6 Steps of Getting Pigeons out of Your Attic
1. Find out how the pigeons got into the attic
2. Trap the pigeons inside the attic
3. Remove the trapped pigeons
4. Cleaning of the attic
5. Seal the entrances
6. Apply the best prevention measure
Pigeons are known to be urban birds that like to make their nests in safe, warm openings of the building. House attic are the best places for the pigeon’s roost since they are spacious and away from danger. Apart from attractive attics, the birds are easily attracted by foodstuff, therefore feeding them is a big mistake that many people do not realize, the birds are so sociable, and once you feed them they will always flock in.
Nuisance Caused by Pigeons in Attic
The pigeons in the attic are a problem to the humans, they cause discomfort and thus are annoying.
Their cooing sounds are annoying.
The pigeons also carry fungal and bacterial microorganisms such as salmonella and another pest as bedbugs.
Their droppings are smelly and it destroys buildings because of their uric acid in it that causes corrosions.
1. Finding out How the Pigeons Got into the Attic
The small openings in the buildings are the best entrances for the pigeons. During constructions, sometimes small opening are left and ignored at the roof tops, also missing or loose tiles, broken window panes, and heating openings, they thus become good entrances for the birds. Some of the openings are as a result of damages from other animals like rodents, and heavy storms. If these opening went unnoticed then they become the destination for the pigeons. Identification may be as easy as it may sound, one has to get a ladder to get into the top of the building to confirm the exact location of the opening. By observing the pigeons you will also find out their entrance opening.
2. Trapping the Pigeons
Once the opening has been identified, the next step is to safely trap them inside. Evening time is the suitable timing to trap the pigeons since most of them would have returned from feeding. It is important to consider the tap method to be used, one should avoid lethal traps as they may later cause other effects. Therefore poisoning formidable method of trapping. The most suitable method to use is cage trap, whereby you place grain baits in the cage to lure them in, where they will eventually be trapped.
3. Removal of Trapped Pigeons
Once the birds have been trapped, ensure that none is free, then remove the cage. Ensure that you carry the cage outside and find out if there are more pigeons remaining. After disposing of the trapped pigeons, return the cage trap back to the attic to trap the remaining birds. This method is an effective and humane way of getting rid of pigeons. In addition, it is advisable to have a professional person to remove them, for example, animal control expert. It is important to put on protective gears during the removal process, these gears include, nose masks to avoid breathing in dust, think rubber gloves to prevent entrance of germs into your body through the nails and body contact.
4. Cleaning of the Attics
Pigeon’s droppings are very smelly and thus one should ensure that the attic is cleaned once the birds have been removed. The dry dropping, nesting materials, and feathers may be removed by sweeping. Decontaminating the place is also paramount, to ensure that all the disease-causing organism has been destroyed. Decontamination is done by spraying strong chemicals substances to get rid of microorganisms. Decontaminating prevents serious health problems that may be passed to the family members.
5. Sealing of the Entrances
After trapping and removing all the pigeons in the attic, it is advisable to seal the entrances to prevent other pigeons from getting in. Wood or even meshes are best suited to seal the entrance completely. Be sure to identify all the possible entrances to the building where it can become the birds’ windows.
6. Prevention Measures
Lastly, long-term control measure is important to step to consider once the birds have been removed. These measures include the use of spikes around the yard or scare to deter them.
Exclusion of Pigeons
Exclusion is the measure that should be taken to prevent pigeons from entering the attics at first instance. This involves being mindful of your building, that is always ensuring that your building has no slits and also is in a good structural condition.
Installing of spikes and making bird nettings at the rooftops are other exclusion measures. The method minimizes the infestation of the birds but not completely preventing them from accessing the attics in buildings.
Alternative Removal Methods
Poisoning
This is the use of poisonous chemicals to kill the birds in the attics. The chemicals may be diluted and sprayed to the nest or alternatively formulated in grain baits for the pigeons to feed on. The poisonous chemicals are meant to kill the birds. The method is very simple and easy since it will only take a very short time for the birds to die. The drawback to this method is that it is a lethal and illegal method, in addition, removal of the dead pigeons in the attics is very disgusting, also dead birds may cause serious health effects since they attract microorganisms. For the method to be used, one should first obtain a license from bird control units, failure to do this one may face serious consequences.
Use of Repellants
The most popular types of repellants that are used to deter pigeons include gel repellents, sound emitters, spikes and fake scares. The repellents may be effective for a short while but eventually, the birds will get used to the repellants and find their way into the attics.
In conclusion, it is important to first appreciate the presence of birds, although they may become a nuisance at our homes, it is advisable to get rid of them using proper ways. Birds are a beauty to our environment, and we as human beings are responsible for ensuring that they do not extinct.
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