Pigeons can be a major nuisance in parking garages, and in fact are a health hazard to both employees and customers. Pigeons are a “habitual species,” meaning that once a population of pigeons becomes comfortable nesting and perching in a particular garage, they will continue to return to the parking garage and make it their new home. Notably, pigeons do not migrate, so the same population will continue to roost in the parking garage year-round. Since pigeons also breed year-round, and their presence attracts more pigeons to roost in the same area, this only means that there will be a fast-growing and ever-increasing population of pigeons in the parking garage. Pigeon roosting in parking garages also means there will be an abundance of droppings and feces on the cars, floors, pipes, and ledges.
The Trouble with Pigeons
When pigeons inhabit a parking garage, they deface the property and items inside the parking garage. Pigeons frequently enjoy nesting and perching inside interior ledges where the ceilings join the walls, as well as openings on the outer walls of parking garages. Droppings mixed with urine are abundant on these surfaces, walls, pipes and conduit, as well as walkways, cars, and parking spaces. Nesting pigeons especially enjoy nesting on the ledges where a structural beam and the ceiling meet, which provides a covered, perfect shelter for the birds in parking garages. Other common perching areas include the garage roof, nearby light poles, above stairs, and on top of signs. Depending on the severity of the problem, the birds may be inhabiting multiple floors of the garage. Feces mixed with urine builds up and falls onto cars parked within the garage, walkways, stairs, hand rails, lights, signs, and flat surfaces near the nests. A single flock of just 50 pigeons can deposit up to 2,400 pounds of waste annually. Pigeon droppings can be a health concern to humans and need to be cleaned as part of any removal service in a parking garage.
The Trouble with Pigeons
When pigeons inhabit a parking garage, they deface the property and items inside the parking garage. Pigeons frequently enjoy nesting and perching inside interior ledges where the ceilings join the walls, as well as openings on the outer walls of parking garages. Droppings mixed with urine are abundant on these surfaces, walls, pipes and conduit, as well as walkways, cars, and parking spaces. Nesting pigeons especially enjoy nesting on the ledges where a structural beam and the ceiling meet, which provides a covered, perfect shelter for the birds in parking garages.
Other common perching areas include the garage roof, nearby light poles, above stairs, and on top of signs. Depending on the severity of the problem, the birds may be inhabiting multiple floors of the garage. Feces mixed with urine builds up and falls onto cars parked within the garage, walkways, stairs, hand rails, lights, signs, and flat surfaces near the nests. A single flock of just 50 pigeons can deposit up to 2,400 pounds of waste annually. Pigeon droppings can be a health concern to humans and need to be cleaned as part of any removal service in a parking garage.
Removal Options
There are many options to treat birds inhabiting an area, but several of them do not work for pigeons, and several of them are impractical for parking garages. Here at Urban Bird Services, we specialize in pigeon removal from parking garages. We will survey the garage, determine the scope and location of the problem, and propose a custom solution that is tailored to the specific parking garage and its issue. This can involve multiple options, but the best solutions to pigeons in a parking garage are usually Bird Netting (net-screening), Bird Slopes, Bird Spikes, or a combination of these, along with a clean-up of bird droppings and nests.
Removal Options
There are many options to treat birds inhabiting an area, but several of them do not work for pigeons, and several of them are impractical for parking garages.
Here at Urban Bird Services, we specialize in pigeon removal from parking garages. We will survey the garage, determine the scope and location of the problem, and propose a custom solution that is tailored to the specific parking garage and its issue. This can involve multiple options, but the best solutions to pigeons in a parking garage are usually Bird Netting (net-screening), Bird Slopes, Bird Spikes, or a combination of these, along with a clean-up of bird droppings and nests.
In situations where pigeons need to be removed from a parking garage, Urban Birds Services can implement a mass removal process using humane live-catch relocation cages that allow us to relocate the pigeons 30 to 40 miles away from the parking garage and tag them to monitor if any return. Urban Pigeons, unlike the domesticated Homing Pigeon, have very weak homing abilities and prefer to find shelter in their new location and very few will return to the site. If they do return to the parking garage, they will be relocated a second time farther away and tagged again.
Bird Netting
Bird Netting is the strongest permanent solution available to deter pigeons from roosting and nesting in a parking garage. Bird netting is highly recommended for pigeon infestations and can be used in a variety of exclusionary situations. Bird Netting is designed to cordon off an area and exclude pigeons from entering it, causing them to relocate elsewhere.
First, our technicians will install and secure aircraft-grade cable framing to the perimeter of areas that need to be netted, as well as installing cable supports as needed. Next, we will install Heavy Duty, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Netting specifically designed for bird abatement and attach it to the cable perimeter frame. The netting is secured such that there are no gaps for any type of bird to get behind it, not just pigeons. Once completed, bird netting is barely noticeable even at close distances, and we secure the netting tightly to ensure there are no waves or wrinkles in it.
Among all possible options, Bird Netting is a guaranteed permanent solution to keep all pigeons from getting in and nesting inside the netted areas, and is considered the best option where applicable.
Bird Spikes
You may have seen Bird Spikes before when scrutinizing bird exclusion work, or when the bird spikes have been poorly installed in a conspicuous way. Bird Spikes are a non-harmful, blunted-tip set of spikes that can be installed onto a flat surface. Their shape makes them uncomfortable for pigeons to sit on, much like how replacing your bathroom floor with gravel would make your bathroom uncomfortable to stand in. Pigeons always prefer to perch and nest on a more comfortable surface, so bird spikes are incredibly effective against them.
When considering bird spikes, aesthetics should be a priority, as spikes can be easily seen in many cases. At UBS, we primarily use spikes that have clear component bases with thin, hard-to-see metal rods, and a blunted tip. The spikes also have to be a certain shape and size or else other birds, like Sparrows, may use them as the base of a nest; Urban Bird Services has trained technicians who will recommend and install exactly the right size and shape of the spikes for your problem.
Bird Spikes
You may have seen Bird Spikes before when scrutinizing bird exclusion work, or when the bird spikes have been poorly installed in a conspicuous way. Bird Spikes are a non-harmful, blunted-tip set of spikes that can be installed onto a flat surface. Their shape makes them uncomfortable for pigeons to sit on, much like how replacing your bathroom floor with gravel would make your bathroom uncomfortable to stand in. Pigeons always prefer to perch and nest on a more comfortable surface, so bird spikes are incredibly effective against them.
When considering bird spikes, aesthetics should be a priority, as spikes can be easily seen in many cases. At UBS, we primarily use spikes that have clear component bases with thin, hard-to-see metal rods, and a blunted tip. The spikes also have to be a certain shape and size or else other birds, like Sparrows, may use them as the base of a nest; Urban Bird Services has trained technicians who will recommend and install exactly the right size and shape of the spikes for your problem.
Maintenance and Replacement
It is entirely possible that before installing new bird deterrents, old deterrents will need to be removed. Older deterrents may have completed their lifespan, and some novel deterrents have shown to be ineffective. Here at Urban Bird Services, we will remove old installations for you as needed before installing new nets or spikes. No maintenance is required for either Bird Netting or Bird Spikes once installation is complete, and we commonly offer multi-year warranties for many of our installations. Call us today to learn more about our services and our warranties on our services.
HELPFUL LINKS
- Are you confused about how Bird Netting works? It’s helpful to know about the best solution to bird problems.
- Parking Garages aren’t the only place to find birds; we have seen any and all places where birds are problems.
- Looking for Bird Control in Dallas Fort Worth? We’ve got you covered.