Are pigeons really vermin?

Our relationship with the common pigeon can be dated back hundreds of years, however no periods were as defining as World War One and World War II. During both wars, common pigeons were used to carry messages for allied forces and owing to their incredible eye sight, they were used extensively in sea search and rescue missions. So pigeons saved thousands or perhaps even hundreds of thousands of lives during both wars. A pigeon could have saved your grandfather. You may not be here if it weren't for a pigeon.

Today, our relationship with the pigeon is very different. We share our country with an estimated 18 million woodpigeons and feral pigeons. They can be found in any city or town centre around park benches, bins and fast food restaurants and they group up around food sources in great numbers. Pigeons are encouraged to roam the streets, thanks to consistent food sources that we human's provide like chips, sandwich crusts and crumbs. This high availability of food has caused urban pigeon numbers to soar over the last fifty years.

But herein lies the problem. We wouldn't allow rats to freely roam our streets to clean up all the food we leave behind, would we? So why do we allow pigeons to do it?

Due to their scavenging nature, similarities between rats and pigeons are common. They are referred to as 'flying rats' by many people and local business owners - especially those operating in the food and drink industry - find them to be a real nuisance, with pigeons well known to rummage through litter bins and spill waste out onto the streets. They also contribute to building damage and will exploit any vulnerability in a roof to create a home, often causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage in the process.

For this reason, pigeons are considered a 'pest species' by local councils and people who operate within the pest control industry do refer to these birds as vermin. This does not include domestic pigeons which are pets that have been vaccinated against disease.

Got a pigeon problem?

Pigeons like all birds in the UK are protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as amended. Those that disturb or harm pigeons can be persecuted. So if you have a pigeon problem, taking the law into your own hands is simply not an option.

It's best to call in the experts to deal with pigeons for you. We can advise on preventative pigeon control by netting and spiking to keep pigeons away.

Call us on 01635 250 852 today to find out more.

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