Midtown solution

A hawk/falcon has built a nest in at theTucson Botanical Gardens.

This bird ALONE has diminished the ''flying rat'' (pigeon) epidemic in MidTown.

He/she hunts the neighborhood looking for lunch.

Pigeons are packing up and moving on ... perhaps to your area.

I suggest you get yourselves a hawk... or create an environment to attract one.

No kidding.

Don't make your home inviting

Concerning the pigeon issue, someone may, in fact, be feeding SOME of the
pigeons, but pigeons will eat just about anything and will scavenge
from garbage and food scraps.

I had a serious infestation problem at my house when I moved in.... Pigeons had been nesting there for years - in unused chimneys, roof eaves and just about any window ledge, room air conditioner or spot that afforded
them some degree of protection from the elements.

It took 6 months to do it, but we have finally boarded up, boxed in and
screened off every single possible landing and nesting place that existed.

Pigeons will not stand on a ledge that is 45 degrees or greater, so a simple angled board was often all that was needed to prevent pigeons from hanging out on window ledges and window air conditioners. I'll be happy to discuss the details with anyone interested.

Consequentially, we have not seen anything but a stray pigeon anywhere on
the property, while before there were always at least 20-30 nesting and breeding pigeons on the property.

My neighbor, Mountain Shadows Apartments, tells me that some of the birds appeared to have moved over there where the structure is currently more pigeon-friendly. I also know there are many OPEN DUMPSTERS on the Mountain Shadows property, which probably provide ample food for the pests.

Discarded fast food, from burger buns to french fries along GRANT and DODGE
also provide sustenance for these unwelcome visitors.

Pigeons are very territorial by nature and once they have established your residence as a home base, they think they own the place and will return there unless conditions are made difficult for them to nest and
breed.

There are a number of websites which give other ideas from nylon string to wires to streamers that will repel the birds or tangle their wings, as well as a gel that can be applied to a flat surface, that will prevent them from landing. Another way is a system of stainless steel wires that get applied to a flat surface, sticking up like needles, that will prevent them from
landing, but this is mostly used in commercial applications and is not very
attractive for a residence.

I do think we need to make sure no one is feeding the pigeons, but we also
need to keep the neighborhood clean and take steps to insure that our public and private buildings are not conducive to becoming homes for the winged rats!

By John Cise

Pigeons

Aside from the eyesore caused by pigeon droppings, there is the potential
health hazard associated with pigeons.


From an article in the Tucson Citizen edited because of the 600 w04d limit.

''Pigeons are vectors of diseases and they are hosts to vectors of diseases,''
Brandstatt said. ''Humans can get diseases directly from a pigeon or the
organisms that attach to them such as fleas.''
One of the bacteria that can attach to the birds is salmonella, according to
the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pigeons can also carry other microbes that can cause histoplasmosis and
psittacosis, which show up as pneumonia-like conditions.
There is the potential of humans contracting those ailments if they inhale
dry droppings that have turned to dust and are pumped into air-conditioning
systems, health officials say.
''Pigeons can carry a great many things,'' said Michael Fink, epidemiology
specialist at the state health department.


There are countless options but exclusion through the use of netting is a
good long-term solution, Brandstatt said.
In some cases, spikes are also installed in what would typically be pigeon
nesting and eating areas.

One technique that has stirred up some controversy is Avitrol baiting, which
can cost $230 for a 5-pound box.
If there is a feeding site on a roof, for example, the bait works by soaking
corn or grains pigeons eat in the chemical.
''The pigeons that eat the Avitrol have basically a bad acid trip. They emit
warning cries. When they give warnings to the flock, the flock leaves,''
Brandstatt said.
Most pigeons will opt to go to an alternative, often higher, site and
typically don't return, he said.
''It's a chemical that produces hallucinations,'' Brandstatt said. ''It's not
designed to kill pigeons.''

Harold Harlan, staff entomologist for the National Pest Control Association,
a private nonprofit trade industry group, said the chemical is not intended
to kill.
''Just like with any chemical, it's all dose-related. There is an occasional
fatality if they get enough of a dose,'' he said. ''Discomfort would have to
be fairly common or it wouldn't work.''


Dave Roth, founder and president of the Urban Wildlife Society, said he
isn't against keeping pigeons away from properties.
He suggests ''habitat modification,'' which means blocking off access to
potential shelter areas and sources of food. Many times, pigeons will simply
leave to find another source of food.