Nuisance Pigeons on Roof

Section62

Rosa_Damascena said:

Are they any better than scarecrows?

I don't much like pigeons but I would like to credit them with a modicum of intelligence.

It might work while it is a scary novelty, but will soon become familiar and just part of the pigeon's daily life.

And yes, pigeons are very smart birds.  How many of us could be taken to a random location hundreds of miles away from where we live and find our way home without use of maps, satnav, or road signs.

mron

Has anyone tried anything that works long term?

Eldi_Dos

It sounds like there must be a food source that is attracting the pigeons,if you can find some way of stopping that it will help with your problem.If whoever is feeding them is not willing to stop,trying to find an engineering solution to a social problem can be difficult.

koalakoala

It’s not food, it’s the warmth from the solar panels. 

MalMonroe

This is now an environmental issue and it wouldn't be a bad idea to contact your council's environmental health department about it. Your neighbour's attitude is appalling. He's caused a problem and now doesn't want to know. Your council can make him sit up and take notice. Why should you have to pay for a solution? I'd feel awful if I'd done that to my neighbour.

The environmental health department will also be able to advise how to stop the pigeons flocking round - it isn't an uncommon problem.

Apparently birds don't like reflective surfaces but I suspect that the solar panels are reflective so that doesn't seem to bear that theory out.

I do hope you manage to get this sorted but don't spend any money yourself yet, get the council on the job first. 

[Deleted User]

Actually E H dept don't get involved.
I have the same scenario here and when i contacted them they said it's up to both homeowners to sort it out.

mron

MalMonroe said:

This is now an environmental issue and it wouldn't be a bad idea to contact your council's environmental health department about it. Your neighbour's attitude is appalling. He's caused a problem and now doesn't want to know. Your council can make him sit up and take notice. Why should you have to pay for a solution? I'd feel awful if I'd done that to my neighbour.

The environmental health department will also be able to advise how to stop the pigeons flocking round - it isn't an uncommon problem.

Apparently birds don't like reflective surfaces but I suspect that the solar panels are reflective so that doesn't seem to bear that theory out.

I do hope you manage to get this sorted but don't spend any money yourself yet, get the council on the job first. 

Thank you for that, I share your views on this. However, here is my slight concern...

I am planning on moving house soon (not because of the pigeons! - to move closer to my children and grandchildren in another part of the country).

I think that when you sell your house on the information pack you have to declare any disputes with neighbours (at least I think that is the case?) and I would not want that to be an issue. I have never had disputes with neighbours, nor them me.

It has not reached 'dispute' level at the moment (nowhere near that), just amicable chats. I fear that going to the council would escalate it to that. I am not sure if even then it would be classed as that but I'd rather not take the risk.

On the other hand I worry that not doing something might genuinely affect the chances of selling my house. 

My son wants to ring the neighbour and have a more forceful word with him but I am worried about the repercussions.

A tricky catch 22 situation. I feel powerless and stuck - like you suggest 99% of people would be mortified about causing something like this but unfortunately not my neighbour. Odd because we have known each other for about 15yrs.

Martin_the_Unjust

https://www.prokill.co.uk/blog/how-to-scare-pigeons-away/


one thing that is not mentioned is a laser pointer has proven to be quite effective at shifting them as well.

Whatever you use you need to vary as pigeons will quickly become habituated to things.


(PS I did spend several years as a bird control operator on a military airfield as my post retirement job)

elsien

This thread is from last August. You might want to check the dates when searching older threads. 

koalakoala

mron said:

Thank you for that, I share your views on this. However, here is my slight concern...

I am planning on moving house soon (not because of the pigeons! - to move closer to my children and grandchildren in another part of the country).

I think that when you sell your house on the information pack you have to declare any disputes with neighbours (at least I think that is the case?) and I would not want that to be an issue. I have never had disputes with neighbours, nor them me.

It has not reached 'dispute' level at the moment (nowhere near that), just amicable chats. I fear that going to the council would escalate it to that. I am not sure if even then it would be classed as that but I'd rather not take the risk.

On the other hand I worry that not doing something might genuinely affect the chances of selling my house. 

My son wants to ring the neighbour and have a more forceful word with him but I am worried about the repercussions.

A tricky catch 22 situation. I feel powerless and stuck - like you suggest 99% of people would be mortified about causing something like this but unfortunately not my neighbour. Odd because we have known each other for about 15yrs.

If you are planning to move just move, do nothing about the pigeons