Earlier this year we had a pigeon nesting infestation inside where the roofline met the front of our apartment building. Like many people, we didn't have the heart to evict them once we heard the chirps and coos of their chicks, so we waited for them to literally leave the nest before having the open section boarded up. All was well for a few months. But then we started to hear the sound again...and worse, a smell from up above. We ended up calling our manager and now our pigeon neighbors are being asked to nest somewhere else (there doesn't seem to be a nest yet)...
Giving the Pigeons an Eviction Notice
Like many birds, pigeons will often return to nest in the vicinity where they were born or nested before. So it's important to not leave any openings or areas for the pigeons to get inside the structure of your building. Believe me, the smell of accumulated pigeon poop is not pleasant. Sorry my avian friends, the squatting was fine until I could smell ya near.
The whole front of our apartment is now scaffolded while they fix the exterior, so this whole morning has been a test of my endurance for very loud hammering (and chattering) literally outside my window. I'm stepping away for now because the fellas outside are having to disconstruct large parts of the roofline trim. But hopefully by day's end, they'll have the brunt of the work completed. Such is the life of a renter in an old building!
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Ah! I have doves nesting just above my home office too! They're always scuttling and cooing in the middle of work phone calls. It's definitely time for an eviction notice.
view faith's profile
We had pigeons nest in the cavaties left behind by a too-small through-the-wall airconditioner. The chicks were cute. Then a month later they weren't so cute. Then when we had millions of tiny little bugs come crawling into the bedroom, then they really, really, really weren't cute.
But I still didn't have the heart to push them off the ledge. (We're on the 5th floor).
They are gone now. I shoved some phone books full of ant spray in the cavaties.
view Kah's profile
We had a similar pigeon dilemma at my workplace. Someone suggested putting a lawn-ornament style owl on the roof (you can find them at most garden stores). We waited until baby-bird season was over and gave it a try.
It worked beautifully and without injury to the birds.
I'm sorta curious what would happen if we put a garden gnome up there instead...
view genjenn's profile
I don't want to unduly scare anyone but residences that have bird infestations often get bed bug infestations. From what I understand, a bed bug infestation can turn a person's life upside when they find that they have to leave all there belongings and their homes to be rid of them. This is another reason why I don't buy tons of furniture on craigslist despite the huge savings. Too big a risk.
view tesstify's profile
Bed bugs nightmares!! thanks for the info.
view Haunted_Studio's profile
When I had an apartment in Center City Philadelphia, many years ago, there were lots of pigeons hanging out on the fire escape. One summer, the landlord decided to paint the fire escape, but instead of cleaning off all the pigeon poop, they just painted over it! Gross!!! I did find the cooing quite soothing though, and the cats used to love to watch them through the windows.
view suzy8track's profile
BED BUGS!?! Gross. I live in a 100 year old house in LA and we have pigeons in the front and a cuter bird family in the back (right outside my window). They are so loud I actually sometimes sleep with earplugs otherwise it's up at 6 am every day.
I'm surprised the owl works. Our neighbor has one and they still hang out on that house. Actually, they spend the day flying back and forth between our houses but I actually think they "live" there.
view MelissaLA's profile
i think you guys are a bit too soft hearted when it comes to pigeons. i know two cases of houses infested with bugs after pigeons had been allowed to nest there (not sure if they were bed bugs - do you have an english word for pigeon flea??) - not funny. pigeons really are a big problem in the bigger european cities, and ever since realising what they leave in their wake i have no problem whatsoever with shoving them off the ledge when i find them. they can fly, you know? :-P
view maike's profile
rats with wings.
view Seaside's profile
The flying rats - I've had to fight mourning doves in the past - don't get my sympathy. I learned that shiny ribbon - I picked up a cheap roll at Michael's - works even better than ornamental figures because it moves in the breeze and winks in the sun -- stresses the buggers out and they hie for calmer roosts.
view ldevere's profile
I had a crazy pigeon infestation in an apartment in Hollywood. My balcony had become literally over-run with pigeons, and almost every inch was covered in pigeon crap and feathers. The smell was sickening and it literally became 8 square feet of my apartment I was paying for but not able to use. I complained to the landlord, on multiple occasions, as did the other tenants, and he said they had tried everything and nothing had worked, so we were forced to live with it. I tried blocking the balcony off with hanging plants and curtains and they always found a way in. It got to the point where I was squirting them with water bottles, but I'd end up feeling bad when they'd just sit there and not know what to do about it.
I gave it a year, and after having several sets of pigeon eggs laid and cared for on my balcony, I gave up and moved out. I told the landlord it was pretty much solely due to the pigeons, and he couldn't have cared less. Now I make sure to bring up the issue with any perspective landlords as to avoid this kind of thing in the future.
view cooper_black's profile