Pigeons can create a mess outside your home. Bird droppings and nesting material is something no one wants to clean up. Read our guide to find out what are the best repellents to keep pigeons away from your yard or balcony.
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What Are The Types of Pigeon Repellents?
By definition a repellent is anything that causes distaste or aversion, forcing or driving back, serving or tending to ward off or drive away. Products that repel birds or other nuisance animals away from a particular area are known as repellents.
For most of human history, these types of products were in short supply, but the advent of modern technology has changed the equation. Today there are all sorts of products that drive birds and pest animals away.
All of them work to one degree or another. None of them are perfect obviously, but they’re infinitely better than nothing at all.
These repellers, specifically for birds, break down into several broad categories. Each category has a number of different products in it. Although all the products in a given category have the same basic function, they often go about it in quite different ways.
The general categories of repellents are ultrasonic, decoys, visual repellents, and olfactory repellents. Decoys are actually a subcategory of visual repellents but for our purposes, we’ll consider them separately.
Noise has long been known to frighten birds and small animals. Ultrasonic noises are defined as noises above the ability of the human ear to detect them. This about 20 kHz and above.
While humans can’t detect ultrasonic noises, many animals and birds can. Undulating ultrasonic noises that vary in pitch and tone on a regular, or better yet, irregular tempo, have a marked tendency to cause irritation in the subject, along with a desire to move away from the sound.
Sonic noises are those sounds that the human ear can detect. These types of noise would include animal growls, hisses, and grunts that are associated with predators.
Upon hearing these noises, small animals and birds such as pigeons will become frightened into thinking a predator is after them and try to escape.
Read Also: Top 6 Best Ultrasonic Pest Repellers
Owl and eagle decoys have been used for decades to frighten away squirrels and nuisance birds such as pigeons. The limitation, particularly with the older models, is that pigeons soon learn they aren’t real and become immune to them, even going to far as to perch on them.
Newer decoys with moving heads, flashing eyes, and that make sounds have come on the market. They work better than the older models but still suffer from the fact they aren’t alive which the pigeons will soon discover unless you move them from place to place.
Reflective hangers, spinners, and tape operate on the idea that reflecting light, especially moving light, into the eyes of flying birds will frighten them the same way intense light in your eyes will frighten you when you’re driving. The idea has a great deal of appeal to it.
Liquids that contain predator urine or other substances that smell, or possibly taste bad, are sometimes used as a repellent to keep pigeons at bay. These liquids have to be refreshed on a regular basis to ensure the greatest effectiveness.
Why Is It Important To Layer Your Defenses?
None of the repellents we’re reviewing today will keep 100% of the pigeons away, but all of them will keep some percentage of them away. So don’t get your heart set on buying just one repeller and relying on it to do all the work.
It won’t work.
Instead, you should try utilizing several concentric rings – layers – of repellers will ensure there is always a backup layer that will drive away any pigeons who managed to slip past the outer layer(s).
Overlapping “fields of fire” will buffet the pigeons back and forth until they finally give up and go somewhere else.
Top 2 Best Pigeon Repellents
Check out our list below for a summary of our results. Keep on reading to learn more about pigeon repellents.
- Bird-X Electronic Repeller (our top pick)
- DNR Tech Electronic Bird Repeller
Bird-X Electronic Repeller
This ultrasonic outdoor ultrasonic repeller from Bird-X is one of the oldest and most well-established repellers in the ultrasonic field. Each repeller will cover up to 4,000 square feet.
It’s weatherproof so you can use it anywhere in your yard. The device runs off of battery power or it can be run off the included, extra-long extension cord.
It’s advertised as being humane since it doesn’t use any toxic chemicals or poisons. It’s completely safe for use around children and small pets.
The ultrasonic selection switch has three settings; motion sensor, constant, or continuous sweep. We advise you to use the motion sensor setting.
The sudden surprise of the ultrasonic noise coming on at close range added to the shock experienced by the birds and serves to startle them into taking flight.
Because you’re using it on birds, we suggest you mount it between 6-7 high on the side of a tree or the side of your house. Use three to four of them, all pointing in different directions so they won’t all go off at once.
When one goes off it might drive the pigeons toward one of the others which will then go off and push it toward another. This constant “buffeting” will quickly drive the pigeons away.
See also: Cat-Friendly Window Perch Guide
DNR Tech Electronic Bird Repeller
This ultrasonic bird repeller from DNR Tech is what professional pest control techs use to chase pigeons away from commercial buildings. Now you too can have this same precision-controlled device in your home.
Just use the easy wall mount to set it up where birds are roosting and flip the switch. The dual-action of the sound and flashing lights do the rest.
You can operate the DNR Tech Bird Repeller by plugging it into a wall or battery power. It also covers up to 915 square feet.
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