Birds Pigeons/Sparrows/Robins

Whether residential or commercial, birds sure know how to make a mess. One mating pair quickly turns into a small family. Within a couple of years your house or commercial building can literally be destroyed. Pigeons are attracted to the scent of their mothers droppings. They will stay together on your structure until the end of their natural lives.

Most birds pest are also abundant in cities. They conflict with humans for several reasons. Their droppings deface buildings, kill vegetation, and are aesthetically displeasing when deposited on benches, sidewalks.

Bird pest are known to carry several disease causing organisms. Birds are known carriers of this disease. Mosquitoes feed on the birds and then on us and the disease is spread to humans. West Nile Virus is not the only disease to worry about. Pigeons carry Pigeon Ornithosis (psittacosis), Encephalitis, Newcastle disease, Toxoplasmosis, Salmonella food poisoning and other diseases. Histoplasmosis, a fungal disease that can infect people, can be contracted when cleaning up accumulations of dusty pigeon manure. Pigeon ectoparasites such as mites, fleas, ticks, and bugs may readily bite people. Contact us for free evaluation of your bird pest control problems.

The Pigeon

The pigeon or rock dove is the number one bird pest in the United States. These nuisance birds were introduced to the United States as pets but quickly adapted to our environment and have continued to flourish in numbers, becoming a pest of business, airports, historical landmarks, schools, stadiums -- any place where adequate food and shelter is available. Pigeons primarily feed on grains with some occasional fruit in their diet. This basic diet has changed as the birds learned to live in our neighborhoods and cities. It is not uncommon to see flocks of pigeons walking through the parking lots of shopping centers and fast-food restaurants, looking for handouts or scraps of food dropped by humans.

Pigeons are birds that live in communal flocks. These flocks generally feed, loaf and roost together, enjoying the company of their companions. These birds usually mate for life. Pigeons have a life span of up to 10 or 15 years in the wild but in urban areas they may only live for about 5 years. Our Specialists no how to deal with pigeons call us today if you have this pest problem

House Sparrow

The House sparrow is the number two urban pest bird. Introduced as a species to North America, the house sparrow quickly spread across the country due to its lack of natural enemies and its adaptive traits. Its ability to nest in urban structures, eat urban scraps and a large breeding capacity are some of these adaptive traits. The House Sparrow is actually a member of the weaverbird family and not a true Sparrow. Weaverbirds create intricate nests and relative to their size, the largest nests in the bird world. Their legs and toes are favored for branch perching and their short conical bills are ideal for seed cracking. Their diet consists of seeds and grain, as well as fruits, vegetables, human table scraps and insects. They are boisterous, intelligent birds who roost in noisy flocks on branches of city trees, ivy covered walls and under eaves. Male House Sparrow have black throats and chest patches, light cheeks and brown nape. The female has a plain brownish chest and dull eye-stripe.

Sparrow Damage:
House Sparrows are often a nuisance in manufacturing and food processing plants. Gutters and drainage pipes clogged with sparrow nests can backup and cause extensive water damage, and fires have been attributed to electrical shorts caused by machinery housing sparrow nests. Lastly, feces buildup can lead to structural damage from the uric acid in droppings, plus the bacteria, fungal agents and parasites in the feces also pose a health risk.

Robins

Our largest thrush the American Robin is found throughout North America and Canada. Large flocks form and roam over the countryside and as their breeding season diet of insects diminishes they turn their attention to berries, and unfortunately for grape growers, grapes. The birds will peck at the grapes to open them up and this is a greater hazard than if they simply ate a few grapes. The now damaged grapes are succeptable to fruit fly infestation and the entire cluster of grapes is vulnerable to mold. Robins are territorial and will take up residence and even when shot at the vast majority of the flock will remain.