Anyone living in an urban environment will know what a nuisance pigeons can be, with flocks to be found here, there and everywhere, getting underfoot and clamouring for food… all made worse by the fact that people love to feed them, which encourages even more of them to fly into town and city centres.

As pretty as they may well be, pigeons are in fact one of the most unhygienic birds of them all and carry a raft of diseases, so being vigilant as a business or homeowner is wise. 

Interestingly, the British Pest Control Association issued a warning earlier this year that nearly half of all feral pigeons carry chlamydia psittaci, an infectious disease that can be passed onto humans. 

The human infection is known as ornithosis, with symptoms including fever, chills, sweating, headache, severe weakness, blurred vision, pneumonia and even possibly death.

BCPA technical manager Dee Ward-Thompson said: “All urban birds require is a nesting or roosting site such as a balcony, window ledge or roof area as well as a reliable food source.

Removing bird food sources or blocking off sites where they perch or roost is the best way to prevent them causing a problem.

“The number of birds attracted to an area will depend on what food is available. Therefore, if birds are being fed, more will be attracted to that area, so food sources must be kept to a minimum. Keep bin lids closed and cover compost bins.”

Every breeding pair of pigeons can breed all year round which is part of the problem, because it means that up to 18 young pigeons can be produced by each pair every year. 

The best way to tackle them is to use preventative measures like post and wire, bird spikes, netting and so on. If you’d like any help or advice in relation to this, get in touch with pigeon removal company Exterminator Pest Control today.