Pigeon Spikes…Pest Birds get the Point
On a one-on-one basis, pigeons are some of our finest feathered friends. During World War II, they helped carry critically vital messages across enemy lines. But en masse, they make a mess. So much so that feeding them was banned in many cities. They left their deposits on our finest statues and building facades. Tennis players at Wimbledon were often distracted by pigeons swooping down on Centre Court. In some cases marksmen were hired to shoot down the dive-bombing pests. But environmentalists came to their rescue. Finally, man was forced to come up with humane alternatives to deter the beloved pigeon. One of the most effective is the pigeon spike.
This low-tech method of pigeon control became the modus operandi for all those who could no longer deal with these pests and their unwanted deposits. The truth is, the pigeon spike couldn't have come a day too soon for home and boat owners, property and city managers, architects, churches, sports fans and ballpark owners, the list goes on and on.
Who can blame them? Your typical pigeon dumps approximately 25 pounds of poop annually. The high concentration of uric acid found in pigeon poop can discolor paint, stain wood, erode metal, even turn concrete and expensive stonework to crumbling dust. Pigeon poop is expensive to remove, especially from hard-to-reach areas. Crews with boom lifts and steam hoses can take days to remove the stains from large building facades. The pigeon spike helps control the damage this feathered pest is costing America-estimated at over $1.1 billion a year.
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