While many birds are beautiful to watch and fun to listen to, some species like pigeons make a nuisance of themselves. Pigeons roosting underneath your deck can make the whole area smelly and disgusting, and it can be challenging to convince them to move out. Keep reading to learn about possible solutions to this bird infestation.
Candace Helton
Candace Helton, Operations director at Ringspo.
Wind chimes.
The sounds produced by wind chimes are great for scaring birds away. Their shiny surface reflects light that deters birds as well. I recommend choosing wind chimes that produce loud sounds, but make sure it’s pleasing to your ear as well. Alternatively, you can also make DIY wind chimes from old CDs you may have lying around.
Bird spikes on your lights.
If there are no food sources, nest materials, or birdbaths on your deck, the reason that pigeons perch there may be the lights you have. Birds like warm things and your light fixtures might be providing them [warmth]. The solution is to make your light impossible to land on. You can do this by installing bird spikes at the top.
Let your dog or cat out.
If you have dogs or cats in your home, letting them out on the deck sometimes can deter birds from landing. After all, nothing beats the presence of a real predator, and your pets will also enjoy some sun and fresh air.
Place a fake owl somewhere on the deck
I’ve struggled with pigeons on my deck before and know that it can be difficult to get the pesky creatures to move on and stop making a mess. I’ve tried a few solutions to get rid of them.
My current method is to open up the sliding door and let my dog scare them away, but I know this isn’t a permanent fix. I will say that they don’t come back as often since I started doing this, but they still land on the railing every once in a while.
The other method I used before having a dog was to place a fake owl somewhere on the deck or looking over it. [Owls are] a natural predator of pigeons, and it seemed to do the trick. Once I had the owl up, I didn’t have problems with the birds returning for quite a while.
Christine Wang
Christine Wang, Founder of The Ski Girl.
Leo Young
Leo Young, Founder, and Editor of OptimizedFamily.com.
Water sprinkler system
Having cats always solved this problem for me. But a techie friend of mine came up with an ingenious solution. He built a water sprinkler system into his deck. [He] tied some streamers to the nozzles and rigged the whole thing to a motion detector. If a couple pigeons, or anything else, comes too close, they switch on briefly. The movement of the streamers scares the birds away. The dog gets a shower sometimes too.
Tie up CDs to strings and hang them
There are a lot of ways to keep the pigeons away from your deck, but my favorite practical and unusual way is to tie up CDs to strings and hang them on your deck. I know, it sounds crazy, but it works wonders, and you will not see a pigeon or their mess again after.
When sunlight hits the CDs, it creates a bright reflection to irritate the birds, making them fly away. Do not worry if you don’t have a lot of CDs lying around. A minimum of two CDs will do the job, and you will get rid of the pigeons on your deck.
Atta Ur Rehman
Atta Ur Rehman, Content Manager at Gun Made.
Jordan Foster
Jordan Foster is a pest control expert at Fantastic Pest Control. He has years of experience dealing with various pests.
Best option to prevent pigeons from nesting
Places that are ideal to hide from the elements and predators attract pigeons the most. When they’re comfortable somewhere, they will make a nest and roost. Decks often provide suitable conditions for a pigeon family to move in, and the narrow, dark crevices underneath the deck are the perfect roasting spot.
Anyone who has faced stubborn birds like pigeons knows how aggravating they can be. They are often noisy and make a mess from feathers and guano everywhere. They can easily turn your deck from a place for relaxation into something that you don’t even want to look at. Have you smelled the inside of a coop during a hot summer day?
Wind-chime
One way to discourage pigeons from nesting on your deck or balcony is to attach a wind-chime to the roof. Wind chimes have a pleasant sound that helps to ward off unwelcome visitors. Some of those chimes have reflective objects on them that could also discourage pigeons from hanging around. The bad part is that in time some birds get used to [the sound].
Bio-acoustic deterrents
These devices use pre-recorded distress calls and sounds of predators to ward off different species of birds. The downside is that they are quite expensive, and installing them correctly requires an expert. You will have to get used to the random screech of a falcon, as well.
Bird spikes
Bird spikes are another great bird deterrent. There are many varieties of spikes designed for different implementations. They keep the birds from landing, preventing them from scouting around for suitable nesting spots.
Other solutions
- Birds don’t like the brightness and change of moving light. Motion-activated or solar-powered lights, scare tape, or reflective spiral stickers can adequately repel birds.
- Netting is the best option to prevent pigeons from nesting underneath the decking. Make sure you block all the entryways and use thick galvanized mesh and use a mesh with tiny holes so it can block off rodents as well.
Most of the options require some experience and knowledge for their execution, so consider hiring professional bird control for the best results.
This is a crowdsourced article. Contributors' statements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of this website, other people, businesses, or other contributors.
