Professional pigeon control services in Bracknell
Feral pigeon control throughout the Bracknell area from a local company
Pigeons are a common enough sight in the streets of Bracknell, and they are so often referred to as flying rats, these clever and adaptable birds certainly are an urban pest and no matter where you live, you’re bound to have a flock of feral pigeons living nearby.
No doubt about it, feral pigeons are intelligent birds who are fast to act when an opportunity presents itself, pigeons are quick to move in and take advantage of any potential roost site. When you have pigeons roosting or nesting somewhere they can be very difficult to dislodge, and this is why you should turn to the experts in bird control.
We have over 19 years’ experience in the pest control industry and we have dealt with many pigeon infestations using a variety of measures to get our customers pigeon free.
There are many misconceptions on how to successfully control pigeons and not all bird deterrents work as well as others in certain locations, in fact the wrong deterrent will actually make things worse when you have pigeons nesting on your property. The pigeon is a social bird and so they will group together for preening, nesting and roosting and each activity is deemed as a type of pressure; low pressure being resting and high pressure being actual nesting.
The correct choice of bird deterrent relies on the pest control technician identifying the level of pressure and working from that point onwards.
How to achieve successful pigeon control in Bracknell
There are many misconceptions on how to go about successfully controlling pigeons and not all bird deterrents will work as well as each other, for they depend on two factors; the location and the pressure of the infestation. Installing the wrong deterrent will actually make things worse, so a deeper understanding of pigeon behaviour is essential for successful bird control work.
Here at Reading Pest Control, we are experts in providing a range of bird proofing measures that will keep pigeons off your property for good.
Pigeon behaviour and how it affects the choice of deterrent
Firstly, lets understand these birds and see what makes then ‘tick’ -the feral pigeon does not migrate or travel great distances in it daily life, they have a deep affinity with their home environment with an inbuilt natural instinct to stay close to their birth site.
Because of this, the pigeon has developed a very determined personality, when it comes to their roosting or nesting site they will form a strong bond to the area and become very stubborn when efforts are made to make them leave.
Pigeons are also incredibly social birds and actively seek the company of others, where one bird rests, others will quickly turn up and soon you’ll have a small group of birds. Resting, preening and roosting are all actions carried out in groups and this means a lot of noise.
Pigeons make a coo sound to express many things, one is their availability to mate and the make this sound when content. The also coo as a form of warning to birds if a predator is close by, another sound they make are grunting noises, and they make these to deter other pigeons from coming close to their nest.
Along with the vocal noises the birds will also stamp their feet and clap their wings loudly when taking off from the roost.
Pigeon breeding and nesting habits
Pigeons are monogamous and each pair work together to bring up the chicks or squabs as we call the young birds, just two eggs are laid in the nest that is a rather haphazard and simple affair.
Pigeons build a simple nest that consists of just a few stiff twigs and rubbish that they pick up bound together with droppings, each breeding pair will reuse their nests and continue to add material with each successive brood.
Generally they will have between three and four broods over the year but when given a sheltered site and access to food its not unusual for pigeons to breed all year long raising up to ten broods over the same period of time.
The reason they can do this, is all down to the way the birds feed; pigeons are scavengers of anything edible, just like rats, and they keep food in their crop. This is part of the digestive system and food is converted to a type of milk which is not dissimilar to mammalian milk, rather than raising a brood when a certain type of food is plentiful like other species of bird, pigeons can eat anything and still raise their chicks.
In a crowded environment where there is a lot of competition for nest space, pigeons may even abandon nest building and lay their eggs directly onto a flat surface like those found on residential balconies.
Bird netting the ultimate pigeon solution for the Bracknell area
Bird netting is the ultimate bird deterrent because it’s such a humane way of controlling access to a site, once the net is installed there is no way past the barrier and without causing any harm to the birds, they will have no choice but to move off the site and go elsewhere.
Having any group of birds living on your property is difficult, large species like feral pigeons generate a great deal of mess and they’re noisy too, disturbing sleep and making working conditions difficult, if you’ve had enough of birds roosting on your property then we can offer you the solution with a professionally installed bird net.
Netting is effective against any species of bird as these come in a range of different size mesh and our technicians are trained in the installation of these nets and along with a range of fittings, a net can be built just about anywhere to protect anything.
We are also IPAF trained and we use hydraulic access equipment; self-propelled booms and scissor lifts, on a regular basis to comply with safe working at heights legislation.
From an installation on a small domestic balcony to building a complex roof top arrangement protecting HVAC equipment on a commercial property, we can resolve your pigeon problem for good.
Solar panel proofing in Bracknell – stop pigeons from getting on top of you
A recent problem that many homeowners have experienced throughout the Bracknell area is the sudden arrival of a flock of pigeons to their home and this is because the property has been fitted with solar panels, and this is now the pigeons new nest site.
Solar panels will be fitted to the south facing aspect of a roof to catch as much sunlight as possible, inadvertently this also makes an ideal place for pigeons to set up home in. The panels give the nest overhead cover from the weather and predators, whilst the supporting bars that hold the panels make ideal ledges for the nest to be built on.
Pigeons will land on the roof tiles and simply walk under the panels where its dry and warm and given the fact that they breed all year long, in a short space of time you’ll find yourself with an entire flock of birds living under there.
Any homeowner who has had this will testify to the amount of mess created, it’s a lot of pigeon droppings and feathers, along with the occasionally dead bird and of course the sheer amount of noise produced by the birds which all becomes distressing.
Our solution is to fix an adjustable stainless-steel fence consisting of rows of steel rods to the sides of the panels, there are many different styles of solar panel proofing from plastic spikes to a wire mesh curtain, and we have found the best system is this one as it lasts the longest time and is guaranteed for ten years.
Pigeon waste clearance and gunao cleaning in Bracknell
Undoubtedly the biggest problem when discovering pigeons on or inside your building is the amount of waste material that is produced by the birds, each adult pigeon can deposit around a kilogram of poo or guano as we call it, every month.
This material is semi-solid and sticks to surfaces where its deposited; it won’t simply wash away with rainwater and this soon blocks gutters and roof valleys leading to all sorts of issues with water ingress and even the collapse of the rainwater system.
The bird waste is also highly acidic; it has around the same level of acidity as a lemon and where this material sits, the corrosive action degrades concrete, stone, metalwork and paint and even oxidises wood to the point where long-term damage means expensive repairs to the fabric of the building.
Damage to the structure is one thing, however, pigeon guano is rich in organic matter and extremely toxic, the waste material contains some harmful bacteria, viruses and fungus; this creates problems in both domestic and commercial situations.
When you have pigeon guano in a domestic setting; inside a loft or covering a balcony, it means that the residents are being exposed to the toxic risks every time they are home and you certainly won’t use a balcony covered in pigeon poo.
We offer a pigeon guano cleaning service for both domestic and commercial customers, its common to find pigeons living inside empty spaces like lift motor rooms or underneath HVAC equipment; engineers come in to service the machinery and are confronted with a flock of birds and a few inches of mess.
We can clean all of this up and combined with some simple proofing we can hand back your space which is now completely pigeon free.
Got a problem with pigeons in Bracknell?
We carry out bird control operations throughout Bracknell and right through Berkshire and across the South East, if you have a problem with pigeons then get in touch with us.
Our site surveys are free, and we can talk you through the problem and the correct solution.
Don’t delay phone us on 07491 247 999 and we can have a technician out to you within 24 hours
