Depending on the size of the area you need to cover, how much you want to be able to access this area, and how much money/effort you're willing to put in you might want to consider bird prevention spikes. They're best along railings and other straight, narrow locations but can be used on roof tops as well by using multiple rows. You can stick to key areas like above windows or car parking spaces, or cover the entire roof if you want. Works wonders on seagulls, that's for sure.
Poison might be the easiest option. Pigeons will eat everything, but might be a problem with other animals taking the laced food.
never used to stop me firing a few .22 slugs at em for eating my dads seeds in the vegetable patch when i lived at home
This is an interesting idea, I like it because it doesn't use any power, and you can either buy some cheap plastic owls or buy a mold and make as many as you like for very little... perhaps start a profitable business if pests are a problem in your area? Instead of rigidly mounting the owl, I'd mount it on a spring, such a simple scrap of metal bent in two places like this: Code: __ |__ That way when the wind blows, the owl will bob around a bit, and better yet, add another scrap of metal which will grate along a rough surface, creating some nasty noise whenever the owl moves.
I'm all for shooting them, not with a rifle or an air gun but with something non-lethal... Airsoft guns! It'll give the little pests a big enough sting that they'll bugger off and leave you alone and it wont kill them or permanently damage them. Works great on those ******* cats that keep shitting in my garden!!! Might I recommend a particular model? http://www.geniestuff.co.uk/vsr11-airsoft-sniper-rifle.htm
Yes you can shoot pigeons in this country, no problem at all. I would have concerns about what with though in an urban environment. Even if you managed to make it safe, sooner or later someone will freak out and you'll have the firearms squad at your door. But you won't be able to make it safe I think as it's just too hard to eliminate ricochet. Perhaps consider a small crossbow gun. Oh and good one on the marigolds for cleaning up their crap, be VERY careful with that sort of thing as it can harbor some real nasties.
Yes, it's the firearms squad that I'm worried about. I've watched The Day of the Jackal recently - the Edward Fox version - so I've considered setting up a chair to balance the air rifle on, having the window open and a small gap between the curtains, then shooting the birds on my neighbour's roof (opposite and 1-2 houses along), so people won't notice it's me doing it. If it's legal, I'm quite tempted to have a go. After all, what's the worst that could happen?
If it's an air rifle (any sort of rifle) you're not allowed to discharge it within a certain distance of a road (can't remember what it is, something like 100 yards?). If it's a shotgun, you're not allowed to shoot across a road. Quick check and here we go everything you ever needed to know about the legalities of air rifles in the UK.
Completely illegal, you must own or have direct permission to shoot on or over the land the pigeons are on, you must also not be within a certain distance of a public road or highway. If you live in a flat then you don't own the land between the buildings, if the pigeons are on your neighbour's roof, then they are not on your land. If they are on your roof & you don't have a garden ( which you own ) to stand in to shoot from, then it's illegal. TL;DR- totally illegal pretty much, talk to the council pest control officers rather than giving responsible shooters a bad name for taking pot shots at pigeons on your or your neighbour's roof.
In the UK all birds are protected by law, regardless of what type they are. Having said that, there are some which are on a 'general license' which can be trapped or killed by various means. Feral pigeons, Wood pigeons and Collared doves are 3 of them (the turtle dove, which can look a lot like the collared one is WAY off limits). However when it comes to killing them there are certain provisions which must be made. Other methods of non lethal deterrent and clearance must have either been unsuccessfully tried or have been shown to not be practical. If we look at things from an air rifle point of view (as that is what I have most knowledge about) then there are a lot of other restrictions about how and where they can be used: You MUST have permission from the land owner to shoot on that land. Pellets must not leave the land for which you have permission. You cannot shoot within 50m of the center of a public road IF it is causing nuisance. Your rifle must be set at an appropriate power level (based on licensing and land clearance level). What this boils down to is that if you can guarantee that no pellets will leave the boundaries of your garden, ie you are shooting towards a suitable backstop and you are not causing alarm (if within 50m of the center of the road) AND you can show that alternative methods don't work / are impractical then go for it. One last point though, if you cannot get EVERY single pellet within the size of a 10p piece at the ranges you are going to be shooting at then don't even think about going after live birds. They may be pests and causing trouble and damage but you still owe them a single shot instant kill.
