What Happens With Pigeons When Professionals do the Job?

As you're probably aware if you've done some research, pest control is a pretty tricky subject, particularly when you take the laws into account. Certain animals need to be dealt with in certain ways, and that even applies to birds. Thankfully, pigeons, sparrows, and starlings are non-native pest birds to the USA, so they are not covered by the federal laws that other birds are, such as woodpeckers.

That doesn't mean that there won't be state-level laws and guidelines, however. It also doesn't mean that you can treat those birds how you see fit. Any removal approach should be humane and safe for all parties involved, even when one of those parties is destined for death. In some cases, euthanasia is the best approach for pest removal, not just to keep pest populations down, but also to prevent the spread of disease AND a traumatic death.

With pigeons, because of their flying and homing instincts, relocating the flock to another part of the state is not a good idea. They'll fly back before you even have the chance to drive back, and you simply wouldn't be able to drive far enough away to make sure they couldn't come back. This is a bird that can fly for thousands of miles — very long journeys. Twenty miles down the road from your house or building is going to be no trouble at all.

Not only that, trapping birds in general is a difficult process. They can fly; they immediately have the winning edge. You run the risk of injuring or actually killing birds inhumanely when you incorrectly attempt to trap them, and that actually encourages the spread of disease, especially if the carcasses are not disposed of in a safe manner.

There are other ways that you can effectively deal with a pigeon problem, though, and using a professional pest control company is just one of those ways. When the professionals come out to do the job, each case is dealt with on a unique basis, with an individual plan of attack created for that specific flock or species, and that particular property. No one magical solution resolves all pest problems, and not even all pigeon problems.

The professionals will usually start by removing the birds, and this can be done with exclusion methods in some cases. If the pigeons have young squabs or eggs, the exclusion approach will result in the death of those, sadly. Moving the nest is not a smart choice, either, as this could cause some or all of the pigeons in that flock to abandon their youngsters. Over a period of time, all birds within the attic or on the property can be safely dispersed using a number of approaches, perhaps combining exclusion with bird spike strips or bird netting. If you manage to deter pigeons from roosting or nesting in one particular place, using things that would make the process difficult for them (such as landing in the first place), they are going to have no choice left but to move somewhere else. This essentially resolves the problem — they have moved on of their own accord, no or very few pigeons will have been harmed, and you/the professional is then free to seal up the building and put modifications in place to stop them from coming back.

Different cases call for different approaches, though, and wildlife professionals may be left with no choice but to euthanize one or more of the flock. If one of the birds is showing obvious signs of injury or illness, it would be safer to put them down than to allow them to continue to suffer.

All wildlife professionals deal with things in slightly different ways, although they will all need to keep within the boundaries of the law and what permits or licenses permit. In terms of euthanasia, you will usually find that only permitted or licensed professionals are allowed to perform the action. If you have any questions about how your specific professional will deal with the problem, ask away. If you aren't happy with the answer you're given, you can always call around a few different companies or places to get an idea of what alternatives could be on offer.