DeterrentsAnti-Perching Devices | Anti-Roosting Spikes | Birds of Prey | Contraceptive Pill
Anti-perching devices
Anti-perching devices can be lethal if they have been installed incorrectly. Netting is commonly used and recommended by pest controllers but the product is often put in place without first excluding adult and flightless birds, leaving the birds trapped. The RSPCA and other wildlife rescue groups receive thousands of calls each year to remove pigeons either trapped behind netting or tangled in it. PiCAS will rarely recommend nylon netting as a control option simply because it is expensive to install and has a very short life span if inexpertly installed. Nylon netting can also offer a major threat to all species of birds as a result of the fact that it is quite easy for a bird to become entangled in degraded netting. It is a common sight to see netting hanging from buildings with pigeon carcasses entangled in the net. It is a serious offence to put in place any product that poses a threat of entrapment to wild birds or animals. Property owners should be aware that it is they that will be prosecuted for cruelty rather than the pest controller who installed the net, should birds become entangled and die. PiCAS will normally recommend galvanised steel mesh to clients instead of nylon netting recommended by pest controllers. Nylon netting also expands and contracts with extremes of heat and cold and therefore it is likely that netting will start to stretch and become baggy (and therefore become ineffective) in a very short period. Another anti-perching product is a transparent jelly-like substance that is applied to perching sites to discourage birds. This product, known as ‘Hot Foot’ is safe if installed correctly by using a hardener compound, but this is not always applied. If the gel is applied without first applying the hardener birds can become stuck and sometimes dislocate legs in an effort to free themselves. Feathers may also become coated with this substance and when the bird attempts to fly it falls to its death. The product can also leave an unpleasant black stain on brick or stone surfaces that are difficult if not impossible to remove other than by sand blasting. Fortunately this product is now rarely used and we advise that this product should never be considered as a control option. David Jones and Son are the only UK manufacturer of anti-roosting spikes that PICAS will recommend. If you are sure that you need anti-roosting spikes then please scroll to end of the introduction where you will find details of the various products available, prices and contact details for the manufacturer of these products. We do, however, strongly recommend that you read this introduction. Anti-roosting spikes are one of the most commonly used devises to stop pigeons and seagulls perching or roosting in sensitive areas. The standard spike consists of a flat polycarbonate base from which 4 stainless steel spikes protrude - each spike is 112mm long (150 mm in the case of gull spikes). Two of the 4 spikes stick up vertically and the other two sit at a 45-degree angle. One row of these spikes will protect an area of up to 8.5 inches wide. The polycarbonate base is fixed to a flat ledge or pipe by using a silicone gel which, when exposed to air and moisture, becomes elastic and adheres the spike to the area to be protected. A good quality silicone will last up to 35 years (if installed according to the manufacturers instructions) and will withstand temperature variations ranging from -50 degrees C to 150 degrees C. Anti-roosting spikes are a versatile and effective means of stopping birds landing on a surface and rarely cause injury to the target species. The main application for anti-roosting spikes is to deter pigeons and seagulls. Both these species are highly intelligent and therefore will not land on a surface that has been protected with anti-roosting spikes. Although it is possible for a bird to become injured whilst trying to land on a surface protected by anti-roosting spikes it is so uncommon that, in the opinion of PICAS, it is not a realistic consideration when trying to protect a building. Anti-roosting spikes can be used to protect a flat surface such as a windowsill, an architectural feature or a shop sign. Many other surfaces can also be protected by installing anti-perching spikes including external pipe work, street-lights and guttering. The area to be protected must be thoroughly cleaned and allowed to dry before installing the spikes and in the case of pipe work, an electrical cable tie should be provided (as well as the silicone) to ensure the spike is not dislodged when birds attempt to land. In the case of guttering, a special plastic clip is used to attach the spike to the outside lip of the gutter. Installation of anti-roosting spikes is a simple procedure that anybody can undertake. Installation does not require any specialist skills and providing that manufacturers instructions are adhered to, the product will last for many years. If you can climb a ladder you can install anti-roosting spikes. If, however, you do not feel confident to undertake installation of anti-roosting spikes a neighbour, window-cleaner or handyman will normally be able to assist; usually at a fraction of the cost of a pest control company. Many pest control companies will install spikes, but at a cost - in the UK the average price of installation by a pest control company is between £10 and £25 a metre. This is compared to well under £3 a metre if the spikes are sourced from the only UK-based manufacturer of anti-roosting spikes, David Jones and Son, and installed by the property owner. PICAS do not recommend that pest control companies be even considered as an option when sourcing or installing anti-roosting spikes.
In areas where there have been high levels of pigeon occupancy, resulting in high levels of soiling, the surface to be prepared for the installation of anti-roosting spikes must be cleaned thoroughly. It is not necessary to take any precautions against contact with pigeon excrement as the chance of contracting any type of disease or illness from contact with pigeons or pigeon excrement is just about zero - contrary to the misinformation provided by the pest control industry. Simply use common sense when cleaning pigeon excrement and wear overalls and gloves. If the area is dry and dusty, wear a paper facemask. No specialist equipment is required. Clean the area well with a mixture of hot water and disinfectant and allow to dry before installing the anti-roosting spikes. If there is a build up of pigeon excrement on or around the area to be protected, and if the excrement is dry, simply play a hose over it to damp it down before cleaning.
PICAS will provide any property owner with free expert and non-commercially biased advice on the protection of a building from bird occupancy. PICAS will also survey any site or building, on an expenses only basis, and provide the property owner with detailed recommendations as to the most cost-effective methods of reducing bird occupancy. We strongly recommend that property owners do not take commercially biased advice from pest control companies. Many pest control companies will recommend a culling operation prior to the installation of anti-roosting devises. It is a complete waste of time and money to cull prior to the installation of proofing measures, particularly if the anti-roosting devises are installed correctly. Culling has been scientifically proven to increase bird numbers (certainly in the case of pigeons and gulls) and where a culling service is recommended it is likely that the client is simply being sold an expensive and unnecessary service. Anti-roosting spikes are generally available from UK-based wholesalers of pest control products but at an extremely high price. Wholesalers of pest control products also sell all the paraphernalia associated with killing birds such as cage traps, poisons and guns, so those with ethical considerations may not wish to purchase anti-roosting spikes from these sources. David Jones and Son is a well established manufacturer of high quality anti-roosting spikes and will sell direct to the public as well as servicing the trade. David Jones and Son sell a range of anti-roosting spikes and accessories at less than half the price that the equivalent product can be sourced from UK wholesalers. On top of these extremely competitive prices David Jones and Son will offer a 25% discount to anyone that is referred by PICAS. For a company, local authority or individual to receive the 25% discount they will have to demonstrate that they are solely using non-lethal methods of control. If there is any doubt as to whether anti-roosting spikes are the most appropriate means of resolving your specific problem, PICAS can be contacted for expert advice via email . David Jones & Son - Anti-Roosting spikes. Click here for more information. Birds of Prey The use of raptors as a deterrent to scare pigeons (and many other bird species) from their roosting sites is becoming more common. There are a number of companies in the UK offering this service. Raptors are flown in or around a specific building or site on a regular basis and the client is told that the resident pigeon flock will move elsewhere to roost. Clients are also told that an extensive culling operation is necessary in order to reduce pigeon numbers prior to flying the raptor. The theory is that once bird numbers in the area reduce to an acceptable level (as a result of culling) the raptor will then be flown and will establish a territory. In practice it is the culling that operation reduces pigeon numbers on the site (in the very short-term) and the flying of a raptor has no effect whatsoever on the surviving flock. The client, however, sees an initial reduction in pigeon numbers (as a result of the culling operation) and assumes that the £90-£150 per hour that they are being charged for flying a raptor is money well spent. Pigeon numbers on the site then increase beyond the pre-cull figure (normally within 4-6 weeks) and the client realises that the raptor is having little or no effect. Far from seeing a reduction in pigeon numbers they actually see an increase. The client has simply been sold a very expensive and ineffective culling operation. Many organisations perceive the use of a raptor as a ‘green’ and ‘natural’ method of control. It is neither of these things. Most of the companies offering this service are falconers that are jumping on the pest control bandwagon and hoping to make a quick and easy profit (falconry is a bloodsport where a human being derives pleasure from seeing one bird kill another). Many companies make fantastic claims about the effectiveness of their service but if flying a raptor is an effective control in its own right why do companies then need to cull pigeons prior to using a raptor? Because they are well aware that a raptor will be completely ineffective as a stand-alone control. Nottingham City Council employed a falconer in 1999 to control pigeons in the city centre. The bird was seen attacking and killing pigeons in broad daylight in front of children and passers by. The scheme received a massive amount of bad press and had no effect on the pigeon population, yet the cost to the ratepayer was £5000. For £5000 the City Council could have put a completely effective and humane city-wide strategy in place that would have permanently reduced pigeon numbers in the city centre. In the last 2-years Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London and renowned pigeon hater, has paid out vast sums of public money to a pest control company to fly several raptors in London’s Trafalgar Square on a daily basis. These raptors (Harris Hawks) have slaughtered large numbers of pigeons according to witnesses, tearing pigeons to bits (in many cases whilst still alive) and in front of children and other visitors to Trafalgar Square. Even though this disgusting and inhumane method of control has cost ratepayers in London large sums of money, the service has had little if any effect on pigeon numbers in Trafalgar Square. The large reduction in pigeon numbers has been achieved by starving pigeons to death, not by using lethal controls. Is this what Ken Livingstone meant when he told ratepayers that he would create a “Cruelty-free London.” in his campaign for the Mayoral Elections? PiCAS would not, under any circumstances, recommend the use of a raptor to control any feral bird species. It is a cruel and completely ineffective method of control where the pest controller is the only beneficiary. The Contraceptive Pill The contraceptive pill has been widely trialled on feral pigeon flocks in Europe but due to the fact that it was impossible to isolate a feral flock in order to measure whether there was a reduction in breeding activity, any data would inevitably be flawed. Influx of pigeons from other flocks, where the contraceptive had not been given, was the main problem. As a result, the contraceptive pill is no longer considered to be a viable option and is not licensed for use in the UK. Anti-Perching Devices | Anti-Roosting Spikes | Birds of Prey | Contraceptive Pill
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