is that some people feed these pigeons just because they love to. That is, they feed on humanitarian grounds since they feel that they must. They do so to ensure that pigeons don’t starve to death. At the same time, others do so because they believe that feeding birds is their moral duty.

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Thus feeding birds at feeding centers and public places has become a common practice. This feeding is the main cause of the overpopulation of pigeons. Even if it gives you satisfaction, it actually ends up becoming harmful rather than benefiting you. As Dr. Naveen Panday says that alarmingly, feeding pigeons exposes us to health problems and may become a danger for society.

Health problems caused by pigeons

Pigeons secrete their droppings at odd places almost everywhere. These droppings are filled with spores. If you breathe them in, then they may cause many problems for you. The foremost of them being respiratory disorders. Moreover, the feces of pigeons is extremely acidic. If dropped on buildings, it destroys them. It also corrodes monuments.

In addition to this, female pigeons reproduce at an alarming rate; that is, they give birth to 48 squash in a year! On average, a pigeon can live up to 20 to 25 years. With such long lifespans for a bird, they don’t die off quickly. A well-fed pigeon excretes around 11.5 kilograms of hazardous droppings in just a year.

Global actions for prevention

In the year 2001, in London, a ban was imposed on the Trafalgar Square on feeding pigeons as it is extremely toxic for human health. In 2008, Venice also put restrictions on people who sell grains for feeding pigeons, applying strict penalties on them. Even Spain’s Catalan Town took a precautionary step in managing their pigeon population. They have been feeding pigeons Ovistop, a contraceptive that is composed of corn seeds. Those seeds are then covered with Nicarbazin. This helps in limiting their population.

Contraception

Talking of contraceptives, the OvoControl pigeon control program is your perfect choice for limiting their population. It has been estimated that by using the OvoControl program, pigeon growth declined rapidly with a 50% decrease per year. Furthermore, this birth control technique is humane and non-lethal. It simply disturbs the female pigeon’s ability to produce an egg. Thus fewer eggs mean fewer birds.

Diseases Caused By Pigeons

Dr. Kedar Toraskar says that for patients suffering from bronchitis, asthma or similar respiratory diseases, exposure to pigeons is harmful to their health. In fact, it may end up worsening their condition. The best preventive measure that can be taken is the complete removal of the source and maintaining cleanliness in the contaminated area. However, killing them off is not an option. Since this method does not produce immediate results; instead, their population increases rapidly. If you kill them, they would simply grow more. Thus OvoControl program is an ideal choice.

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In addition to this, patients suffering from the diseases mentioned above should consult their physician at once to control their condition before it gets out of hand. Other birds like parrots, parakeets etc., can also worsen these diseases.

The biggest con of feeding sites is that a lot of these are constructed right outside marketplaces or community areas. As a result, many people are vulnerable to these problems. Doctors say that frequent feeding sites may lead to a disease known as extrinsic allergic alveolitis. In common terms, this is called pigeon breeders disease or bird fanciers disease. Persistent dry cough, fever, malaise and fatigue are the symptoms of this particular disease.

Dr. Kedar also adds that exposure to pigeons might cause progressive symptoms, including irreversible lung fibrosis and, in severe cases, death. These issues are caused by exposure to fecal matter and proteinaceous material on dried dust which finely falls off from the pigeon feathers.

Conclusion

Different governments and authorities must take quick steps to shut down the pigeon feeding stations. Hence all of these birds will move away somewhere else in the search for food. Furthermore, using anti-fertility drugs or contraceptives like OvoControl would end up controlling pigeon growth without harming them in return.

5 Things You Can Do About Pigeons Under Your Solar Panels

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Solar paneling has changed the way we look at renewable energy sources today. In addition to the increasing power charges, solar paneling provides a workable solution with a one-time investment. Like everything, there are pros and cons attached with solar panels. Birds are attracted to solar panels that act as a source of shade and protection. Being a bird lover, I would have been happy about it. However, that is not the case here. Bird droppings can cause a lot of damage to solar panels over extended periods of time.

We list some of these damages below:

  • Bird dropping deposits eat on the solar panels’ surface.
  • The accumulation of bird droppings over time can cause a lot of damage.
  • It blocks sunlight and reduces the overall efficiency of panels.
  • Nesting materials deposited under panels can hinder airflow, causing it to overheat and cause more damage.

How to Keep Solar Panels Safe from Pigeons?

So how do we deal with this problem? There are several ways to take care of this. We list 5 things you can do about pigeons under your solar panels below:

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1. Meshing or netting

Meshing or netting is a very convenient way of keeping the solar panel safe from pigeons. All you need to do is first have the area under the solar panels cleaned. After that, it’s as simple as putting the mesh clips onto the solar panels. The meshing runs over the edges and seals off the way for the pigeons to enter.

The meshing or the netting serves precisely the desired  purpose–it keeps the pigeons out of the area below the solar panel. Also, it provides enough ventilation for the solar panels to dissipate heat.

However, one essential thing that you need to keep in mind is not damaging the panels during the mesh installation. In case the panels get damaged, the warranty would be void.

2. Roof spikes

Installing roof spikes around the solar panel is another way to keep the pigeons at bay. The logic is to make the birds so uncomfortable so that they do not dare to sit long enough to make nests on the solar panel.

3. Plastic predators

The birds cannot distinguish between an actual bird or an artificial one. Setting decoys on your rooftop is like having scarecrows in the field. Set up a bird of prey on the rooftop, preferably like a weathervane, so that it moves. The movement of the bird gives an impression of another bird being present. Plastic predators is a very traditional, however, effective method to keep pigeons and other birds away.

4. Cleanliness

We always talk about cleanliness and how important it is to maintain hygiene. Here is a perfect example of the same. Most of the time, the primary reason for the attraction of birds is if they find food. Hence, keeping away all sources of food makes the place inhabitable. Keep the rubbish bins covered with lids.

If there are pets in the house, ensure that all the pet food is being cleaned. Use tightly sealed plastic bags wherever possible. The cleaner your yard and roof is, the lesser is the chance of bird inhabiting the place. Also, with regards to the a flat roof, ensure that you don’t have any edible garbage lying around.

5. Solar panel maintenance

And finally, let’s come to the last part, which is the maintenance of your solar panels. Cleaning up the panels regularly and taking care of any cracks or any mountings issues is extremely important. Ensure that you get the solar panels cleaned and serviced correctly at regular intervals. Clean solar panels don’t attract a lot of birds.

Conclusion

It is extremely crucial to maintain clean conditions around the panels and even around your house. Cleanliness ensures that pigeons or other birds are not attracted to your home. Along with cleanliness, regular maintenance of the solar panels will ensure that fewer birds inhabit your home. Also, it ensures that the efficiency of your solar panels does not dip. There are various companies that offer solar panel pigeon proofing. It is advisable to get a professional maintenance of the solar panels done once a year to ensure maximum efficiency and long lifespan of your home solar system.