Am I Cruel or not

[antoinette]

We we have so many pigeon's "visiting" us lately, on our balcony.
They are beginning to breed like rabbits on the rooftops.
Outside the window where Mishka sits.
I have noticed that their poops have become thick black mucky ones.
Every morning I have to clean it, having to boil the kettle a few times, just to remove their poops.
It's winter now, 12 degrees Celsius, and blady cold.
I'm scared that their poops bring a disease. :22:
I have tried to get rid of them, a little cap gun, it has not has scared them off.
I bought a water pistol, shoots up to 10 feet of water. Works amazingly well.
When sitting there now I shoot them, and it has scared them off.

NOW my son Steven is telling me I am cruel......

If I have such a love for birds, how can I be so cruel to the pigeon's.
Below is a pic of my new best friend Lol

What do you think !!!!! Am I being cruel ???????

 

[Spiritbird]

A water pistol is harmless. Just educate Steven on the fact that birds are sometimes a problem. You could put up a big pic. of a Hawk to scare them away. Are these birds being a problem for anyone else in the complex?

 

[ClaudePi]

Not cruel at all. Pigeons can bring disease like Canker. You do not want that. idk if you know it or not but it basically forms a large cyst in the throat and keeps the bird from being able to eat or drink, it is extremely contagious. They have to be fed a certain way cause if they are force fed in the wrong manner, the cyst can pop and the bird only has a while to live. So I can totally understand why you would want the most humane way possible to be rid of the pigeons.
What you can do to get rid of the nests is, if you have a local wildlife rehab center, you can take the eggs there, and to keep the birds away from the nesting area, put something in the nest like a dog toy. To keep a momma pigeon away from a nest we have on a pillar by our window, I removed the eggs and put a stuffed cow toy in the nest, just to make it look like its an occupied nest.
But the idea you found is totally humane, no bird is hurt.

 

[SunnyChic]

I don't think you're being cruel; as mentioned, wild birds carry disease and also mites (you don't want those!).

 

[antoinette]

A water pistol is harmless. Just educate Steven on the fact that birds are sometimes a problem. You could put up a big pic. of a Hawk to scare them away. Are these birds being a problem for anyone else in the complex?

The birds are a problem and so are the people

People across from us let the pigeon's sit on their balcony, all day.
Never seen them try to get rid of them.
At night they then come to my balcony, it's enclosed with bars. I have placed mesh (chicken wire) there, where they can't get in, but still sit on it.
THEN there are the people, on the other side, who feed the pigeon's bread.

Steven feels bad because it's winter here, the birds are cold, no place to sleep, and I am spraying them with water.

 

[apatrimo94]

Don 't feel bad. Think of as giving them a refreshing shower! LOL! But yeah, if it's a problem, do what you can in the best humanely way to get rid of them. The water gun looks like the best solution.

 

[apatrimo94]

And as for the people, why don't you spread the negatives of having pigeons around the complex? Make flyers and pass them out to your neighbors.

 

[antoinette]

Not cruel at all. Pigeons can bring disease like Canker. You do not want that. idk if you know it or not but it basically forms a large cyst in the throat and keeps the bird from being able to eat or drink, it is extremely contagious. They have to be fed a certain way cause if they are force fed in the wrong manner, the cyst can pop and the bird only has a while to live. So I can totally understand why you would want the most humane way possible to be rid of the pigeons.
What you can do to get rid of the nests is, if you have a local wildlife rehab center, you can take the eggs there, and to keep the birds away from the nesting area, put something in the nest like a dog toy. To keep a momma pigeon away from a nest we have on a pillar by our window, I removed the eggs and put a stuffed cow toy in the nest, just to make it look like its an occupied nest.
But the idea you found is totally humane, no bird is hurt.

Their nest are in another apartment's roof top. The building next to ours.

Now I feel better, after having read what could happen.
I will continue spraying them.
I do not feel guilty as I am not harming them, causing them pain of suffering.

AND they do not pay rent ........... we do !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Spiritbird]

I used to put bird seed that had no hulls on my balcony and my downstairs neighbor complained to the board of directors and I was told to stop feeding or I would be fined $100 per day. You know I stopped. I also fed a ferral cat outside my building for 2 years, had him neutered and he bonded to me. Well this same so called neighbor complained about this too. I eventually took the kitty to be put down because he got major sick. Anyway my point is that your neighbors are causing this problem for you. Can you educate them??

 

[antoinette]

I used to put bird seed that had no hulls on my balcony and my downstairs neighbor complained to the board of directors and I was told to stop feeding or I would be fined $100 per day. You know I stopped. I also fed a ferral cat outside my building for 2 years, had him neutered and he bonded to me. Well this same so called neighbor complained about this too. I eventually took the kitty to be put down because he got major sick. Anyway my point is that your neighbors are causing this problem for you. Can you educate them??

You naughty lady, SB LoL at least you stopped feeding them, and you put the cat out of his misery.

2 Years ago, "professionals" removed the pigeon's, placed spikes, so they would no longer be able to "live" there.
Not long after that, with tenants offering them bread, they were back.
I have spoken to the landlord, she has approached the tenants who feed the birds, but they deny it.

Now the landlord wants to use the water pistol as well.

 

[apatrimo94]

YARRRGGGHHHH!!!! TAKE DOWN THOSE FIENDISH PIGEONS!!!! lol. But yeah, make flyers and educate the people in your condo.

 

[Beilana]

LOL Thats not cruel at all, especially if its for the well being of your birds and your sanity

I live in a condo 5 floors up and the pigeons are everywhere! We scare them off as best we can. We have one neighbor who keeps a large owl statue on their balcony which seems to work.

Darn pigeons....

 

[antoinette]

LOL Thats not cruel at all, especially if its for the well being of your birds and your sanity

I live in a condo 5 floors up and the pigeons are everywhere! We scare them off as best we can. We have one neighbor who keeps a large owl statue on their balcony which seems to work.

Darn pigeons....

Get a big water pistol, as shown in the picture, and start spraying.
I promise you it works

 

[Beilana]

LOL Thats not cruel at all, especially if its for the well being of your birds and your sanity

I live in a condo 5 floors up and the pigeons are everywhere! We scare them off as best we can. We have one neighbor who keeps a large owl statue on their balcony which seems to work.

Darn pigeons....

Get a big water pistol, as shown in the picture, and start spraying.
I promise you it works

Its worth a try!! Better than scraping pigeon poop off our windows! lol

 

[antoinette]

LOL Thats not cruel at all, especially if its for the well being of your birds and your sanity

I live in a condo 5 floors up and the pigeons are everywhere! We scare them off as best we can. We have one neighbor who keeps a large owl statue on their balcony which seems to work.

Darn pigeons....

Get a big water pistol, as shown in the picture, and start spraying.
I promise you it works

Its worth a try!! Better than scraping pigeon poop off our windows! lol

I agree with you totally, I reckon by now I am a qualified poop scraper
Let me know how it goes
Good luck and lotza spraying

 

[Mel]

I hung old CDs up on string, the reflecting light scared the Mynahs away. Not sure if it's in an area that might scare Mishka as well.... and the water is not cruel

 

[wuvzbirdies]

Hi Ant,

I used to have this problem on my balcony, I purchased a statue of an owl from the local gardening centre and the problem went away, but that was before I had Russell, the owl might traumatize Mishka. You can purchase some pigeon wire and put it along the balcony edge and they won't have anywhere to perch. I don't think you're being mean, you're not harming them and you're right that their feces carry disease.

Good luck... April

 

[antoinette]

NO MORE PIGEONS
They have finally got the message LoL "stay away" or "get sprayed"
It's been 5 glorious weeks of no poopie cleaning "awesome"
I still go out checking, have seen the odd one, caught him "off guard" and sprayed.

 

[apatrimo94]

VICTORY FOR THE BIRD CRAZY PEOPLE!!!!!! Us:1-Pigeions:0 Good job, Antoinette!!!!!

 

[Beilana]

NO MORE PIGEONS
They have finally got the message LoL "stay away" or "get sprayed"
It's been 5 glorious weeks of no poopie cleaning "awesome"
I still go out checking, have seen the odd one, caught him "off guard" and sprayed.

Congrats! Good riddance pigeons!:emoticonc