Pigeons, just like other birds, build their nests in trees. For doing this, they gather dried leaves, twigs, and small branches. Pigeons build comfy nests for themselves so that they can return to them at sunset. But, some people want to get rid of the pigeons nesting in their trees.
In this article, we are going to discuss each and every method of getting rid of pigeons enlisted below:
- Putting Up Aluminum Plates
- Hanging Mirrors On Trees
- Placing A Predator Bird Statue
- Placing Pine Cones On Branches
- Place Bird Houses For Pigeons
- Hanging A Dead Pigeon
- Installing Audible Repellers
- Placing Ultrasonic Devices
- Hanging Wind Chimes On Trees
- Water Sprinklers At The Base Of Trees
- Scaring Them Away By Pet Animals
- Not Feeding Pigeons
- Planting Plants That Do Not Appeal To Squirrels
- Using Pepper Flakes And Cayenne Pepper Powder
- Spreading Hen Manure Fertilizer
The above-stated methods will help you keep the squirrels away and the best part is that you can opt for any one of them for each one has its own benefits. It is up to you to decide. If one doesn’t work out for you, you have plenty to choose from. So, Read On!
Top 15 Ways To Deter Pigeons from Nesting in Trees
1- Putting Up Aluminum Plates
The Aluminum plates act as a shiny surface for deterring the pigeons away. They deflect light into the eyes of the pigeons, and the pigeons do not like this. Hence why they prefer keeping away or avoiding such shiny objects.
The Aluminum plates are light, less dense, and smooth in texture. That is why you can hang them anywhere. It would be best if you took care to tie them properly so that the wind does not blow them off. Otherwise, you will have to put them on again and again.
2- Hanging Mirrors On Trees
You can also opt for hanging small mirrors on the trees. The mirrors have a shiny surface that throws light into the eyes of the pigeons, and it keeps them away from that particular tree.
However, it would be best if you took care while hanging mirrors. There are a few complications you need to be aware of.
Firstly, the mirrors are sharp surfaces; if they fall due to some other bird or wind pressure, they will break. Secondly, mirrors can hurt some birds or even you if they fall from a good height. Thirdly, you need to put at least multiple mirrors to cover one tree.
3- Placing A Predator Bird Statue
Pigeons are scared of birds like eagles, hawks, and owls. If you create a statue which they look natural, it is sufficient to scare the pigeons away. You can create different predator bird statues and place them in your garden or at the top of the trees where the pigeons can see them easily.
There is a drawback to this method as well. It works very well in the beginning, but sooner or later, the pigeons begin to realize that the statue birds do not move or fly. To overcome this, you can create robotic birds that can move their feathers and make sounds.
4- Placing Pine Cones On Branches
The pigeons need a flat surface to build their nests and live in. If they do not find a suitable flat surface, they will never land on it. You can do the same with your trees. Placing stiff pine cones on them will make that particular area inhospitable for the pigeons.
You need to consider that the pine cones can fall off. You can add a little glue at their base and fix them on the branches of trees. But you will need many pine cones to cover one tree. You will have to make quite an effort to put all of them up.
5- Place Bird Houses For Pigeons
You can also deter the pigeons away from trees by inviting them to the pigeon bird houses places elsewhere in the garden. It will provide them a shelter to bring all their twigs and leaves in. Moreover, you can fill them up with bird feed to attract them.
This will occupy the pigeons in those birdhouses and keep them afar from your trees. However, you will have to install multiple birdhouses to cater to the pigeons and will also have to fill them up with bird feed on an everyday basis.
This will not keep every pigeon away but most of them will prefer the birdhouses over the trees.
6- Hanging A Dead Pigeon
Instead of just hanging the predator birds, you can also hand a real-life dead pigeon. It will be enough to keep the pigeons away from the trees. The pigeons will recognize one of their own and get your message loud and clear.
You do not necessarily have to kill the pigeon to hang it; you can just pick up a dead body from anywhere and hang it.
However, the dead body will leave a smell and rot with the passage of time. When this happens, you can replace it with a new one or hang an artificial one.
7- Installing Audible Repellers
The audible repellers produce scary bird noises like shrieks of predator birds or the stress cries of birds. This device can be purchased from gardening stores.
Some of them can be activated automatically when the birds approach the trees. These are not pigeon-specific but will prevent all sorts of birds from coming near your trees.
These frightening noises scare the pigeons away and will not come anywhere near that tree. You can install three to four such devices in your garden. Be sure to deactivate them at night; otherwise, they will disturb your sleep.
8- Placing Ultrasonic Devices
Ultra-sonic repellant devices can be purchased from the market. They emit ultra-sonic sound waves that people are unable to hear. Birds can only listen to it. You can set it to a particular frequency range and place it in the trees.
This will help in keeping the birds away. However, the pigeons are not explicitly targeted by this device. It will keep all kinds of birds away from trees and prevent them from nesting in your garden.
These devices are motion-sensitive and can be activated when any bird approaches them. for covering your garden area, you will need multiple.
9- Hanging Wind Chimes On Trees
The wind chimes can also be used to scare the pigeons away with their movement as well as sound. You can hang them on the branches of the trees. This will prevent the pigeons from nesting in your trees and will keep other birds away too.
There are some drawbacks to hanging wind chimes. Firstly, if the pigeons get used to it, they will not be scared of it anymore. Plus, wind chimes are only effective as long as the wind is blowing. If it stops, the wind chimes will not be able to produce any sound.
10- Water Sprinklers At The Base Of Trees
You can put water sprinklers in the garden and specifically at the base of the trees. The ones you place at the bottom should be directed upwards. These sprinklers can be handled manually and directed at the pigeons when spotted.
There are also sprinklers available in the market that can be automatically activated via sensing motion.
So, when a pigeon is about to land on trees, water can be sprinkled to scare them away. Over time, the pigeons will realize they cannot get near the trees without avoiding the water system.
11- Scaring Them Away By Pet Animals
Pigeons are timid creatures and can easily be scared away by pet animals like dogs and cats. This is perhaps the easiest way to prevent the pigeons from landing on treetops without being noticed.
The dogs are watchful protectors and better than cats at guarding an area.
Once the pigeons realize that you have a dog or a cat permanently on your property, they will make sure not to settle on your tree tops to settle in and build their nests. They know best to walk away from there and find a new place for themselves.
12- Not Feeding Pigeons
This is yet another effective method for keeping the squirrels away from your trees. The animals only feel welcome if you offer them some incentive like food. They will keep away if they have nothing to look forward to.
It is essential for animal nature to build their nests where they can find a rich food source so that all the food is accessible to them quickly.
If you succeed in removing the food source from your garden, you will also grow in keeping the squirrels away from your tree tops. You can get rid of all the nuts and berries and bird feeders.
13- Planting Plants That Do Not Appeal To Squirrels
Keeping pigeons away can be a bit of a task sometimes, but you can have a natural solution to this problem by seeking help from mother nature. You can have such plants nearby your trees that keep the pigeons away.
Pigeon-repelling flowers can also be planted in your yard to protect your trees from squirrels. This includes plants like daffodils, hyacinths, peppermint, and snowdrops.
The best place to plant these plants is where you want to discourage pigeons from sitting. Such plants emit an odor that repels the pigeons away.
14- Using Pepper Flakes And Cayenne Pepper Powder
Using pepper flakes and cayenne pepper powder in the area where you do not want your pigeons to be, you can keep them away for a long time. The pigeons do not like the smell of such peppers and tend to run away from them.
There are also some commercial repellants for pigeons that have capsaicin as an ingredient. You can use them to keep the pigeons far away from residing in your tree tops.
However, these will wash out after each rainfall, and you will have to respray them so that pigeon-repelling properties are restored in your yard or garden.
15- Spreading Hen Manure Fertilizer
The hen manure fertilizer repels pigeons away, for they do not like the smell. If you want to keep the pigeons away from your tree tops and building nests, you can use hen manure in the soil where tree roots are located.
The pigeons will hate it so much that they will not even think twice about returning to such a place again for a living.
However, it would be best if you replaced the old manure with the new one once some period has elapsed. Otherwise, the manure starts losing its effect on pigeons.
What Is The Most Effective Pigeon Deterrent?
There are plenty of pigeon deterrents available in the market, and you can choose whatever you like. This includes using spikes, pastes, gels, optical gels, reflective discs, fogs, vapors, etc. The most effective of all is the use of spikes.
The spikes are artificially synthesized in the market and ready to use. After purchasing them, you have to spread them on a surface you do not want pigeons to land on.
This can be your window sills, tree tops, fences, and pavements. The pigeons are scared of these spikes and keep away from them.
The spikes are a one-time investment for a permanent solution to the pigeon problem. If you do not like this option to be user-friendly, you can always opt for other methods mentioned in the article.
Summing Things Up
Pigeons are tree-residing creatures and are always looking to find a comfortable spot for themselves where they can live and build a nest. However, this can cause convenience for people with trees in their residential areas.
This article has provided at least fifteen tips to keep the pigeons away and prevent them from returning to the same trees. You can use any of those and even use them in combination to obtain the best results. If one does not work to satisfy you, you have plenty to choose from.
References
Utilization of Sonic Waves for Birds Controlling in Crops Field
Chavan, ShivajiP & Reddy, KomalB & Jadhav, PawanL. (2018). NEST STRUCTURE AND NESTING ECOLOGY OF FERAL PIGEON (Columba livia) IN NANDED, MAHARASHTRA STATE.. International Journal of Advanced Research