Pigeons are easily identified by their blue-grey coloured feathers, white rump and black bars across their wings and tail. They are semi-domesticated creatures who are very comfortable around people and in urban environments. These are just some of the reasons that they possess excellent survival instincts:

They are well adapted
Our homes and businesses offer excellent conditions for pigeons to roost and nest, such as:

• A good water supply from unsealed water tanks, ponds, gutters, rooftops.
• Warmth and shelter from rooftops solar panels, fans, electric transformers and heating units. Sometimes, they are even able to locate an access point to enter a roof space.

They come in large numbers
Many pigeons will often band and stay together as a flock.

They are excellent scavengers
Having a diverse diet enables them to take advantage of almost any available food source. They are good at competing against native birds for food.

They are determined to live in their preferred place
Because of their strong inbuilt homing instinct, pigeons become attached to living near to their birthplace, making them very reluctant to move on to another site. This makes it hard to discourage them from returning to your home or business.

They reproduce quickly
Female pigeons can produce about 15 eggs per year, with a short incubation period of only 18 days. So, a small flock can easily become a large one.

They don’t always need a nest to lay eggs
They can simply lay eggs on a bare surface.

Building discolouration
The white-brown colour and thick consistency can tarnish the appearance of buildings, including windows, ledges, walls, balconies and surrounding footpaths of homes and businesses.

Property damage

• Rust and deterioration of paint on buildings, cars, roof top machinery (airconditioners, and solar panels), gutters and the roof itself. This is from the uric acid in bird droppings, which is a highly corrosive compound.
• Corrosion of construction materials such as limestone and calciferous sandstone. This is caused by a fungus carried in pigeon droppings
• Damage inside your property. Bird droppings can end up on support structures as well as uncovered stock, supplies, food, machinery, tools and clothing.

Parasites
Birds carry parasites in their droppings and feathers, which include a huge host of insects, from bed bugs and beetles, to clothes moths, mites and ticks. Many of these parasites will cover their new human host with tiny bites, and are capable of triggering allergies.

Moist bird droppings also attract flies and enable breeding to initiate a secondary insect outbreak.

Disease
Birds spread disease-causing bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. These can give you the flu, gastroenteritis, or even more serious illnesses requiring hospital stays, including:

• Salmonella poisoning
• Ornithosis
• Bird fancier’s lung
• Cryptococcosis
• E-coli infection
• Histoplasmosis
• Newcastle disease
• Encephalitis
• Aspergillosis
• Toxoplasmosis

Contamination of food, supplies and water
This occurs from:

• Bird pecking
• Droppings
• Feathers
• Debris from birds’ nests and dead birds

Safety hazards
Fresh bird droppings are wet and slippery, and hazardous to pedestrians walking along footpaths, steps and fire escapes.

Water damage
Droppings and debris from roosting birds accumulate along gutters and downpipes. If left unattended to, the build-up and blockages can result in water overflow and subsequent roof leakages.

If you are worried that pest birds are causing any of the above problems around your home, do not hesitate to contact our bird control team.

Remove all sources of food and water from the site
This is the first step to controlling a pest bird outbreak.

Bird netting
Nets are a useful, non-harmful physical deterrent to control high level bird outbreaks. They can easily be placed into custom made frames or manipulated in any direction to fit areas of various shapes and dimensions. They come in different colours and sizes (we have 19mm, 50mm and 75mm).

Bird spikes
Spikes create an insecure area for landing, so are an effective way to prevent birds from gathering in their favourite roosting position to oversee their territory, usually on the leading edges of buildings. This includes exposed ledges, sills, steel beams, chimneys and girders.

There are different types of bird spikes to suit your home or business, such as translucent, polycarbonate, steel, girder and gutter. They come in a range of sizes, shapes and all have UV protection so they last longer. Rest assured that they are not sharp and will not cause physical injury to the birds (or installers).

Bird Jolt Flat Track system
This discreet, solar or A.C. powered electric deterrent delivers birds a mild electric shock every time they land on its surface, and eventually conditions them to stay away. It can be installed on any surface due to its flexible PVC base, and has in-built UV protection for longevity. As it stands only ¼ of an inch high, it is a popular solution for areas where you need a less noticeable deterrent.

Bird wire
We will sometimes secure UV-protected stainless steel wires between plastic posts to act as an unstable landing platform. This deters birds from landing on leading edges of buildings, including exposed ledges, steel beams, sills and girders. This discreet technique is best suited to new buildings.

Bird trapping
This is a handy solution for controlling a large outbreak. Over several days, birds are gradually baited with food to enter a cage trap. Eventually, when the trap fills with birds, they are removed from your property. At Allstate, rest assured that our approach towards the birds is humane, and we provide adequate food, water and shelter while they are in the cage.

Bird shooting
Pest birds are very persistent and breed quickly. In situations where deterrent techniques have failed, sometimes there is no choice but to take more drastic action. Allstate has technicians who are fully licensed to safely and responsibly discharge a firearm to tame an out of control bird or pigeon outbreak,

We take utmost care that this process is carried out with minimal disturbance to you and your neighbours, by timing it when the majority of the birds are within range.

Solar panel cleaning and proofing
Pest birds favour nesting under solar panels, but unfortunately leave a mess, damaging the expensive panels and underlying wiring systems, so that they work less effectively.

Our maintenance team can help you control this problem by first removing the birds, then thoroughly cleaning panels and surrounding area, and finally installing a stainless steel black UV-coated wire mesh over the panels to prevent the birds from nesting and roosting.

You can read more about this process here.

How Allstate can help with your bird problems

As Adelaide’s leading independent pest control company, our licensed, expert bird control technicians use a range of methods, and are well equipped to offer personalised solutions for pest bird issues in both homes and businesses.

Our experienced team members are always available for prompt advice and 24/7 service to all suburbs of Adelaide.

Our focus is to be safe and compassionate towards the birds, people and the environment. We offer a 100% satisfaction money-back guarantee, and affordable interest-free payment plans.

You don’t need to feel overwhelmed with a pest bird outbreak, or try to resolve it on your own – we are here to help.

Getting solar proofing installed

Now you know that birds under your solar panels are more than a noisy, messy nuisance, you’ll understand why it’s best to keep them out for good.

By bird proofing your solar panels, you will reliably stop them from nesting underneath, but the task should be carried out by an Adelaide pest control professional to make sure you don’t get any future problems.

Here’s what you can expect when our team pigeon proof your solar panels:

1. We willl inspect the roof and roof cavity to find all birds dwelling in your home, then manage them through one of a number of bird control methods.
2. We remove all faeces, feathers and nesting material, then thoroughly clean the solar panels and surrounding areas.
3. We fit a hardwearing, UV coated mesh to the outsides of your solar panels. The mesh can be removed and reinstalled for any future solar panel maintenance, and doesn’t interfere with your solar panels’ function or affect their warranty.
4. 1. In addition to our Money Back Guarantee, we offer a 1 year warranty: if birds manage to get under your solar panels within this period we will come and fix the problem free of charge.