Pigeons on windowsills

[MustangLady]

Please help... I've recently moved to new home (2nd floor flat) and realise that there is a pigeon problem in the area. They constantly sit on the window ledge of my flat (and others), which can be rather annoying when going to bed early and they are cooing, flapping or tapping outside my bedroom window when I'm trying to sleep. There is consistantly bird poo on the windowsills, windows and my balcony (I've putting netting on my balcony now to stop them coming onto it). Can anyone suggest a humane way of keeping them off? I notice in town centres they use 'spike-like' things on ledges etc to keep them off. Can I use these and where would I get them from... what is the right name of the product so I can look it up. Any other suggestions of anything I can use too? Thanks

[EcclesCake]

Googing bird deterrent spikes brings up a whole range of different solutions.

[EcclesCake]

^^^ And Googling is even more successful.

[wildwood]

A piece of 2" wire netting the size of the sill, lifted about 2" so they can not sit there is very effective. It does need to be 'lifted' or they will just sit on the wire. Proper bird netting with 1/2" holes is no good as they'll just sit on top of that, the 2" stuff for chickens is very uncomfortable for them.

If you know anyone handy with a hammer, a 2" high frame for the netting is very easy to make. If your sill pitch is on a sharp level you may need to clamp od nail/screw it to the window frame. You can even paint it to match your house's exterior. decor.

[abstibus]

I had a terrible problems with pigeons until about 3 years ago. They were nesting and created a dreadful mess. I had tried all kinds of homemade deterrents with no luck.
I put up pigeon spikes and the problem stopped straightaway - they never came back. My neighbours have now also go them. Here's a link to where I bought them from:
http://www.birdspikes...d-Spikes/default.aspx
I am not advertising!

[RATTER15]

When I was in the Pest Control game I specialised in bird proofing, the professional solution would have been fine wires suspende a few inches above the sill on springs to keep the wires taught, far less obtrusive than spikes, however if you can live with the spikes they are a very good deterrent, I would go for the wire spikes as they are not quite so obvious and they are cheaper but the plastic ones are very good they just look a bit savage.

[RATTER15]

*suspended

[jan01]

Look on the more positive side Mustang .... with a few carrots & parsley they are deliscious in a stew!!!