Relatively-friendly pigeon gun required
Discussion
Hopefully some will find this funny but if I can get something useful out of it, then it'll be worthwhile...
Pigeons are having enthusiastic nuptials between my solar panels and my roof. They're very loud and wake me up from about 05:30 each morning. There's at least 4 of them - I have caught them at it numerous times.
There is no nest (I've checked) so I'd like to discourage them from using my house for their exertions mainly because I'm worried about them disturbing the cabling between the solar panels and the entry points through my slates but also because I used to enjoy not having to get up quite so early.
I have a couple of lengths of plastic conduit that I tend to wave and poke at them (6am, remember) but they're learning that my reach is limited and have started moving to the ridge-tiles from where they mock me until one party gives up and moves on (so far it's them but the stand-off timeframes have increased over the past week).
Keep in mind, this is all happening around 6am each morning. So far no neighbours have spotted me, thankfully.
My question is this, is there a water gun you would recommend? My house-hold hose doesn't have enough pressure to reach the ridge tiles. I considered an airsoft gun but I really don't want to hurt the birds and I don't want bits of plastic everywhere. Someone recommended a gun that fires rock-salt which is better environmentally but still doesn't seem very friendly for the birds so, back to a water gun...
... any recommendations - needs to reach 15m in height
Pigeons are having enthusiastic nuptials between my solar panels and my roof. They're very loud and wake me up from about 05:30 each morning. There's at least 4 of them - I have caught them at it numerous times.
There is no nest (I've checked) so I'd like to discourage them from using my house for their exertions mainly because I'm worried about them disturbing the cabling between the solar panels and the entry points through my slates but also because I used to enjoy not having to get up quite so early.
I have a couple of lengths of plastic conduit that I tend to wave and poke at them (6am, remember) but they're learning that my reach is limited and have started moving to the ridge-tiles from where they mock me until one party gives up and moves on (so far it's them but the stand-off timeframes have increased over the past week).
Keep in mind, this is all happening around 6am each morning. So far no neighbours have spotted me, thankfully.
My question is this, is there a water gun you would recommend? My house-hold hose doesn't have enough pressure to reach the ridge tiles. I considered an airsoft gun but I really don't want to hurt the birds and I don't want bits of plastic everywhere. Someone recommended a gun that fires rock-salt which is better environmentally but still doesn't seem very friendly for the birds so, back to a water gun...
... any recommendations - needs to reach 15m in height
How about bird spikes. Sort of thing you see at Train stations to stop birds landing.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/OFFO-Stainless-Windows-De...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/OFFO-Stainless-Windows-De...
I work at Lloyds. A Falconer is brought in once a month, his trained falcons fly around the outside of the building and scare off the pigeons,
Not suggesting that you buy a falcon but Amazon sell a falcon model which might do the job
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Defenders-Humane-Effectiv...
Not suggesting that you buy a falcon but Amazon sell a falcon model which might do the job
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Defenders-Humane-Effectiv...
I have a similar problem with pigeons on my neighbour's balcony (they've learned not to venture near mine).
Plastic owls don't work. "Scare Tape" has some effect but rattles so loudly in the breeze it can be as annoying. They're quick learners, as I found. I've had one of these for a couple of years. They now fly away when they see it, but I still occasionally have the satisfaction of getting one right up the chuff mid-flight.
It shoots about 15'.
They now sit on his balcony 15' and 1" away. The birds they mock me.
Plastic owls don't work. "Scare Tape" has some effect but rattles so loudly in the breeze it can be as annoying. They're quick learners, as I found. I've had one of these for a couple of years. They now fly away when they see it, but I still occasionally have the satisfaction of getting one right up the chuff mid-flight.
It shoots about 15'.
They now sit on his balcony 15' and 1" away. The birds they mock me.
There's two elements to this - prevention and management.
I'd suggest looking into prevention methods, such as spikes/barriers/etc. - pigeons are smart as you've found, so deterrents will be very time limited.
In the interim, any 'good' pressure based water pistol/rifle will do the job. But that'll always be reactive, after you've been woken up, etc.
I'd suggest looking into prevention methods, such as spikes/barriers/etc. - pigeons are smart as you've found, so deterrents will be very time limited.
In the interim, any 'good' pressure based water pistol/rifle will do the job. But that'll always be reactive, after you've been woken up, etc.
I'm out cycling at the moment but had to stop to acknowledge the replies. Will provide feedback properly later.I'm back home now, so...
Earplugs: doesn't help me prevent them from damaging my solar panel cabling. Interestingly enough, while the weather has been warm of late, I have had a fan-on in the bedroom which dulled their noise to the point where it didn't bother me.
Rolled-up chicken-wire around the edges (or bird spikes): I wish I had thought of this when the solar panels were installed. The problem now would be getting to the side and (especially) top edges. I have seen the pigeons (actually two of them are doves) "escape" from the top, so I assume they might get in under the panels that way too. I still like this idea and if I ever have cause to employ a roofer or scaffolding, I will definitely go for this.
Super soaker: I would have thought these might be enough too but I was rather hoping someone might have a particular recommendation. Whilst on holiday recently, I saw a lad with a battery-powered water pistol which shot small "bolts" of water. That memory came back to me this morning as I was whispering "f
k Off" to the birds from my garden lawn. Would really like a recommendation for one.
A falcon: fk yes..!! Ace idea. OK, I acknowledge the logistics might be tricky but definitely my fav so far. 
Plastic falcon or owl: We have a series of large pools outside our offices with some rather spectacular carp swimming around. Predictably this interests the local heron/herons (what's the plural?) so our facilities people installed a wind-rotating plastic heron in the hope of discouraging the real ones. One summer before lockdown I drove into work to find a real heron perched on our plastic heron. My colleague claims to have seen one of the real herons pecking at the plastic one.
Scare tape: I LOVED the thought of the birds sitting 1 inch further away than the tape reaches.
That's exactly what they're doing with me and my pieces of conduit. bds aren't they?
Ocelot: Oddly enough, we have recently been visited by a friendly cat over the summer but he seems unwilling to stand guard in the early hours.
Flame thrower: Not as daft a suggestion as you might have thought. I already use a plumber's torch to clear my garage of cobwebs. Unfortunately mine won't reach the ridge-tiles of my roof and I probably should be put in charge of any more fire-making devices than that.
Repellant gel: Googling furiously as I type...
Punt gun: There have been mornings when I would have considered that.
Earplugs: doesn't help me prevent them from damaging my solar panel cabling. Interestingly enough, while the weather has been warm of late, I have had a fan-on in the bedroom which dulled their noise to the point where it didn't bother me.
Rolled-up chicken-wire around the edges (or bird spikes): I wish I had thought of this when the solar panels were installed. The problem now would be getting to the side and (especially) top edges. I have seen the pigeons (actually two of them are doves) "escape" from the top, so I assume they might get in under the panels that way too. I still like this idea and if I ever have cause to employ a roofer or scaffolding, I will definitely go for this.
Super soaker: I would have thought these might be enough too but I was rather hoping someone might have a particular recommendation. Whilst on holiday recently, I saw a lad with a battery-powered water pistol which shot small "bolts" of water. That memory came back to me this morning as I was whispering "f
k Off" to the birds from my garden lawn. Would really like a recommendation for one.A falcon: f
k yes..!! Ace idea. OK, I acknowledge the logistics might be tricky but definitely my fav so far. Plastic falcon or owl: We have a series of large pools outside our offices with some rather spectacular carp swimming around. Predictably this interests the local heron/herons (what's the plural?) so our facilities people installed a wind-rotating plastic heron in the hope of discouraging the real ones. One summer before lockdown I drove into work to find a real heron perched on our plastic heron. My colleague claims to have seen one of the real herons pecking at the plastic one.
Scare tape: I LOVED the thought of the birds sitting 1 inch further away than the tape reaches.
That's exactly what they're doing with me and my pieces of conduit. bds aren't they?Ocelot: Oddly enough, we have recently been visited by a friendly cat over the summer but he seems unwilling to stand guard in the early hours.
Flame thrower: Not as daft a suggestion as you might have thought. I already use a plumber's torch to clear my garage of cobwebs. Unfortunately mine won't reach the ridge-tiles of my roof and I probably should be put in charge of any more fire-making devices than that.
Repellant gel: Googling furiously as I type...
Punt gun: There have been mornings when I would have considered that.
mtvessel said:
The solution is to wedge rolled up chicken wire all around the edges of the panels, held in place with cable ties. If there is no access to the area below the panels they will go elsewhere.
This, should have been done when installer really. My brother had terrible problems with pigeons nesting under his solar panels so had to get a roofer to fit the mesh. It's the only way to ensure the issue goes away.
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