Who to Call For Pigeons in the Backyard

If you take a peek online for local businesses to help you solve a pigeon-related problem, I don't doubt that you'll be met by hundreds of results. Some websites will suggest repellents. Some will tell you to call in the help of local exterminators. Some have even suggested that local animal control officers can help.

Sadly, none of these methods are safe or effective methods of pigeon removal. In short: they won't work.

Repellents don't keep birds away. If they did, scarecrows would have done their job of not letting birds roost around them. It is actually not uncommon to find birds sitting in scarecrows in the middle of fields and back yards. They CAN work, but don't be surprised if your results are slightly less than successful.

Other deterrents that rely on bad smells or tastes can also come with mixed success, usually leaning more in the direction of uselessness. The thing that you need to remember with repellents and deterrents is that they don't actually physically remove the animal in question. The animal, in this case a pigeon, will simply avoid that particular area that smells or tastes bad. Unless all potential roosting and landing spots are covered in that repellent (and it works effectively with all birds in the pigeon's flock), they will still find a place to roost and will, in turn, still cause damage, potentially spread disease, and reproduce.

DIY methods for pigeons rarely have much success at all if the truth be told, but that doesn't mean the job is an impossible one. You'll just need to know how to do it. Unfortunately, it's a long, time-consuming, and often expensive process … usually made expensive by all the trial-and-error and getting things wrong.

Calling in a professional can make the pigeon removal job a lot faster, and it's often a cheaper way of doing things, too. When the job is completed quickly and efficiently, damage is reduced, the cleanup job is smaller, and life moves on relatively quickly. We have been called to homes that have been trying to get rid of pigeons for three years and more, to no avail. During that time, the homeowners have spent thousands and thousands of dollars on various means to get rid of pigeons, and in the end they gave us a call. Less than a week later and that home was pigeon-free and pigeon-proof.

Who to call for pigeons in the backyard?

There are a number of companies/types of companies who will offer their expertise for this job, but we personally recommend using a wildlife removal specialist, rather than a pest removal specialist. They do the same kind of job, but work with different animals and types of animals, making the methods of removal and cleanup quite different. Pest removal companies usually deal with insects, such as ants, fleas, bees, wasps, etc. Fumigation can help with many of these problems, but you can't use fumigation for birds unless you're doing so on an agricultural scale, for example. Fogging birds away is not common practice for smaller, residential properties.

Exterminators that kill pigeons are usually performing unlawful activity. In pretty much every state, if not every state across the United States, it is unlawful to kill a pigeon. If the outcome of your pigeon removal is death, you have not found yourself a humane approach, nor have you found yourself a legally viable one.

Wildlife specialists are specialists designed to deal with wildlife — not stray or feral animals, not insects, but wild animals, including birds. Some of them will have different specialties over others, but you will find that there are more than likely a number of companies in your local area that will rid you of your problem. These are the people we recommend that you call. Take a peek at the website of that company and it will tell you not only whether or not they deal with the specific animal problem you have, but also the insurances, permits, and other information that you need to know, to put your faith in the right company.