Wood Pigeons and their defecatory habits

[J4CKO]

i.e. on my cars, have a big Beech tree over the area we park our cars, two of the possible four slots (three on the drive, one in front) are right in the line of fire and these things are well fed, on a high fibre diet, if I didnt know better I would swear there were Monkeys or something up there.

Any ideas as to how to perhaps curb the problem as I clean a car and within a day it is covered.

I am not proposing a cull or anything, are there any other methods to persuade them out of the tree or is it bad luck and the birds have every right to be there ?

Do those fake Hawks work ?

[MarkRSi]

Cat?

[excel monkey]

J4CKO said:

Do those fake Hawks work ?

No idea such a thing existed - had to google it!

http://www.pigeoncontrolresourcecentre.org/html/re...

[anonymous-user]

I shot the ones in the tree in my garden, but new ones just move in. Sodding things.

[vrooom]

Cut the tree down...

[DonkeyApple]

Because they are roosting then I guess you need to do something that will disturb them at night and so deter them from that tree.

If you can climb or reach to where they are then there are probably a few options. You just want something that will make a noise.

[dave7692]

vrooom said:

Cut the tree down...

Make sure the cars are out from under the tree first though...

[CAPP0]

J4CKO said:

Do those fake Hawks work ?

I tried one this year, it actually did work for about 2 weeks and then they sussed it and ignored it completely. Tried moving it around the garden but they're not bothered now.

i drove past a car dealership last week which had two big kite-like bird shape on long poles which were moving around a lot. I don't know how much wind you need for them.

[omgus]

J4CKO said:

i.e. on my cars, have a big Beech tree over the area we park our cars, two of the possible four slots (three on the drive, one in front) are right in the line of fire and these things are well fed, on a high fibre diet, if I didnt know better I would swear there were Monkeys or something up there.

Any ideas as to how to perhaps curb the problem as I clean a car and within a day it is covered.

I am not proposing a cull or anything, are there any other methods to persuade them out of the tree or is it bad luck and the birds have every right to be there ?

Do those fake Hawks work ?

They might have every right to be there, but as they are just fat rats with wings you have every right to kill the bds.

I fking hate pigeons, and worst of all my cat (that normally loves to kill all flying things) doesn't bother with pigeons, i can only assume because they are too stupid to offer a real challenge.

[fitz1985]

Could you possibly use some of that canvas like stuff used for parasol and create a 'stool catcher' by erecting it under the birds favorite branches in a sun shade like fashion? It also has the benefit of shading the cars on hot days, and helps prevent UV damage to the interiors?

[LuS1fer]

If you have water access, you can buy a Scarecrow water deterrent (Amazon £50) which activates on movement. Ordinarily, they are lawn-located but you could probably strap one to the trunk. Cheaper than the Spanish cure of throwing a huge net over the tree.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Contech-ScareCrow-Motion-A...

I have one and it certainly works to stop cats crapping on my garden.

Edited by LuS1fer on Monday 9th September 18:16

[MGgeordie]

What about a battery operated toy cat stuck up the tree. Like this one :

[T1berious]

I had this very same problem and solved it with some planning permission and a visit from the tree surgeons.

Getting the planning took months as they have to come out etc and compare your plan drawings to the actual tree.

We had an Ash tree which is notorious for going right through pigeons.

Cars are now poo free and it will be at least 3 years till we have to get it trimmed again.

[Fastra]

I'm sure I read somewhere that fake Owls are good at scaring things away?

Or a few days practicing my current Magpie scattering technique (badminton racket + small stones®) might work.

[Willy Nilly]

Get some lead into 'em

[The Wookie]

Fastra said:

Or a few days practicing my current Magpie scattering technique (badminton racket + small stones®) might work.

I guarantee that if I tried this technique it would end up with a highly ironic, more expensive car damaging outcome

[CAPP0]

Willy Nilly said:

Get some lead into 'em

This is all very well and something I looked into but in reality, if you live in any sort of residential area, your options are limited, as any shot must not leave the boundary of your property. For a normal-sized garden, therefore, shotguns are out, full stop, and even air rifles need to be used carefully. The pigeons sit on the ridge of my roof which may be an easy pot, but if I miss one then the pellet is going to land in the road outside. Similarly, there is a telephone line which runs just outside my property and they all congregate on there and would be another easy shot from an upstairs window - but it's in the lane down the side of the house and thus the pellet would leave my property, and the carcass would land in the street. And then Mrs Miggins finds the poor dead birdie when she goes out to feed them all, calls the BIB and the trouble starts. You can only realistically do this for the ones which are sitting on the ground in the garden.

[Meoricin]

CAPP0 said:

This is all very well and something I looked into but in reality, if you live in any sort of residential area, your options are limited, as any shot must not leave the boundary of your property. For a normal-sized garden, therefore, shotguns are out, full stop, and even air rifles need to be used carefully. The pigeons sit on the ridge of my roof which may be an easy pot, but if I miss one then the pellet is going to land in the road outside. Similarly, there is a telephone line which runs just outside my property and they all congregate on there and would be another easy shot from an upstairs window - but it's in the lane down the side of the house and thus the pellet would leave my property, and the carcass would land in the street. And then Mrs Miggins finds the poor dead birdie when she goes out to feed them all, calls the BIB and the trouble starts. You can only realistically do this for the ones which are sitting on the ground in the garden.

Wood pigeon is tasty, which covers disposal once they're down. You only need to worry about not getting spotted during your spree.

[Goatboy]

Little story. I was plagued by a pair of these fekkers. When they weren't dumping all over my cars they were eating the grass seed or making that irrititating whooping noise at 5am outside of my window.

I warn you this is a somewhat cautionary tale. So its the summer my 6 year old boy girl twins come down for breakfast. I open the big double doors at the back of my house and I see a huge fat bird gulping down my freshly laid grass seed. Red mist descends and I grab our dogs Kong ball (a solid rubber ball about the size of a fist). Now bare in mind the fact I am 20 feet inside my house and the bird is probably half way up my 80 foot garden. I hurl the ball out of the back door the pidgeon soars into the air and dies instantly as it is crushed to death by a freakishly well thrown Kong ball.

Well I would like to tell you that it ended there but you remember I mentioned the twins! I think they still judge me to this day. "Daddy why are you putting it in the bin" "Ahem....to keep it safe.

Anyway thoroughly unpleasant it was. So now there seems to be a new pair. Whenever they poo on my car I accept that it is karma.

[Fastra]

The Wookie said:

Fastra said:

Or a few days practicing my current Magpie scattering technique (badminton racket + small stones®) might work.

I guarantee that if I tried this technique it would end up with a highly ironic, more expensive car damaging outcome

Luckily there's quite a thick wood area behind my house, so nothing other than wildlife is in danger.
One of these is highly tempting though: