Pigeons in the attic

[Beefcake]

Anyone here have experience with having to get pigeons out of their attic?

I've returned from vacation to find that a peice of my soffit was blown loose, and now i can hear pigeons up in my attic, and have their droppings all over my deck down below that gap.

My googling and calls to extermination companies have given me mixed messages on both how to get them out, and with respect to health concerns. The common themes for dealing with the problem are (i) shoot them with a pellet gun, (ii) patch the hole and let them just die, or (iii) poison them. My attic is very hard to move around in, and it's particularly hard for me to see down the gap into where the soffit is to just chase them out with a hockey stick (and likewise, would be difficult to retrieve the carcuses if i were to kill them with one of the above 3 methods).

I've read online that the mess the leave behind in the attic can potentially result in serious health concerns, but the extermination companies i've called have said that there's not much to worry about there. Unfortunatly, the 4 "pest exterminators" only do commercial pigeon removal, and don't offer it as a residential service.

If anyone on the board has any experience with this problem and any thoughts on the above, please let me know.

[Knalus]

On a side note, I've heard Pigeon is delicious.

[KTrain]

Can't you go up in the attic to scare them out with an air horn and when they leave fix the soffit?

If not, get a pellet gun. It's fun for the whole family.

[undercoverbrother]

What a crap album. The follow up, Toys In The Attic, was sooo much better.

[Lt.Spears]

410 or 12 gauge should do the job.

[Flashpoint]

I do not advise letting them die in your attic. I was in an apartment and had one die in the exhaust vent from my bathroom. It was the 3rd floor and bordered a creek, so the complex said they needed to wait on a longer ladder before they could get it out.

The stench was unbelievable. The day I came home to about 25 huge blackflies in my bathroom was much worse.

Thankfully they moved pretty quickly after I told them about that.

[saskflames69]

You might wanna try giving this guy a call.

http://saskatoon.kijiji.ca/c-communi...AdIdZ366176706

[Northendzone]

I have only ever had to deal with flowers in the attic

[Circa89]

Chase it out with a laser pointer. If they do not leave because you are blocking the hole then remove some soffit on the opposite side and point away. They will leave. Then Seal the hole after they fly out. If they come back and try to nest in alcoves or gables ( they will try) shoot them with a slingshot or pellet gun! Pigeons do not migrate and if the children are born there they will NEVER leave unless food, water or shelter is removed. Pigeon Feces can contain 31 pathogens including histoplamosis and salmonella. I have had histoplasmosis as a result of inhalation near Pigeon feces and you do not want it. That being said if the pigeons just moved in for say a couple of weeks and there is only two or so there is next to zero risk in contracting any of the diseases.

[memphusk]

3 steps to easy pigeon removal.
1. Get some Gas.
2. Get a match.
3. Enjoy the show.

The best part is if you don't kill them, they will have to find a new landlord.

[trumpethead]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

I have only ever had to deal with flowers in the attic

is toys for me......

[Hack&Lube]

Get a cat and put it into your attic

[trackercowe]

Better get a few Bolivian Tree Lizards



Then when they do the job you'll just have to release wave after wave of Chinese Needle snakes. That'll wipe out the Lizards!

Then you'll just have to find the gorilla that thrives on those snakes. But don't worry about the gorillas as when Winter rolls around they'll simply freeze to death.

So you better not seal up your roof at all.

Oh and I had a couple pigeons lay eggs on my balcony a couple years ago. Since I was moving anyway I didn't really do anything about it. But, after they flew away the adults came back and laid more eggs, so they can be a constant problem even if you only get rid of the ones in your attic.

I actually heard that tying up CD's to strings helps keep them away (they are scared of the reflection of the sun or something), so maybe keep that in mind once these ones are gone.

[DownhillGoat]

Is this anything like bats in the belfry?

[Dentoman]

You want to get rid of these things ..... they will make a disgusting mess and will keep coming back every year. Do it sooner rather than later. The idea about opening up another spot and chasing them out is a good one.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by trumpethead

is toys for me......

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

What a crap album. The follow up, Toys In The Attic, was sooo much better.

wait what?

[Beefcake]

Originally Posted by Circa89

Chase it out with a laser pointer. If they do not leave because you are blocking the hole then remove some soffit on the opposite side and point away. They will leave. Then Seal the hole after they fly out. If they come back and try to nest in alcoves or gables ( they will try) shoot them with a slingshot or pellet gun! Pigeons do not migrate and if the children are born there they will NEVER leave unless food, water or shelter is removed. Pigeon Feces can contain 31 pathogens including histoplamosis and salmonella. I have had histoplasmosis as a result of inhalation near Pigeon feces and you do not want it. That being said if the pigeons just moved in for say a couple of weeks and there is only two or so there is next to zero risk in contracting any of the diseases.

Thanks!

[BloodFetish]

We have pigeons on our roof at work. They sit on the edge of the roof and crap all down the walls.

A week ago the store manager put up a couple of fake owls the he got from Lee Valley. I noticed that the roofline looked different as I drove up and saw the owls. And then I saw a pigeon sitting on the edge of the roof!

I think pigeons have mutated and become smarter - the things that used to scare them don't any more.

Goddamned flying rats.

[Suzles]

Try Calgary Humane Wildlife Control. He specialises in pigeon removal.

Incidentally I worked in a wildlife hospital in England for 11 years and must have tended to hundreds and hundreds of sick, injured or orphaned pigeons during this time and I never caught anything!! They are pretty interesting birds, They mate for life (like swans) - they lay two eggs for each brood and one of those eggs will be a girl and other one will be a boy. Both parents take full responsibility for the raising of the squeakers and both male and female parents make a type of milk in their crop that they feed the babies on. The only vegetarian bird. I think they are pretty cool.