Pigeons have taken up residence on your balcony? The apartment administrator advises how to avoid them

Pigeons have taken up residence on your balcony? The apartment administrator advises how to avoid them

During the warmer seasons, many city dwellers are confronted with the unwanted presence of pigeons. These urban birds often choose apartment balconies as a place to find food and a safe place to build their nests when the weather warms up. Evaldas Jančiauskas, Head of Building Maintenance at Civinity Namai, a company that maintains and manages apartment buildings, explains how to prevent pigeons from taking up residence on balconies.

Pigeons can cause nuisance and spread disease

Pigeons living on balconies, especially in the early morning hours, make cooing and other noises that can be a nuisance to apartment residents. But noise is not the main problem for apartment dwellers who have new neighbours.

City birds living on the balcony pollute the environment and, when their droppings dry out, fine particles are released into the air. If the faeces contain bacteria, they can be inhaled through the air and end up in people’s bodies.

Pigeons thus spread infectious diseases in their droppings, which can also infect humans. According to the National Health Centre, one of the most popular diseases spread by pigeons is ornithosis, which causes pneumonia in humans. Pigeons can also spread fleas, ticks and other parasites.

Finding a safe place to build nests

Pigeons start breeding in spring and bring back a litter every month until the end of summer. During this period, birds living in the city look for quieter places to build their nests to make sure the eggs are safe and the hatchlings survive.

Balconies of apartment buildings are ideal for this purpose, especially those that are not frequented by people and do not disturb the peace of the resident birds.

According to Jančiauskas, if pigeons start to visit the balcony, it is likely that they are looking for a place to build a nest. In this case, it is advisable to make sure that the balcony is not cluttered with objects or furniture where pigeons would feel safe hiding.

“Any places on the balcony where the pigeon could perch and nest freely, such as shelves, should be rearranged to keep the birds away from them,” comments Jančiauskas.

Feeding pigeons in the city is forbidden

According to him, there are also cases when people invite pigeons into their apartment blocks by feeding them themselves.

Not many people know that feeding pigeons in the city is forbidden and can lead to administrative liability and fines. The vast majority of municipalities in Lithuanian cities have restricted the feeding of wild birds and banned the feeding or keeping of pigeons on balconies, due to the already high pigeon population.

Those who feed pigeons on their balcony or throw food from it face fines of between €30 and €130, and €100 and €230 for repeated offences.

“We receive enquiries from residents about what to do if their neighbours are feeding pigeons and their neighbours are suffering because of the domesticated wild birds. In such cases, we recommend recording the pigeon-feeding and reporting it to the municipality, which should punish the pigeon-feeding neighbours,” says a Civinity Namai representative.

Even if you don’t specifically feed the pigeons, if there is food on the balcony, it will attract them. It is therefore recommended that balconies are kept free of any foodstuffs and rubbish that could attract urban birds.

Pigeons are also more likely to be seen when they find food in the vicinity of an apartment block. For example, the house is close to rubbish bins, shops, a market or a park. In such cases, the apartment block becomes a temporary resting place for pigeons.

Pigeon deterrents

Other deterrents are recommended when dealing with pigeons.

The best of these are four-legged pigeons kept at home. If you have a cat or dog at home, let them regularly sit on the balcony. Pigeons are good at recognising other animals and are aware that they may pose a threat to them. Pigeons will not want to take up residence on your balcony if they are aware of these risks.

Figurines of animals such as crows can help to some extent. However, in most cases this measure is temporary, because eventually the pigeons realise that the enemy is not moving and is not a threat, and they return. Reflective materials such as glossy tape or CD-ROMs moving in the wind can also deter birds.

To prevent pigeons from perching on balcony ledges or railings, it is recommended to install special bird spikes. These make it uncomfortable for pigeons to land and should allow birds to avoid your balcony.

Ultrasound machines, which produce a sound that is unpleasant to birds and inaudible to the human ear, are becoming increasingly popular. Pigeons will not fly onto the balcony if they hear this sound and will not want to stay on the balcony if they wander in.

These urban birds are also sensitive to pungent odours, so spicy spices such as pepper and chilli can be used and sprinkled on the balcony. Plants with pungent scents such as lavender, peppermint, basil can also be planted on the balcony. For those who want to use special products, special liquids for repelling birds are available in shops. A concentrate of these should be applied to areas of the balcony frequented by pigeons.

According to Jančiauskas, it is important to realise that several deterrents will have to be used in order to get rid of unwanted neighbours:

“The first step should always be to tidy up the balcony, clearing it of contaminants already left by pigeons, removing unused furniture, removing or filling shelves with objects to prevent birds from landing and nesting on them. Once these tasks have been completed, it is worth selecting a few of the above-mentioned pigeon deterrents and observing how the birds react to them. It is also important not to leave your balcony unused: the more time you or your pets spend on it, the more likely it is that pigeons will not choose your balcony as a safe haven for their nesting,” comments a Civinity Namai specialist.

Pigeons also take up residence in lofts and other rooms in apartment buildings

There are also cases when pigeons seek safe resting and nesting places in apartment buildings. Non-occupied areas such as attics or utility rooms are particularly suitable for this.

In such cases, it is recommended that you contact the building manager of the apartment building, who will seal the holes in the building through which the pigeons enter the building.