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In the Coachella Valley, wild birds like pigeons can be a nuisance for homes and businesses. Where birds roost, they can spread serious disease through their droppings and urine. Pigeon droppings and nests can also damage buildings, and nests can clog drains and gutters. Pigeon droppings can post a liability issue to businesses, due to health issues and potential for slip-and-fall accidents related to bird droppings. Birds also multiply quickly, and are difficult to get rid of on your own if the issue is left untreated.
Call Rudy’s Termite & Pest Control for fast and effective way to get rid of pigeons on your Coachella Valley property.
Many of us picture a specific type of bird when we think of a pigeon. However, a pigeon can refer to several species in the same family. Pigeons and doves are both part of the Columbidae family. Here are the most common pigeons and doves found in Southern California:
Mourning Dove
Mourning doves are small and mostly gray in color. They have a blue ring around the eyes, large black wing spots, a black bill, and a long, thin tail.
Rock Pigeon
Rock pigeons are plump with a small head and thin bill. Pigeon colors vary. The most common pigeon coloring is a gray back, blue-gray head, and black bars on the wing. However, some pigeons can range in color from brown to white.
Eurasian Collared Dove
This wild bird gets its name from the distinctive black band on the back of its neck. Aside from this collar, the Eurasian collared dove is mostly light brown.
Band-tailed Pigeon
The band-tailed pigeon is large and purple-gray in colour. Its yellow bill is thin with a dark tip, and it has a white band on the back of its neck and a patch of iridescent green feathers.
Common Ground Dove
Common ground doves are very small, with a body that ranges in color from gray-brown to more pink-brown. They have a thin dark bill and dark spots on their wings.
Depending on the species, pigeons and doves can nest in trees, on telephone wires, in parks, or even blending into their surroundings nesting on the ground.
Pigeons and doves in the Coachella Valley are attracted to our homes through food sources like bird feeders. They can become a nuisance when they decide to nest in and on your home in places such as windowsills, balconies, ledges, flat rooftops, and exposed gutters and roof drains.
Because pigeons don’t always build their nests in trees, they tend to not be as sturdy as the nests of other birds. Additionally, pigeons can reuse the same nest many times, reinforcing it with twigs, straw, branches, eggshells, feathers, droppings, and even the carcasses of hatched pigeons that died.
Pigeons lay one to three eggs at a time, though the typical size of a brood is two eggs. A female pigeon usually lays a second egg approximately 44 hours after the first. The color of pigeon eggs varies depending on the climate they’re laid in – for example, in sunny climates like the Coachella Valley, pigeon eggs can be a bit darker than white. Both the male and female pigeon will take turns incubating their eggs while the other goes out in search of food.
Pigeons hatch after about two weeks in the egg. On this day, the female pigeon stays in the nest with the hatchlings without eating or sleeping. Hatchlings have white or yellow down, and rely on their mother and father entirely for food. This food is a mixture of partially-digested food called “crop milk,” which is regurgitated from a parent’s crop into a hatchling’s mouth.
A baby pigeon, also called a squab, stays in the nest for approximately 4-6 weeks. At this point, they look similar to an adult pigeon, with their feathers coming in and changing to a more typical pigeon gray color. A pigeon is considered to have reached sexual maturity after approximately seven months, though many female pigeons will not mate and lay eggs until about a year after hatching.
Wild pigeons live for about three to six years, and they mate for life.
Rudy’s Termite & Pest Control are licensed Coachella Valley pigeon control experts. Contact us today and let us solve the issue effectively.
Wild pigeons and doves are non-threatening to humans directly, though the side-effects of living near us can pose a problem. They can damage property through nesting, spread disease, and their droppings can contain bacteria that’s a health risk to humans and pets.
Having pigeons and doves nesting in or near your property can lead to a few issues. As previously mentioned, pigeon droppings can contain harmful bacteria. Pigeon droppings can also cause damage to paint and building surfaces, and even hide mice and rats. Nests can cause blockages in gutters and drains.
Wild pigeons can also pose a health risk by spreading diseases such as salmonellosis, bronchiectasis, and hypoxia through droppings, mites, and feather dust.
Pigeons can pose a problem outside your home as well, since they can peck seeds from plants around your property, and generally cause a perception of uncleanliness for customers or visitors.
To help prevent pigeons from roosting on your property, there are solutions on the market such as non-toxic bird gel, spikes, and netting. These solutions create an inhospitable environment for birds and makes it difficult for them to land.
If you need help getting rid of pigeons and doves on your Coachella Valley property, call Rudy’s Termite & Pest Control today!
